THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5734, 15 August 1879, Page 6

THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

A crowded meeting of working men was held at the Arcade on Saturday night, under the auspices of the Working Men’s Eights League, to consider.the immigration question. Messrs. Greenfield and S. Brown occupied seats upon the platform. Mr. A. C. Pratt proposed that Mr. Griffiths take the chair, and in doing so expressed the hope that if any genuine working man present desired to speak and ventilate his grievances, he would be accorded a fair and impartial hearing, but the meeting was not called to enable Parliamentary aspirants to address them.

Mr. Griffiths then ascended the platform and took the chair.

Some discord was here caused by a drunken individual jumping on to the platform, and endeavoring the meeting. He was, however, prevailed upon by the chairman to hold his peace and leave the platform.

The Chairman then addressed the audience, stating that they were there to consider a very important question, affecting not only Wellington but the whole of the colony. He read a letter of apology from the Mayor, who was detained by business, but who expressed sympathy with the object of the meeting. His Worship said they would have plenty of opportunities of hearing him express his views during the next few weeks. The chairman then continued, and said the meeting was brought about in a peculiar manner. Some weeks ago some letters signed “ Philo” appeared in the Evening Post upon the immigration question, and the views expressed called forth several letters in reply, the result being the meeting of that night. He did not himself intend to go into the question, or anticipate what others had to say, but he considered the present state of affairs in New Zealand was owing to people being brought out to a place where there were no institutions to assist them if in want, as in the old country. In England there were vast institutions, with any amount of wealth, sufficient for the relief of the whole of the poverty of England if properly applied. One benefit “ Philo” had conferred, let him be whoever he may, for his writings had given them the opportunity of calling that meeting, and expressing their opinions. Speaking of the labor question, ho said there were a vast number of unemployed iu New Zealand, and it was a problem how they were going to get labor by which to earn their daily bread. Some, men for five months had only had a fortnight’s work, and the vast majority of them had not saved money for a rainy day, having spent their little all in trying to get a home together. He concluded by stating that the meeting was not called to support any political candidate ; the committee disclaimed all political action. Mr. Evenden then addressed the meeting, making a lengthy and able speech, his remarks being for the most part answers to various passages of “Philo’s” letters, which he quoted. He was frequently applauded by the audience. He concluded by moving a resolution to the effect that a deputation be appointed to wait upon the Government to request that immigration for the present be restricted to domestic servants.

The Chairman invited anyone who wished to take up the cudgels for “ Philo” to step up on the platform and be “ Philoed.” (Laughter.)

Mr. CitOOK spoke in favor of the motion in another lengthy speech, in the coarse of which he frequently referred to “Philo,” who he thought was being made a hero of unnecessarily. He snid the unemployed were always loafers, they felt and looked like it, and the Post, judging 1 y a paragraph, recently had employed a physiognomist, who had described a number of unemployed in the neighborhood of the telegraph office. It must be a fine office ' where they kept a man on their staff who could do this.

?'-‘Jfr. Pratt: “Are you hero to tout for the Chronicle 2” (Uproar.)

The Chairman hoped there would be no interruptions. Mr. CIiOOK then continued, and read a list of large landowners, people who were buying large tracts of land at low rates, and making money by cutting them up. He thought people should be put on these-lauds to cultivate them, and considered there was a sufficiency of money in the country to have a better state of things if they were better ruled, but overspeculation in land was the ruin of the place, as well as of the working man. There was room here for many thousands more if they were brought in email numbers, and settled on the lands as they were brought, but to bring them here in flocks would be madness. Wages were not too high; it was really a cse of want of work, for if men would work for 2s. per day there was not capital enough to employ them. He thought if people were settled ou new tracts of country, the value of the improvements they made should go to reduce their deferred payments. Mr. Maksden seconded the motion, and said he had suffered from the want of employment ns much as any working man there present, and it was quite time the working man spoke out. He thought the law against false pretences should bo carried out a little further, so that people should be punished for bringing men hero under false pretences. Ho was about to refer to Dr. Featherston, when he was met by a considerable uproar, and loud cries of “He is dead.” When order was restored, the speaker explained that he wished to say nothing disrespectful of the dead—it was the system he was condemning-. They should speak out manfully, and tell the Government that the present system was expensive, and ruinous to the country.

[The drunken man referred to above here caused considerable interruption, which did not subside till he was ejected from the room.] The Chaiuman having expressed his sorrow that anyone should have so misbehaved as to have to be put out, Mr. Marsden continued his remarks by saying they should make every candidate for Parliament pledge himself not to support further immigration at present. Now was the time to make their weight felt. Mr. Webber spoke in support the of motion, and also referred to “ Philo’s” remarks.

Mr. Greenfield, as an employer of labor, also spoke in support of the motion. He thought the resolution, being a temperately worded one, would have great weight with the Government.

Captain Williams thought the motion did not go far enough. He thought they should get up a requisition to the Government to make every male immigrant pay his passage, and if he could not do so he was a loafer. (Applause.) There were now hundreds of deserving men walking about who could not get employment, and the sooner this was put a stop to the better. (Applause.) He would like to see people with a certain amount of money come into the place ; and people should not be allowed to hold a certain amount of land without cultivating in. He moved, as an amendment, that a monster petition be got up to Government, asking them to stop free immigration at once. [A Voice ; “ Haven’t you got anything to say about Philo”?] (Laughter.) He said that if a certain industry was developed at the West Coast, and people came to know that they could get work there, hundreds would be coming from New South Wales, free of expense to the colony. Mr. Brown seconded.

The Secretary of the league (whose name we did not catch) advocated the unemployed being settled on the Waimate Plains, on condition that they gave two days work per week on the roads. The Maori question would then be for ever settled.

Mr. Evenden having again addressed the meeting,

Mr. Thdegak replied to the arguments of some of the speakers. He said they considered they ought to have land ; but he asked “ Why didn’t they get it?” (Groans.) One man had said large landowners had no business with so much, but show him the white man who wouldn’t get it if he could. (Laughter.) Referring to the rate of wages, he said they didn’t get “ five bob a day cracking stones in England.” (Uproar.) The speaker was frequently interrupted, but persisted in standing his ground, his utterances, however, being very unpalatable to the audience. He was frequently requested by the chairman and others to sit down, but this he would not do, and finally he was dragged off the platform and hustled out of the room sans ceremony. Upon partial order being restored, several more speeches were made, and finally the resolution and amendment were put together as one motion, and carried. A deputation was then appointed to carry out the object of the resolution—the names of Mr. Hutchison and Mr. George Eisher being at first proposed amongst others, but being erased in consequence of strong objection being raised to their appointment. The proceedings then terminated.