The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1919 STARTLING IMMIGRATION PROPOSALS

Taihape Daily Times, 10 January 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1919 STARTLING IMMIGRATION PROPOSALS

(With wnieh is incorporated The Taihape Po«t t.ad Walransino News).

The question of immigration has been under almost constant consideration by the Government since sometime before the stoppage of war, and it seems, from what the Hon. W. D. :S. MacDonald is reported to have said that there are such extreme advocates /Of immigration that they would commence immediately to bring strangers to settle in this- country before repatriating those heroes who have for four and a-half years fought for the land and won it by the sacrifice of much valuable life. There are men who would bring immigrants to replace those Avho have fallen before returning the brave fellows who have gone through the long and bloody ordeal from beginning to end, to their homes, relatives and friends. Mr MacDonald said it was his private opinion that our soldiers should be brought home before any immigration scheme on a large scale is carried out. This is how the self-appointed Government (introduces Jan immigration policy which may tako precedence of the repatriation of tens of thousands of the sons of New Zealand settlers who have fought for their countrj'. Without the peoples sanction or knowledge plans are in course of development, or at least, under discussion, for entering into competition with Britain and other countries for immigrants; but before any immigration scheme on a large scale is entered upon Mr. MacDonald in explaining his own views finds it necessary to say that our own New Zealand warriors should be brought home first. Immigrants, up to the present have been largely from the artisan and professional class, but in the future scheme provision is to be made for carefully selecting men with »a 'knowledge of I farm and agricultural work. Unfortunately, all other countries want, to an extreme, a similar class of men. We should be interested to know whether the farm and agricultural immigrants are being brought here to inaugurate a scheme somewhat on 'the lines of peasant proprietorship in France, or whether it is an effort to find cheap labour for those who have grown fat on the land while the men to be repatriated have been fighting. So little information has been vouchsafed to the country's taxpayers about this great immigration scheme, and it has been so insinuatingly sprung upon public notice that multifarious questions are sure to be asked, and however wide of the mark some may be questioners must be held blameless. Usurped power is <apt to be used inordinately and erratically, and after being told that there is an immigration proposal on a large scale being evolved which may take precedence of the repatriation of our soldier boys, one naturally wonders what other tricks arc hid up the Government sleeve. Immigration is a matter that most intimately concerns the masses -of the people, and we trust the Government will have sufficient good judgment and eommonsensc to curb their inclination to flout the public right, to expression of opinion as to how they shall be governed so as not to arouse public exasperation. Mr. MacDonald is probably honoured with a greater volume of public confidence than any other Minister, and the people will no doubt agree with him that it is desirable to fill the places of our sons, who have by judicious immigration, but the people of this country would not tolerate any large scheme for bringing immigrants here before our men have all been brought

to their homes and reasonable time given them to get back into civil vocations. The points mentioned by the Minister are in utmost probability those which have had chief consideration by other Members of the Government, but we urge that no such scheme should be permitted to find a place on the Statute Boole, neither should old immigration enactments be allowed to be used for immediately insUituting 'immigration on a targe scale until after a general election is held. This is something more than a public right, it is nothing more nor less than public decency; for the present Administration to put in motion any such scheme ' without public acquiesenco would be a public scandal. The temper of the people is already strained to breaking point; it is political calm that is most ur-

gently needed at this moment, not dangerous political fireworks. What the Hon. Mr MacDonald has apprised us of is that immigration on a large scale is on the tapis; that he personally is opposed to the commencement of the scheme before our soldier,sons have been brought home; that the empty spaces left by fallen heroes must be filled up; that immigrants must be carefully selected from men with a knowledge of farm and agricultural work; that the Government must make this country more attractive to the- immigrants, and in return the Government will expect loyalty and contentment from the new arrivals; conditions under which people live must be improved, and such improvement should be in the direction of more up -to-date housing and better educational facilities, the latter being one of special importance in the "backblocks." While ;w;hat Mr MacDonald has stated represents largely his own opinions, it doubtless outlines the views of the whole Oabinet. This immigration question is fraught with such far-reaching importance that to enter upon it with immature consideration and judgment would amount to political and legislative madness.