CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 283, 30 November 1901, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[We do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions expressed by our correspondents. l

MR COURTNEY'S IMMIGRANTS, TO THK EDITOR. Sir,—We notice that the advance guard of Mr Courtney's next contingent of new chums has arrived in Nov Plymouth, and as part of a large sectioi of young men now seeking work with out success, we beg to protest against this system of flooding the countrj with men totally unused tj the work required of them, for the purpose, as it appears to u j , of bringing down the price of labour. If Mr 0. wants to benefit the country, why do>a he nointroduce smull capitalists with a proportion of genuine farm labourers? All who know England are awara tbat, there are thousands of farm hands who would be glad to improve their position had they the opportunity. These men would be of use here, and could demand current wages, and if they arrived it. conjunction with the aforesaid capitalists, their advent would give satisfaction to all parties. But what kind or men does Mr. 0. send ua? No 1 -, more than 25 per cant, know anything at all about work, the large majority be-ins; clerks, shopmen, waiters, etc., and without douDt, the least required and the wcr*t class in the world for a colony, and why an experienced man like Mr O. selects such is a mystery. Can it be that the bona fide labourer has not the ca-h to pay Mr o,'s fee, and that it is the dollars he is after, instead of the welfare of his adopted country? which latter is bis ostensible motive, be balieve. There must te a reason, and if it is not tho one given abo?<s, we can only conclude that the main object is to reduce wages to the lowest possible point. Putting aside the injustice done both to " old " and " new chums," we would like to ask tho public generally if the constant inflow of unsuitable immigrants does not eventually result in damage to the whole community. Many of them, no doubt, become useful colonists, but a large proportion, lacking physic.il strangth, or force of character, never do any good for themselves, and in consequence we have an ever I increasing army of parasites who live upon the public half their time. Speaking for ourselves, we hava travelled hundreds of miles and found it | very difficult to get permanent employment. Moreover, we have met scores of men in the same plight. We aro | willing and well able to tackle anything in the shape of hard work, and, we think it a crying shame to send men out who will not only fi; d it more ! difficult .to get work than we do, but lessen our chances of doing so.—We | are etc., j Fred Woolley T. Ewens

J. Bennett G. Bosson J. Carmichael J. H. Humphrey's K. Wilson W. A. Staden M. Allshoine G. Boyes A. Thomas