IMMIGRATION AND SHIPPING.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 February 1920, Page 5

IMMIGRATION AND SHIPPING.

NEED FOR ACTION. MR. R. PIASTERS' OPINIONS. Responding to tlic toast of "The New Zealand Parliament" at the social function held by the Stratford Jersey Brooders' Association, on Friday night, Mr. R. Masters, M.I 1 ., expressed the opinion that the Government should at once go in for a thoroughly comprehensive and commonsense system of immigration, and that the farmers, the importers and thu Government should join forces for the purpose of fighting the great shipping combines.

He said that while he believed the primary industries of the country were of chief importance, there was a wonderful future for the Dominion if the secondary industries were developed 'on sound lines. With the great possibilities of hydro-electricity, these industries could be developed, but it Was necessary that a sound immigration scheme should be adopted in order to obtain the increased production, which was absolutely essential. "I heartily approve of the immigration scheme as laid down by Mr. Massey, of which a brief summary was published in the daily Press. Our industries are languishing for want of labor, awl we can afford to get thousands of immigrants, provided wo bring them out judiciously and select the right class. )ur Public Works are also starving "for want of labor, and the whole country is being held back for the same reason."

Mr. Masters added that he had given a good deal of thought to the shipping question, and sometimes ho had considered if it was much use increasing production if the shipping companies were going to take such a big proportion of the proceeds. The shipping companies, he said, were a greater combine to-day than ever before. The P. and 0. Com' pany had absorbed the Union Company and was absorbing others, and would continue to absorb more.

"I jaiu not making a political speech now,'? said. Mr. Masters. "You have hear 4 my politics during the election campaign. I am merely expressing my honest opinion when I say that t'he farmers 'of the country must tackle this great, ■shipping problem and tackle it at once. (Applause). It can. be done, and it must be done." Mr. Masters suggested that the farmers and the importers, with the assistance of the Government, could successfully tackle the problem,, and enable the farmers to export their produce free from the effects of a combine which was' operating against their T>e«t interests. Ha wanted to see the farmer* take up the shipping problem, because he believed it was one of the greatest nienaces facing tjie country at the present time. New Zealand was free from the system of graft, which operated in some countries, and as Parliament, was a reflex of the people, Parliament could and would help, the. people in this matter, (Applause),'