DISCOURAGING IMMIGRANTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1920, Page 5

DISCOURAGING IMMIGRANTS.

AN UNPATRIOTIC ACTION. , NECESSITY FOR GOOD SETTLERS. (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. A statement that the New Zealand Rentpaycrs' Association miended to'circularise British newspapers to the detriment of immigration into this country was mentioned in the House of Representatives by Mr. V„ H. Potter (Roskill). The member suggested that the Government should draw the attention of the High Commissioner to the matter with a view to the correction of any mis-statements made by the Association. Mr. Massey said the suggestion seemed to he that immigrants should not come to New Zealand because/ there was a shortage of houses. He thought it time ihat the conduct of an unpatriotic section of people in this country was checked. (Hear, hear). No patriotic man would make ahch suggestions,. Mr. Holland: No patriotic rnan would bring people here without homes for them. Mr. Massey: The'non. member is not qualified to express an opinion regarding patriotism. If he thought for one moment he would know that many of the people who are coming to this country are tradesmen and will help us to build homes. The more people of the light sort that come to this country the sooner we will have enough homes. It was not a right or patriotic thing to jmake suggestions detrimental to the I Dominion. Confused interjections came from the Labor benches, and the Speaker called for order. Mr. Massey said that the conduct of people, whether members of the House or not, who decried the countr.r-eame' at nearly as possible to being disloyal and seditious. ; Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central), asked if Mr. Massey would deny that two women, the widows of 'British soldiers had been'compelled to sleep in a shed on the Wellington wharves many months ago, because they couldnot get accommodation on the first night after the a«mer • QoWntWc. Mftssey replied that heard the statement made before byjtbc same member. He would not deny it. Some been caused by the fact that Immigrants reached New Zealand occasionally via Australia, anit escaped the notice of the Immigration "Department. Arrangements were made for the reception' of every immigrant who ■ arrived by the direct route. He was sorry if hardship hod been experionted in any case, but be did not doubt that the people would become contented settlers after they had acquired a lit'tlo colonial experience. There was no country in the British Empire that offered better conditions to immigrants than New Zealand did, and it was a fact known to all members of the House that many of the most prosperous people in New Zealand to-day had reached the Dominion as immigrants, without a penny in their pockets. ■ , •