MANY NEW ARRIVALS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1922, Page 7

MANY NEW ARRIVALS.

ALL CMMING TO EMPLOYMENT. WORK FOR WILLING MEN. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) A cablegram reporting that 3000 emigrants are .to leave the United. Kingdom for New Zealand during the next few weeks was-- mentioned in the House of Representatives on Thursday by Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South). The message stated that all the persons had been guaranteed, accommodation and employment. Mr. Howard said he regarded this as a very serious matter. Many able-bodied men were out of work in New Zealand at the present time. One “big hefty individual” had walked a hundred miles in the South in search of work.

The Minister for Immigration (Eon. W. Noaworthy) said the cablegram was correct. He expected that the 3000 immigrants mentioned would all be in New Zealand by the end. of April. They were nominated immigrants, and were all coming to work and employment. He did not believe that able bodied men, willing to take any work that was offering, need- remain out of employment at the present time. Shearing, slaughtering and harvesting were in progress, and ttie man who was worth his salt and was prepared to work could get work. He might not be able to get just what he thought he ought to get, but he need not remain out of employment. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central), speaking with some heat, asked if the Minister would guarantee to find employment for all the men who were brought along to him. The men were actually out of work, and the Minister had stated that work was available.

Mr. Nos Worthy said he would not give any such undertaking. He would not be surprised if the member could bring a good many men out of employment if the Government undertook to find them other work. But he was quite sure that he was correct when he said that there was employment for most people in the country if they were willing to take the work that was offering. '

The leader of the Labor Party (Mr. H. E. Holland) asked if the Minister would take any steps to prevent immigrants being used for the purpose of “victimising men already in employment.” 'He had been informed by the secretary of the Miners’ Federation that there was victimisation among the coal miners on the West Coast, and that newly arrived immigrants were being looked to by the mine-owners to take the places of the men who were being victimised.

Mr. Noaworthy said he was not prepared to believe that victimisation of the kind suggested was proceeding. The immigrants who were coming to _ this country were nominated by their friends and were guaranteed accommodation and employment. He did not think they had been brought here for the purpose of supplanting anybody who had work and who was willing to work.