GOVERNMENT'S IMMIGRATION POLICY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9041, 28 January 1908, Page 5

GOVERNMENT'S IMMIGRATION POLICY.

A PROTEST BY LABOUR., BY TKIiEOKAPH— PJIESS ASSOCIATION. CHRISTCHURCH, January 27. The Canterbury Trades and Labour Council are strongly opposed to the immigration policy of th? Government, and at the meeting of the Council, held on Saturday, the following motion was unanimously agreed to:— "That the Council strongly protest against any scheme of immigration by the Government on the grounds that men and women in our own factories are unable to obtain anything like constant employment; further, we consider it would not only be unjust to the workers of the dominion but unjust to the immigrants, who would have to compete with our fellow workers for the right to U"e by work, thereby reducing wages and prejudicing national condition?." It was resolved to refer the matter to all Trade Councils in the dominion, and request them to bring the subject under the notice of the affili • a ted unions.

A committee, consisting of the Hon. John Barr and Messrs E. Howard and R. T. Bailey, was set up to draft a letter and forward the same to the newspapers in the United Kingdom concerning the; conditions of 4he labour market in the dominion.

The views of Mr J. E. March, the Government Immigration Agent,who, ,of cour&e, is an authority on the work of his department, 'are not those of the Trades Council. • Mr March left for Wellington on Saturday night, to rneet the immigrants who are expected to arrive on Wednesday by the Corinthic. In conversation wth a reporter, he said that from previous experience he was quite satisfied that they would all be placed without difficulty. There was a great demand, especially in the North Island, for labourers on farms and dairies, and a large proportion of the newcomers were labourers who filled requirements in that direction.