Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1938. A NEGLECTED PROBLEM.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 October 1938, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1938. A NEGLECTED PROBLEM.

♦ THERE has been some .comment on the fact that the 1 subject of migration is not mentioned in the P olltl< r* manifesto of the Labour Party and receives only brief mention in the National Party manifesto undoubtedly deserves the serious attention of all political parties but it has to be confessed that these parties are not alone in being rather vague on the subject. Con, sidering how earnestly it is now insisted by organisations interest „ themselves in the subject that immigration must be P lann «>’ astonishingly little planning of the kind appears to either in progress or in prospect. It needs to be recognised that advocacy of immigration unless it is accompanied by, or leads up to, Presentation of reasonably promising and attractive plans loi t I , introduction and establishment of immigran s is woise than useless. It is apt to confirm and consolidate deadwXh? opposition to immigration. People who wish seriously to see a start made upon the introduction o. population should perceive the necessity of approachn g the questioii from another standpoint than that of a child cryino for the moon. Nothing but actual plans for the introduction and establishment of immigrants deserve the attention of people who desire, in this matter, to get beyond the stage of talk. Apart, however, from those who are in a position, if they would, to shape industrial and other plans which would open the way to immigration, it is worth the while of any intelligent New Zealander to. consider why, in th s richly-endowed and lightly populated country, so little is being done to develop plans of immigration. One reason for the existence of this state of affairs is the opposition of vested interests. Account has to be taken not only of the vested interest of the wage-earner who is apprehensive of losing his job to an immigrant-an in erest which no doubt accounts for a good deal of political a other opposition to immigration—but of that 01 I . he > chant interested primarily in import trade and thereto inclined to turn a' cold eye upon the development of new branches of industry in New Zealand. Some W 0 * 111 ™ this category is located overseas and is ofteied bj members of industrial and trading circles in Britain who take the short-sighted view that a wider development of industries in Britain would militate against the expansion of British trade. Another reason for the continuance of a deadlock where immigration is concerned is our widespread and almost national habit of leaving it to someone else to do ’ the iob. Those who are alive to the need tor immigration have an opportunity for useful work m attacking these obstacles to the establishment of the only conditions in which a desirable influx of new population can be secured. There are practical problems of industrial organisation to be brought to a solution and practical compromises to be promoted between conflicting sections of opinion. It is a waste of time and energy, however, merely tn repeat the stale and trite truism that this country would be better off in every way if it had a bigger population securely established'and productively employed. OUR MOUNTAIN BARRIER. PROBABLY there is little danger of the Rimutaka deviation being made a bone of contention in paity politics. Following on exhaustive inquiries, the merits of the undertaking and the necessity of carrying it out have been recognised by both main parties. In 1924, Hie deviation was placed by Mr Coates on the list of major railway improvement works to be carried out next in order to the Tawa Flat deviation. The present Labour Government m June last authorised the driving of a tunnel through the Rimutakas and has, since put working surveys m hand. All that is needed to make an end of political contention on the subject is that the National Party should pledge itself formally and definitely to proceed with the work m the event of its being returned to power. The common sense view of the existing position no doubt is that taken by the National Party candidate for Wairarapa, Mr J. F. Thompson, who pointed out that the declared policy of his party was to complete public works in progress with all reasonable expedition and that this plainly"applied to the Rimutaka tunnel project, since it was a work in hand. An endorsement by the Leader of the National Party (the Hon A. Hamilton) of Mr Thompson’s obviously just and reasonable interpretation of the position would settle the question decisively and would dispose of any possible misunderstanding occasioned by the fact that a National Party candidate in Hawke’s Bay has taken it upon himself to oppose and condemn the Rimutaka deviation. There should be no hesitation about removing this question finally from the field of party politics. The case for constructing the deviation has been made out very ' fully, not only from the standpoint of the benefits thus to be conferred on the Wairarapa, but as an important forward step in improving the general railway system of the North Island. At present Hawke’s Bay trains that normally would take the West Coast route are diverted Io the Wairarapa line on account of the temporary blocking of the Manawatu Gorge. With its efficiency increased greatly bv the construction of the Rimutaka deviation, the Wairarapa line undoubtedly will come to play a more important part as a link in the trunk system of the North Island, more especially when the completed East Coast line is opened for traffic.