ASSISTED IMMIGRATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2100, 28 January 1908, Page 3

ASSISTED IMMIGRATION.

A STRONG PROTEST.

Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Jail. 27. Th© Canterbury Trades and Labor Council are strongly opposed to' the immigration policy of the Government, and at a meeting of th© Coun- _• 11 held on Saturday the following •notion was mi mimonsly -agreed to : •‘That this Council strongly protests against any scheme of immigration by t-lie Government, on the grounds that the men a-id women in our factories are unable to- obtain anything like constant employment. Further, w© consider that it would not only be unjust to the workers of the Dominion, but unjust to the i.niin•grants, who would have to compete with our fellow-workers for the -right to live by work, thereby reducing wages and prejudicing the- national conditions.” It was resolved to refer the matter to all Trade Councils in the Dominion, and to request them to bring the subject under the notice of the affiliated unions. A committee, consisting of the Hon. .John Barr and Messrs. E. Howard and R. T. Bailee, was set up to draft a letter and 1 forward the smie to the newspapers in the United Kingdom concerning the conditions of the labor market in the Dominion. The views ol Air. J. E. Alarcli, Government Immigration Agent, who, of course, is an authority on the work of his Department, aro not those of the Trades Council. Mr. March left- for Wellington on Saturday night to meet the immigrants who are expected to arrive on \\ ednesday by the Co-rintliic, and in conversation witli a reporter ho said that from previous experience he was quit© satisfied Unit they would all be placed without difficulty. There was a great demand. especially in the North Island, for laborers on farmland dairies, and -a large proportion of tlie new comers were laborers who filled all requirements in that direction.