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TO-NIGHT A TThe an inn two splendid eight reel 8 pcSaturdayRICH A 8 {' DIX i-It*THE QUARWith ESTII K The best picture of rout ball and ccI nlttrnlPOKERLAURA LA I'LANTE a nlt; A Belter Comedy tl COMEDY. WEDNESDAY!“THE ROAD TO MANDALAY.”PREFERRED BY FARMER.ITALIANS IN THE NORTH.(By Kevin Hanley Kelley. Ph. B., D.I», lu Melbourne 1 Dally Mall.') )The writer of thla article. Rev. Dr. | K. H. Kelley, la living In Ingham, and , for seven years has been In close | toilt-h with the Italian population of ( the North. He la therefore in a post- f lion to speak with unusual uuihority on the question, anil in the following article takes an Impartial view of. the situation, arriving at the conclusion that the Australian workman is opposed to the Italian solely because the latter la bo numerous In particular districts.Those who really know North Queensland are quite convinced of the two facts which, paradoxical as It may seem, are both correct und at the same tlnte contradictory. One Is that the iollux of Italian ngrlcul lurul luhorers is a good thing for Queensland, und the other is that there Is a great deal of feeling against the Dago und ull his works, Why?Right In the beginning another fart is worth mentioning, more espo-• lally because it is usually overlooked. And It Is ibis: Anyone who is preferred to ourselves, who gets employment we would like to have, raises our Jealousy und consequently our resentment.It Is only t!»lt;* unthinking who do not. look upon the Italian residents of North Queensland with fuvur. Allthose who have the true Interest of our country at luail nothing but good in their coining and lu their crowding to the open space., of the North. To s» •• that attitude Is the result of only ordinary • ominonHcuse, does not require won than :« moment's reflection. What North Queensland wants- In common with the whole of Australia for that matter -is a rapid increase oi population. Our Industries are barely struggling along, and the secondary industries, especially, will never increase very much until they have the support of about ten times the number of customers they at present command.Now. whatever may he one's personal opinion of Italians, there is no question of the fact that they tin come iu considerable numbers, they do populate and fill up the empty spaces, and they do become very large consumer* us well us producers. And from that point of view they are u distinct asset to the country. And because one does usually discourage, and certainly never insult. tlioso whom one wishes to have about the place, any sensible Queenslander encourages und extends a decent courtesy to our Italian immigrants. A crowded, or at least a comfortably settled. North Queensland makes u good market for Australian-made flannel shirts, olive oil. and beer, to say nothing uf the liundred-and-one other young industries which will find customers amongst the despised residents of ihu North.It is only natural. If any of us sees an influx of hundreds of men who are eager and ready to lake our jobs we can hardly be expected to be on a committee of welcome when the Influx comes. Less still will wo be pleused if we know the newcomers aro looked on with fuvor by those who give us our Jobs.The Italian is not hated on account of his nationality, because Germans and Swedes are peacefully signed on in the gangs nt Tally. He is not opposed on account of his class, or creed, or his liberality or lack of It, or anything else, because the Australian workman does not interfere with those things in any man. He is opposed simply and solely because he Is so many, and, perhaps, because the unions have not been able to organise him sufficiently to give themselves confidence in him In limp of need.The Italian, nevertheless, Is not liked by many of those whom he comes in contact with, ami for that there must be a reason. Further south one gels the impression that the feeling against the Italian is unanimous. That is not so. The feeling Is quite restricted to those whom the Italian comes into competition with In me labor market.
Newspaper Details
Mackay Daily Mercury
Mackay, Queensland, AU
Mon, Jul 04, 1927
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Philomena H.
CA 02 Oct 2021
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