THE PREMIER'S SPEECH.

Upon the question of Chinese in New Zealand the Premier had a very extraordinary proposal to make. One of the difficulties in the way of their exclusion, he said, was the fact that the Chinese have almost a monopoly of the market garden business, and large numbers of people who would prefer to obtain vegetables from Europeans find it impossible to do so. Therefore he proposes to establish at the four centres market gardens to be worked, by prisoners, hoping thus to grow enough vegetables to supply very large proportion of the requirements of the people, and incidentally to provide prisoners with useful employment, for which they would be paid. Fancy/ the Government of the Dominion of New Zealand, the brightest jewel in the Empire's crown, becoming a grower and purveyor of the "qabbagee," the "lubarb," and the "waterkless" for the free and independent electors, with the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, P.C., K.C.M.G., a* Minister for Market Gardens. If his vegetables are only as delicious as the idea is what a demand there will be for them. Yet Ministers are not, he declares, revolutionary socialists, nor of any school, though their policy of embarking the State union all sorts of industries certainly savours; of socialism.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13627, 10 February 1908, Page 4

MARKET GARDENING. AUCKLAND, 14th April. At a meeting of the recently-formed Auckland Market Gardeners' Association held, this evening at Avondale, it was decided to forward a petition to the Government requesting that the Prime Minister's proposals that prison labour be used in the production of vegetables on a State-owned farm be not given effect to, as they were sure that when Sir Joseph Ward made the suggestion he was not aware that of the vegetables sold in Auckland a large quantity were grown by white labour. It was also resolved to forward a letter to the Inspector of Police drawing attention to the Chinese working in their gardens on Sundays

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 90, 15 April 1908, Page 3