CHILD IMMIGRATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 168, 30 April 1935, Page 5

CHILD IMMIGRATION.

THE SYSTEM IN AUSTRALIA. SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT. , (Per Press Assooifction.) AUCKLAND, Apri1,29.., A scheme of child immigration based upon the principle embodied .in the Fairbridge Farm Schools.is the system favoured by Sir Stanley Argys, formerly Premier of Victoria, as a means of populating the British Dominions. Sir Stanley, who arrived at Auckland by the Niagara on his way to attend the Empire Parliamentary Union's Conference at Westminster, criticised previous immigration schemes which had been applied in Australia. :.. , While he was'Premier, Sir Stanley said, he visited Western Australia, for the purpose of. inspecting the Fairbridge system. He had been impressed to such an extent that he had committed, the Victorian Government to a similar scheme. Under the Fairbridge system only specially selected orphan' children were sent out and in Western j Australia it had been found that th*y had soon adapted themselves to the new conditions. .*■.-'• ; ; "In Victoria the scheme will receive the support of the Lady Northcote Trust and that of the Federal and State Governments in addition, while the Imperial Government will pay onehalf of the cost of maintaining each child, Sir Stanley said. The Lady Northcote Trust had .'been established under the will of the late Lady Northcote, wife of a former Governor-Gener-al of the Commonwealth, who had been impressed with the advantages which Australia was able to afford to orphan children from Britain. The estate was valued at £2oo>o"tl£. As in the case of the Fairbridge school system, inly children medically fit and free from mental and criminal taints would be sent to Victoria. ' . .