ATTRACTING AMMIGRANTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 203, 26 August 1913, Page 7

ATTRACTING AMMIGRANTS.

AUSTRALIA ACTIVE. PACTFIC TOURIST ROUTE. Among the passengers by the (Maknra, bound for Sydney, is Mr. Percy Hunter, Superintendent of Immigration for New South Wales and Victoria, who is going back to Australia u-pon business connected with the amalgamation of the immigration .bureaux of the various States in the Commonweal th. Victoria and New South Wales have amalgaand the best results have followed the experiment. Mr. 'Hiinter has offices in the Victorian Government's fine building in the Strand, on the same site Lord Grey is endeavouring to get the overseas colonies to adopt for their London offices. (Last year Australia attracted 100,000 immigrants from the Old Country, about 46,000 of that numtber being assisted' by the Government. This y«ar the number will show a considerable falling oft" owing principally to the iact that a slight stringency iv financial matters had necessitated tho Hosing down of some industries, and the intending immigrants, getting to hear of this, thought thero would bo some difficulty in getting work.

Tho office of which Mr. Huntor is the head has numbers of agents all over Great Britain, and the work of attracting suitable people, such us farm labourers and domestic servants, has been reduced to a fine art. Another reason why there will be a falling off in tho figuree for the cuiTcnt year is that England is enjoying a period of prosperity, and naturally conditions aro more attractive just now. Mr. ..Hunter point?, out. thai the -wholesale depletion tJiut the colonies have caused has had the effect of improving the condition of agricultural labourers in the Old Land, the wages having gone up from 12/ per week and dud yourself, to Jibout 10/ a week with certain concessions in the way of rations and accommodation.

Speaking ibbmit the offices in 'tihe Strand, Mr. Hunter said U»ey had estubilrshcd a tourist bureau there, and he thought it would 'be an excellent idea if New Zcalnnd were to join in this department. They might get Hawaii and Fiji to come in too. and this would mean that the taurUtct wouM have a sort of round tour in the Pacific. The idea was to follow Uio All Red route, ju> it were. Tlk> advent osf euoh iboats as the Makura and the Niagara had done away with many of the obstacles that •prevented -people coming t>o this ipart of tho world. There was a fine field for the extension of the tourist trnffic. ami if they could induce people to do the Pacific jn a systematic manner. eaJling at Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand, and then on to Australia, it would be a fine thing for nil the countries concerned. Concerted action was the fcert to actVMirplish the mo«t good. Mr. Hunter said the tourist traffic was not only valuable in itself, but it -was frequently the forerunner of increased trade.

Mt. Hunter mentioned Ihat special efforts were being made to induce irrigation farmers to come out to AtratraEa. They hat! agents in America, where it was limped to attract some mf this class. " There i<s no dombt," said Mr. ffimter, "thut (ho greatest magnet to hmuicnvHon is the friend in the country. Tfmt is one reason why Oannda w surfc a "popular spot -with immigrants. Once you tharre a certain WMnber «( iiuTuijrnurts settled in v country it is certain they wHI attract their .friends." Mr. ntmter, speakim; of New Zealand reprcsentretrvre in Ijondon, «am Mr. Donne, who was looking after immigration and trade, was work. <md he was very popular. He tstis just t9ie stairop of man to send Hoinr for the work.