UNINVITED GUESTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 4, 6 January 1931, Page 6

UNINVITED GUESTS.

Public attention has been drawn to the fact that a Canadian family of eight who came to New Zealand not long before Christmas has applied to the Auckland Hospital Board for relief. Without entering into the special features of this particular case, we consider that the occurrence of such a state of things should be carefully" guarded against by the responsible authorities. At such a time of industrial and financial depression, it is not right that outsiders should be permitted to enter this country without the certainty .of finding occupation and means of sustenance, and that, failing this, they should at once become a burden on public charity. Cert ainly, we are under no obligation to take charge of Canada's emigrants. For the Canadian law on this point is extremely strict, and there are already many cases on record of New Zealanders who have been refused entrance to Canada even though they could show that they had private means for their support and definite offers of employment. In justice to our own people, and also to the strangers avlio, incited by false expectations, may find their way to .New Zealand just now, it would be well for the Department to look more carefully into the enforcement of the existing regulations and to tighten up the restrictions, if and when such a course is/required.