IMMIGRATION.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17247, 10 September 1921, Page 8

IMMIGRATION.

LABOUR DEPUTATION TO | MINISTERS. i SIR FRANCIS BELL'S REPLY. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, September 9. Dealing with the question of immigration to-day beforo the Alliance of Labour deputation, Sir Francis Bell asked if no members of tho deputation had nominated any immigrant. No one responded. Sir Francis Bell said he was surprised at this. Ho explained that it had been the practice for people in tho country to nominate friends and relatives to come to this country. Before and during the war hundreds of such, nominations were made, and passage money paid. Tho nominators were required to undertake to find employment and accommodation for the immigrants they nominated. These nominations accumulated during the war, as immigrants could not be brought out, and after the war the Government was abused for accept.ng passage money irom nominators, and "not providing shipping to bring ihe immigrants out. The greater number of people who were coming out now had tneir passage money paid a long time ago, and the Government had no right to stop them from coming. Mr P. Fraser, M.P., produced a copy of a circular from the High Commissioner's Office, stating that employment was guaranteed under the overseas' settlement scheme. Question of Employment and Accommodation. Sir Francis Bell said he had not seon this circular previously. It was dated 1020. He would have it enquired into. Ho added that they were not giving assisted passages other than to thoso who had been nominated by friends who undertook to find employment and accommodation for them. The Imperial Government was paying the passage money of ex-'servico men and their families, and it had been a bitter thing for the New Zealand Government to do, but it had done it, to ask the Imperial Government to limit these passages to men for whom work and accommodation could bG guaranteed. It had been a bitter thing for the Government to close the doors of this country to any extent to their kith and kin in the Mother Country—Englishmen who had fought for England—but supposing the Imperial Government had not agreed to tho request of the New Zealand Government? "I tell you, gentlemen,'' said Sir Francis, ''that so long as I am a mem'ber of the Government, I shall never say that the shores of this country are closed to Englishmen, who have as much right to come here as we." Members of the deputation eaid that this was not suggested. I Sir Francis Bell said that he. was very glad to hear it. Mr Mack said that the deputation did not mind if half of England came here, so long as accommodation and employment could'be found for them. Sir Francis 801 l said that the Imperial Government paid the passages of these men and their families, and the New Zealand Government had nothing to do with them, except that it had made a request that, they should limit the number of those coming out. If it was said that it was an unfortunate time even for nominated immigrants to come to the country, he agreed with them, but the Government had no power to stop those who had paid their passages from coming out. Mr Mack: You have power to tell them the truth of the position here. Sir Francis Bell said this remark was not fair from Mr Mack. He would, not tell them that there was no employment and no accommodation when that was not a fact, as it was guaranteed in every case. He would say that there was a chance of their displacing someone else, but that would not prevent them coming out. Sir Francis Bell concluded by saying that he had tried to put the position before them fairly, and it would be unfair if the members of the deputation went away and said that they had learnt nothing In three weeks' time tiey would be able to get a more authoritative declaration than he could give. Mr J. Roberts: We will bring along the unemployed then. Sir Francis Bell said it would be better if they would try to help the Government. Mr Roberts said his remark was npt intended as a threat. Their statement of the position had not been accepted, and they would bring along proof. Ho said they came for something definite, and nothing had been promised. Sir. Francis Bell said nothing had been promised, because the Government was now doing everything it possibly could. He was disappointed that not one speaker had recognised that. Mr Monteith asked if the money for assisted passages could not be better used to give assistance in this country. Sir Francis 801 l said that might be so, so far as those not already nominated and in a position to claim passages were concerned, but for others it would be a breach of contract. Mr Monteith said that he made this as a helpful suggestion, and he asked if the Government would stop assisted passages from now on. Sir Francis said he could not answer this at once. Mr Mack thanked the Ministers for receiving the deputation. They had learned a great deal. Allien Mr Massey arrived he would no doubt have a more'vivid idea of what unemployment meant than they had in this country.