REFUGEE IMMIGRANTS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22768, 21 July 1939, Page 15

REFUGEE IMMIGRANTS

TO TBS SDXTOS or TBS PBBBS. Sir.—-As a South Island man, I would like to compliment Mr Lush on his broadminded, able letter, and to sup-

port his plea for a more liberal admittance of refugees. Mr Lush quotes Australia as taking 15,000 refugees over a three-year period, but why specify refugees only? Australia last year accepted 8000 alien immigrants, only a portion being refugees, and they are continuing to arrive in considerable numbers by almost every boat. Dr. Steinberg, a prominent member of the Jewish race, has been in Western Australia for some time conferring with the Government and looking into the suitability of that state for the settlement of Jewish rural workers and farmers. He has been very impressed and considers there are large areas, especially in the north-west, very suitable for Jewish settlement. Dr. Hastland, an official representative from Holland, has been in New South Wales looking into the suitability of that state for Dutch settlers, and he says he is very pleased with what he has seen. He says he hopes there will soon be a steady flow of Dutch migrants for Australia of the rural worker and artisan type. Dr. Hartland says that if this immigration scheme is carried out it will draw Australia and Holland closer together, and improve the trading relations between the two countries. He also said that there were 180,000 people of Dutch descent in Canada, and the trade between the two countries was considerable. While Australia. South Africa, and Canada are taking valuable immigrants, New Zealand is .standing still and looking oh. It is time the people of this country woke up and adopted a more broad-minded attitude on this matter. Look what a wonderful example the United States of America has shown. Where would she have been to-day if she had taken British immigrants only? Palmerston North is one of the finest towns in this country, and the pioneering foundations were laid chiefly by Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, and Germans.—Yours, et °‘’ A.8.8. Palmerston North, July 17, 1939.