TRANSIT CAMP AT WIGRAM

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25270, 23 August 1947, Page 8

TRANSIT CAMP AT WIGRAM

ACCOMMODATION FOR IMMIGRANTS

Part of the dormitory accommodation at Wigram aerodrome will be used as a transit camp for future drafts of single men and women arriving from the United Kingdom under the Government’s assisted immigration scheme. Announcing this yesterday the assistant-director of the National Employment Service (Mr J. Brennan), said the Air Department had agreed to make a limited amount of accommodation available for this

purpose. The buildings, though not required immediately by the Air Force, would be needed in future for post-war training activities. In the meantime two complete l dormitories would be . taken over to provide temporary housing for some of the large drafts that were expected

Commenting on the report of the use of the buildings at Wigram, the City Council’s public relations officer (Mr T. H. Langford) said yesterday that some time ago he had visited Wigram with the Minister of Health (Miss M. B. Howard) and an official from the office of the Commissioner of Works to examine the possibility of using the buildings for the housing of immigrants. At that time the Royal New Zealand Air Force considered that with its training scheme, the possible housing of married men, and the use of part of the buildings by the Public Works Department, there would be no space available for immigrants.