DUTCH FARM WORKERS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25903, 8 September 1949, Page 3

DUTCH FARM WORKERS

82 FROM EAST INDIES

FIRST TO ARRIVE NEXT MONTH (New Zealand Press Association.) WELLINGTON. September 7. Dutch farm workers from the Netherlands East Indies have been accepted by New Zealand as immigrants and the first of two drafts should ar--1 rive by air early in October. The Minister of Labour (Mr McLagan) said this evening that some time ago New Zealand agreed to accept up to 100 experienced single farm workers from Holland but because of unforeseen circumstances it had been possible to select only 18 workers in Holland under this arrangement. There were, however, a number of experienced farm workers due for demobilisation in the Netherlands East I Indies who wished to migrate to New 1 Zealand. In view of the very favourable impression created by earlier arI rivals it had been decided to accept the balance of the 100 Dutch farm workers from among these men in the East Indies. The Netherlands Government would meet the cost of their transport to New Zealand and they would travel by air as soon as selection had been completed. A selection officer and a medical officer would soon leave for the East Indies. On their arrival in New Zealand these workers would be allocated to vacancies already notified to the Department of Labour and Employment, after consultation with representatives cf Federated Farmers, said Mr Me-