COMMISSION ON IMMIGRATION

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26129, 3 June 1950, Page 6

COMMISSION ON IMMIGRATION

SUGGESTION MADE TO GOVERNMENT DEPUTATION MEETS MINISTER (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 2. The setting up of a Royal Commission on immigration was suggested to the Government to-day by the Dominion Settlement and Population Association.

Leading the deputation from the association to the Minister of Immigration (.Mr W. the president, Mr A. Leigh Hunt, said such a commission could formulate a long-range immigration policy for New Zealand after surviving all fields of employment. *

Mr Sullivan said the Government would consider the representations, being fully aware of the need for more people to come to the Dominion.

Mr Hunt told the Minister that the association was presenting the findings oi a conference on immigration held last year by 38 organisations, representing nearly 250,000 persons. For the last five years, he said, there had been only a trickle of immigrants to the country, although there were 50.G00 jobs vacant. Such a lack of enterprise was a reflection on the Dominion. Only one ship had been made available to bring immigrants from overseas, while Australia was employing no fewer than 28 large liners, most of them carrying 1500 persons. ° The association had once fostered child migration, but since that had been taken over by the Immigration Department, only 100 children had arrived, Mr Hunt said.

Proposing a Royal Commission. Mr Hunt said its hearings would awaken pub’ic awareness of immigration possibilities. A commission survey could cover the needs of all sections of primary and secondary industries for several decades and ensure that an adequate supply of manpower was obtained to meet them. At present industries were starved of workers to the point of inefficiency, and hardship. Another member of the deputation. Mr D. J. Riddiford. said increases in mannower would also be an advantage in New ‘Zealand’s defence.