DUTCH SETTLERS IN N.Z.

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26886, 12 November 1952, Page 3

DUTCH SETTLERS IN N.Z.

CHURCH OFFICER’S VISIT

INTEREST IN PROBLEM OF ASSIMILATION

Dr. E. Emmen, secretary-general of the Netherlands Reformed Church, the largest Protestant church in Holland, is visiting Christchurch during a two weeks’ tour of New Zealand to meet Dutch settlers in their homes and at their work.

“They can find their way,”’ he said in an interview last evening, summing up his impressions of how his fellow countrymen were settling down in New Zealand.

Dr. Emmen arrived in Christchurch late yesterday and will go to Dunedin today. He will return to Christ-* church later in the week. Most of the Dutch settlers he had seen were feeling quite well at home, said Dr. Emmen, and they had told him that they, were pleased to be in New Zealand because New Zealanders were ‘‘friendly neighbours.” Migration represented a deep decision, he said, and it was clear that in the transition there would be many difficulties. It was at that time—especially in the first six months of their new life—highly important that the new settlers found understanding and a spiritual home in the church. ‘‘lt is just my work to strengthen the contacts we have here for this purpose,” said Dr. Emmen. New Zealanders could help Dutch settlers to settle down by taking them into their homes sometimes, he said. That would show them that -people were trying to understand them and that they were accepted into the community. Link with Presbyterians

As about a third of the people of Holland belonged to the Reformed Church it could be assumed that a high proportion of the Dutch immigrants coming to New Zealand also belonged to that church, said Dr. Emmen. The church did not wish to establish a new church in New Zealand and it had therefore advised its adherents to link up with the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand. The Reformed Church, he said, was linked with the Presbyterian alliance throughout the world. The Rev. William van Wyngen had been sent to New Zealand not only to assist Dutch people but also to work with Presbyterian ministers and bring to their notice the need for them to give attention to new Dutch settlers. He said he hoped that more ministers would be sent to New Zealand to extend this work.

Dr. Emmen said that great interest was being shown in New Zealand in Holland. He said that the interest extended to the whole culture of New Zealand, what was going on in the country, its progress in recent years, and in particular its social security legislation. This interest had been stimulated by films of New Zealand and more especially by the contact Holland had with New Zealand through groups of Dutch settlers.

Dr. Emmen arrived in New Zealand about 10 days ago in the migrant ship Sibajak, in which he was chaplain. He has since attended the General Assembly of the Presyterian Church of New Zealand at New Plymouth, and has met the Prime Minister (Mr Ho.'land). From New Zealand he will go to Australia, where he will spend six weeks before he returns home.