TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28371, 2 September 1957, Page 12

TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS

Secretary’s Reply To Criticism (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 1. When asked to comment on criticisms of the immigration authorities by the Rev. R. Day, who travelled to New Zealand on the immigrant ship Captain Cook recently, the Secretary of Labour ’ (Mr ,H. L. Bockett) sail tonight that this was the first occasion since the inauguration of the immigration scheme in 1947 that there had been any serious criti4 cism of the arrangementu madd for the dispersal of immigration drafts on arrival in New Zealand. In fact, said Mr Bockett, over the years the department had received hundreds of letters and expressions of appreciation of the smooth and efficient arrangements which had been made Jor the immigrants and this criticism by a New Zealand chaplain was therefore rather surprising. “As to his allegations ’ that experts in different spheres find themselves like the proverbial square peg in a round hole, Mr Day must surely know that all assisted immigrants are placed in the type of employment in which they have had experience, and for which they are selected in .the United Kingdom. The department would be very interested to have particulars of the cases to which he refers,” said Mr Bockett. (Earlier reference on Page IS.)