FEMALE IMMIGRANTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1704, 22 March 1913, Page 6

FEMALE IMMIGRANTS.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER TOR IMMIGRATION.

The Hon. H. D. Bell informed a reported on Thursday that as Minister for Immigration he had given directions that Miss Breimioiy of the Labour Department, should not in future meet arriving immigrants in any official 'capacity. Miss Bremner, the Minister went on to re-, mark, is an officer of the Labour Department, and not of the' Immigration Department. In, her evidence Defore the Commission she stated that though for the past four years she had met boats arriving in \Vellington to interview femalo immigrants she had entirely failed in obtaining information as to the employment to which the girls were proceeding, or to have any record of their movements. "Since the constitution of the separate Department of Immigration, there is no necessity for the Labour Department officials meeting the immigrants; but apart from that I. thought it undesirable that opinions as to the conduct of any Department of the Government should be offered by any officJnl before tho Commission. Each witness called was not only entitled, but. bound to give evidence as to the facts, within the knowledge of the witness. Miss Bremner has in no way suffered either In position or in salary. "I, as Minister for Immigration," continued Mr. Bell, "as. early as October 29 last, placed myself in formal communication with the shipping- companies with respect to the provision of a separate, part of each ship for tho. New Zealand immigrant girls, and negotiations to secure that end have proceeded ever since. . "With regard to tho opinions expressed by Miss Bremner, tho present Government is in no sense tho subject of the criticism of the witness; but though I thought it was wiser to secure complete separation, this was not the result of any cvidenco that tho supervision and control previously exercised had not been satisfactory. It is only fair to previous Administrations and to the young women who have come to New Zealand, that I should mako this statement. "I have every reason to believe," concluded the Minister, "that tho domestlo servants who have come to New Zealand ujjon tho selection of tho High Commissioner, and under tho care of the New Zealand Government, have been in every sense well oonducted."