CARE WANTED

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 158, 30 March 1922, Page 4

CARE WANTED

IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE LIABILITIES

MINISTER PROMISES INQUIRY

“Imperial soldiers are coming to New Zealand who should not have been allowed to leave England,” said the chairman of the Wellington War Relief Association (Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp), when addressing Ministers yesterday on tho subject of the employment of disabled soldiers. The point was emphasised by General Sir D. J. MoCavin, who stated that soldier-immigrants were finding their way into the mental hospitals and sanatoria.

Mr. Tripp said he thought that the High Commissioner should he asked to exercise more care with regard to emigrants for New Zealand. He ■mentioned the case of an Imperial soldier who had commuted his pension for a lump sum, and had come to New Zealand with his wife and four children. The man had been gassed during the war, and he had now broken down. The War Relief Association was making an allowance to the family, but would have to hand the case over to the State. The man should not have been allowed to leave England or <to commute his pension. )Mr. Tripp added that he thought the man came to New Zealand through the Overseas Settlement Committee. General McGavin supported Mr. Tripp on the point. He said that very large numbers of discharged soldiers were coming to New Zealand from Britain, and they included tubercular cases and mental cases. Quite a number of immigrants in receipt! of British war pensions had found their .'way into the mental hospitals and sanatoria in the Dominion.; Other men were coming out with very serious disabilities, and their pensions, did not enable them to live and to maintain their wives and families. He tnought that there should be more caro exercscd at the other end. The military history sheets would give valuable information to the officers of the High Commissioner’s Department. The Minister of Labour (Mr. Anderson) said that he would bring the matter before the Minister of Immigration, who doubtless would make a thorough inquiry. It was news to him that men suffering from tubercular disease and mental troubles were coming here. The Government had stopped immigration twelve months ago except so far as nominated immigrants were concerned. The onljy people coming here as immigrants were the nominated people and the people sent by the British organisations.