IMMIGRATION

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 174, 11 April 1923, Page 11

IMMIGRATION

ROTARY CLUB ASKED TO HELP Y.M.C.A. REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAINS Mr. Cyril Bavin, General Secretary of the Migration Department of the English Y.M.C.A., yesterday explained to members of the Wellington Rotary Club the migration system which the English Y.M.C.A. is promoting. He invited the club to assist in the working of tho scheme by nominating immigrants.

Tho problem cf finding an outlet in the Dominions for the surplus population of Britain, said Mr. Bavin, was o’ie of the most important that the Empire had to solve. It was no light matter to choose those who were to bo the new citizens of the Dominions. Heavily taxed as she was, Britain was setting aside no less than £3,000,000 per annum for fifteen years for the promotion of migration within the Empire. Britain’s surplus population was estimated to be about 15 millions. New Zealanders might say that they did not wish their country to become the dumping-ground of Britain’s unemployed He agreed with them. It was desirable that only the best type of immigrants should be introduced. The Y.M.C.A., during the first nine months of last year, had received 17,531 inquiries from fine young men who wished to settle in the Dominions. Great numbers of these men were anxious, for one reason or another, to come to New Zealand. He had no fault to find with the present nomination system, which was good where it was properly used. But New Zealand was not making enough use of the provisions enabling groups or organisations in this country to nominate immigrants. His mission to New Zealand had at first been to interest the churches in immigration; but that mission had been widened to embrace an appeal to such bodies aji rotary clubs and Masonic lodges. If the Rotary Club undertook the business of nominating immigrants, it would not incur financial responsibility, but only the obligation to find the immigrants work and shelter. The Government would not permit new settlers to be brought out without as-

sured prospects of lodging and employment. Persons of the type which would bo chosen would certainly be able to pay their own fares. New Zealand offered the most liberal terms in-the Empire so far as immigrants’ fares were concerned. If the Rotary Club decided to nominate a family or two families, the Y.M.C.A. and the rotary clubs at Home could certainly find the type of people who were wanted. Immigrants with the best British ideals would be' selected. The nominations would be subject, as at present, to Government supervision. There was no intention to go outside the present scheme, and the immigrants would have to pass through the High Commissioner’s Office, so that New Zealanders would have their own authorities’ guarantee that the people chosen would be equal to the job proposed for them. The Y.M.C.A. hoped to have a representative on each of the steamers bringing the new settlers. It would be the work of this representative to assist tho immigrants by caring for their educational, social, and religious welfare, and by teaching them something about the country they were going to. - . , • . - Mr. Bavin considered it desirable that the stream of new arrivals should flow, as far as possible, towards the small towns and the country districts, so that the cities of the Dominion should escape congestion, and the rural parts be developed.