CALL FOR LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 56, 7 March 1913, Page 7

CALL FOR LABOUR

I MEN, GIRLS AND BOYS I WHAT NF.W ZEALAND COULD ABSORB SEDGWICK BOYS' CHARACTER. i Before the Empire Trade Commision to-day, Mr. Em'an Smith, Under-Secre* tary Immigration Department, -gave evidence relating to immigraiion. He said from 1904 to 1912 24,585 assisted immigrants arrived in New Zealand, bringing a capital of th© total of £69,000. This cost the Government to assist them out £91,000, or £3 15s per head. Had tho Government paid the whole cost of their passage it would have had to pay £196,000. Out of th© 24,585 immigrants over 3000 were domestic servants and 4662 farm labourers. The demand for laboui was for 861 men required in various industries, 1864 women and girls, and 216 boys, in all 2941. Out of these Wellington and Canterbury alone required 1673. Th© Farmers' Union requirements were 3000 farm labourers, 2000 domestic servants, and 200 boys. ! In all it had been ascertained that over 6000 workers were required. Witness gavo evidence of the prices and conditions o£ assisted passages and of the Government's contribution to immigrants' fares. • He was of opinion, if : further enquiry were made, that it would I be found that the number of people required for farming and other industries would be far greater than the figures pat, before the Commission. To Sir Edg^r Vincent (president) witness said employers could only be assisted in bringing out farm labourers. He could not say that all who came out as farm labourers were such. H« was personally not quite satisfied with the type cf immigrants, believing that they should be selected from the country districts only. SEDGWICK BOYS. Sir Edgar Vincent asked witness if th© young people who cam© out developed into satisfactory colonistf ? Witness said that with regard to the Boys brought out by the Sodgwick schem© various report* had been received about them, and they were not satisfactory. Sir Edgar Vincent : In what proportion? F * Witness said people who travelled with the boys on the shh) had reported on the boys unsatisfactorily. Sir Edgar Vincent : On board ship 7 Rather premature, was it not? Wrtnese said letters had also been received about come of the boys in th© same strain. To Sir Alfred Batsman, witness said there -wafl an unlimited demand for domestic servante. In fact, th© four centre* could absorb 10,000 domestic servants. Mr. Garnet obtained from witness th© answer thai th© reports of some of the Sedgwick boys, grvdn by people who wer© on the ship with them, were not hearsay, but in writing. They were reports as to the character of the boys, and were unsatisfactory. In reply to Hon. Mr. Bowxing, witneas said the reports about th© Sedgwick boys' character mad© on board ship were borne out by reports received after they had been on land.