ASSISTED IMMIGRANTS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 34, 9 August 1921, Page 8

ASSISTED IMMIGRANTS

■" A correspondent, "Pakeha," writes to The' Post submitting a series of questions concerning assisted immigration. The follqwing information, [Which' deals with all the points raised, have been siipplied by the Immigration Department. Much of it is available to the public iv booklets issued by the Department" and. other official publications. The Pakeha carried only third-class passengers, and for these the fares (exclusive of Government assistance, except in special cases) were : Adults, £26 and £30; children under twelve years, half-fare. Immigrants are not required to possess any specified amount of money, as they are not accepted except on the nomination of relatives or others, who make themselves responsible for the employment and accommodation of the immigrants. No hard and fast requirement as to ability to maintain themselves and. their families is laid down; bnt e ach immigrant is required to submit a medical certificate, besides passing the medical examination, also two letters, testifying to suitability as a settler in New Zealand. All applicants for assisted passages must be approved by the High Commissioner, whose staff includes an officer recently attached to the Immigration Department in New Zealand, arid well acquainted with, the class of immigrant suitable for this country. The* amount paid by the Government for assisted pas-sages,-'is approximately £13 for each adult and half this sum for eacH> child. Special assistance, involving larger contributions, is given to farm labourers, miners, and domestics. Assisted settlers under the Imperial Government's scheme for the settlement of ex-service men and women have the \vhole of their passage money paid by the Imperial Government. For some months, New Zealand has been refusing to accept immigrants, even under this scheme, unless their maintenance, employment, and accommodation are guaranteed in a manner similar,-to that,required of New Zealand assisted passengers. There is no provision made for temporary financial assistance, as experience, has shown that, under the nomination system, this is not required, except under exceptional circumstances, as, for example, when a number of immigrants canio via Sydney, and were stranded in that city. There •is no special education test for assisted immigrants. „-■ t . ,