NEWCOMERS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 80, 1 October 1921, Page 5

NEWCOMERS

A YEARS RECORD

This expansion of the past policy from restricted to open nomination has proved an unqualified' success, as the year's 7 figures go to show (states the annual report of the Immigration Department); but it was not due only to this fact that the number of immigrants far exceeds that of any other year for the past forty years, for, in addition, it was coneidered advisable, first, to make certain concessions to different classes of labour most needed by the Dominion—viz., domestic servants, fawn ! labourers, and miners^-which were eligible under the applied-passage scheme, also to add such classes as artisans, mechanics, aiid^bricklayers under this category of reducedrate passages; and; secondly, to accept immigrants under the Imperial overseassettlement scheme. >

The summary of immigrants is given as follows :— ' Nominated 4821 .Overseas settlement (direct) ....3822 Overseas settlement' (indirect) 1464 Total 10,107

For the last ten years the total assisted immigrants have been as follow : 1912, 3300; 1913, 3928; 1914, 5064; i 915, 2986; 1916, 1103; 1917, 638; 1918/171; 1919, 906; 1920, 3811; 1921, 10,107. The report records the .success of the special arrangements made for providing accommodation and employment for newcomers. "I am able to report that not in one single case of assisted or over-seas-settlement immigrants can, it be said that the Department was unable to supply accommodation immediately upon arrival and to offer employment within forty-eight hours o£ entrance into the Dominion. It was early realised that, ■with the prospect of a. large influx of immigrants under the Imperial scheme, wha had neither friends nor employment to proceed to, the two most important factors in dealing with this class were— first, accommodation, and, secondly, employment. As the Department has no branch offices, it wae found necessary, at other than the port of arrival, to make provision for meeting the newcomer at Iris destination and conducting him to suitable accommodation. This woTk was entrusted to the Salvation Army, whose organisation is not only established in the towns, but aleo penetrates every country district. The thoroughness with which its officers carried put this part of the work, under my supervision, contributed mainly to the above-stated result, and placed the Department in the position that it could readily "deal with any accommodation emergency. The Departmenal Employment register, together with the assistance of the Auckland branch of the Farmers' Union, proved sufficient^ enable every immigrant who required it to be offered suitable employment."