DISILLUSIONED ITALIANS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 26, 31 January 1923, Page 9

DISILLUSIONED ITALIANS

NO WORK IN AUSTRALIA,

(PflOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

SYDNEY, 25th January.

The fate of the contingent of Italian immigrants that was recently brought to Australia by an Italian liner has not only received a good deal of public: attention here, but has also attracted the notice of the Italian Government, which now proposes to restrict the flow of migrants from Italy to Australia.

A good number of the men found work, some of them were put to the entirely new vocation, for them, of helping to get rid of a pest, by trapping rabbits. One suggestion that was not adopted was that they should be placed in the prickly pear area and allowed to take up what land they x could clear—a proposition that not many Australians would like to tackle. But many .of them were still workless when the steamer that had brought them- was about to leave Sydney on the return journey, and they refused ,to give up the haven of the steamer.

They were taken on to Melbourne, and here an attempt to put them ashore almost led to a not. They maintained that they had been brought to Australia under false pretences, and that, having failed to get work they should be taken back to Italy. Press photographers who tried to snap them aboard the steamer had a bad time, being bombarded with potitbes and other missiles. "You taka the snap. I taka your head," was the threat of one brawny Italian who brandished a krife.

The Italian Consul-Geheral eventually restored order by annpuncing that he had made arrangements for most of the men, to be placed in positions in various States. : ' ■

. But the experience is not likely to be repeated. Following the Consul-Gener-al^ report of the affair to- the Italian Government, he has received a communication to the effect that emigration to Australia would be immediately restricted. If any Italian wished to leave for Australia he will have to produce a document stating that work is actually waiting for him. The document will have to be filled in by-, an .Australian resident, who will have to declare on oath that he is ready to find work for the immigrant concerned, and that if he subsequently finds that hs cannot provide employment he will keep the newcomer at his own expense. .