MONEY AND SKILL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 78, 3 April 1939, Page 10

MONEY AND SKILL

REFUGEE PERMITS

0008 IBTO AUSTRALIA

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

SYDNEY, March 24,

Official figures show that £474,675 capital will be brought to- Australia by 1755 refugees who were granted landing permits in the first two months of this year. These are the first of the 15,000 refugees to be allowed in during three years.

This capital represents an average of more than £270 fo:- each person. The individual amounts brought in vary considerably. Many migrants are admitted with the minimum of £50 for persons whose maintenance is guaranteed. Some have large amounts, ranging up to £10,000.

Official analysis of; the landing, permits approved last January and February, reveals that of the 1755, 1600 were Germans (including Austrians), with aggregate funds of £413>675; 104 were Czechs, with £52,950, and 51 were Stateless, with £8050. These totals include dependent women and children. Actual arrivals of refugees in Australia in the two months totalled, 904, with. £94,350 capital—Bo7 Germans and Austrians, with £80,000; 45 Czechs with £9100; and 54 Stateless with £5250. Of: the 904, arrivals 622 were workers and wage earners, and the balance of 282 were wives and dependants. Nearly half the 622 were skilled artisans and agricultural workers. The largest individual classification was 153 skilled" .. -tisans, including mechanics, joiners, cabinetmakers, oxywelders, and upholsterers.

There were 150 agricultural workers, 85 professional persons, such as engineers, industrial, and chemists; 83 trained domestics; 51 manufacturers I textiles, gloves, elastic webbing, linen, and similar new industries), and SI textile workers; 24 ; commercial (small business men .bakers, butchers, managers, and female secretaries). There were also 23 others not classified, and two salesmen.

It was officially stated that the agricultural ' workers were proving satisfactory. Most of the manufacturers were to start industries that previously did not exist in Australia, and they had brought: speciuly skilled operatives with them. The business managers were specially qualified men, brought out by persons who wished to establish themselves in business, and a limited number of female secretaries had also been allowed in on the same grounds.