ASSISTED IMMIGRANTS

Evening Star, Issue 17393, 1 July 1920, Page 10

ASSISTED IMMIGRANTS

[Special to the ‘Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, July 1. The ‘Sun’ last night stated that"'out of some 400 assisted immigrants who have arrived during the past few weeks, and who are the forerunners of at least 13,000 who are due within the next 18 mouths, quite a number have arrived iu indigent circumstances, and have had to be given monetary and other assistance. The Mavor’e Coal and Blanket Fund Committee, as an instance, dealt with one case vesterdav where a man, his wife, and five' children arrived in Christchurch with little else but their clothing. The children were compelled to sleep on a floor without bedding. lhe_ committee handed out three pairs of double blankets and a quantity of coal. Another case in Christchurch concerns a man, his wife, and five children. Their money, it is understood, was exhausted whilst Hmy awaited the departure of the vessel from England. Both tho man and his wife ha»e secured work jeveral miles from where they have obtained lodgings, but they are unable at present to pay tram fares, and have to. trudge each day to and from the place of their employment. Quite an outstanding feature ol the whole business is that some of the immigrants are of unsuitable types. Many are suffering from war disabilities, and are in receipt of Imperial pensions; but their pensions are on a_ much lower scale than that obtaining ui Xew Zealand, and as thev are able to do only light work they cannot make sufficient to establish a home. Naturally the various patriotic societies in the Dominion are concerned regarding the position. In most cases their funds were collected for quite a. different purpose from that of assisting men and their dependents who were not resident in New Zealand at the time of the outbreak of war. It is quite patent, also, that if these cases increase their funds could not possibly stand the strain. 4» Even more serious than the fact jat charitable organisations are being ca;’ed upon to give temporary assistance is that a proportion of the es-Imperia! soldiers are in such physical condition that they are likely ultimately to become more or I&sa a permanent burden upon the State.