LAXITY ALLEGED

Evening Star, Issue 18729, 3 September 1924, Page 1

LAXITY ALLEGED

THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

WOMEN’S COUNCIL PERTURBED

Remits in regard to the immigration question were considered at mis morning’s session of the Conference of the National Council of Women. ' Wellington presented the following remit; —“That a strict oversight should bo kept of all immigrants to Ncvy Zealand, so that mental, moral, and physical defectives should not be allowed to land in the dominion. The . following Christchurch remit was Incorporated:—‘That the coufeicncc strongly urges that nominators be held responsible for the maintenance of their nominee#, and that better supervision be exorcised as to their capabilities and physical condition.” Miss Kano (Wellington) moved the remit, and Miss Fraser (Canterbury) seconded.

it was pointed out that the low governing the nomination of immigrants was not being enforced as it should be. Dr Siedeborg (uunedin) declared that the law should be put strictly into force. It was most important for the health and morals of the New Zealand population. As it happened, New Zealand had a fairly pure population. The criminal element was small, and the general health excellent. If the right class of immigrants was nob introduced it was plain that our New Zealand population would soon become distinctly deteriorated. There were certain physical disorders which were so distinctly hereditary that the closest supervision should be made. She referred to mental conditions, tubercular conditions, and others. These wore hard to detect by the usual examination. There should be some means of getting at the early history of the health, physical and mental, of immigrants. She thought that tiro Now Zealand Government should prepare a form for the Home officials to fill in very fully, with details as to health, record so far as criminal offences were concerned, nationality, and various other points. The speaker concluded by stating that she would like to protest very strongly against the laxity with which the law was being carried out.

On the suggestion of Miss Mngill (Wellington), it was decided that a committee consisting of Dr Siedeberg, Sister Hannah (Auckland), (Miss Fraer, and Miss Kano, he set up to prepare a more comprehensive remit on this important question.

Sister Hannah said tJjey should be careful not to criticise the Govcninu’.nt, which was doing its best in the mat ter. Lady Luke (Wellington) pointed out that they were not .referring to the girl domestics wiio were coming out. The families 'which were nominated were proving the most troublesome. The inquiry made at Home as to them was not sufficiently deep.