GLAD TO LEAVE HOME

Evening Star, Issue 19455, 13 January 1927, Page 2

GLAD TO LEAVE HOME

MIGRANTS BRING BAD ACCOUNTS [Special to the ‘ Stab.’] CHRISTCHURCH, January 12. Bringing pessimistic stories of the conditions now ruling at Home, eighty immigrants from Scotland and the North of England arrived at Lyttelton by the Remuera to-day. They made no secret of the fact that they were glad to get away from tho Old Country, It held no promise for them, they said. It was a dull place to live in, and, though many of them had received no encouragement to emigrate to New Zealand, even though they had been told that unemployment was prevalent in the dominion, they had decided, after duo consideration, that it was better to come to New Zaeland and take their chance than to remain at Home, with its. pessimism, its workless thousands, and .its generally unsatisfactory living conditions. “ We were not given any false impressions as to our chances of obtaining employment here,” said one man on tho boat. “We were told rather that we would find work hard to get. We have come here knowing full well what to expect. We will have to look for work. We know that; wo were told that by the authorities before we sailed.” He said no encouragement was given to other than farmers to emigrate: that the High Commissioner’s office had made it plain that men were wanted on the land, but that as far as positions in towns wore concerned more men were available than were required, but things were so bad in England and Scotland that they were glad to get away. Most of the men for the towns had come out on the off chance of finding employment. Most of those for the country had been nominated, and had positions awaiting them on tho land.