ASSISTED MIGRANTS

Evening Star, Issue 21077, 14 April 1932, Page 8

ASSISTED MIGRANTS

CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA PETITION TO HOUSE OF COMMONS FEDERAL ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S REPLY. Tress Association— By Telegraph-Copyright. LONDON, April 13. (Received April 14, at 12.5 p.m.) Mr J. G. Latham (Federal Attor-ney-General) has issued to the Press a reply to a petition, signed •by 50,000 migrants to Australia which Mr M‘Govern, M.P., presented in the House of Commons. The petitioners contended that they left their homes in Britain owing to the “ extravagant, misleading, and in many cases indubitably false propaganda by the Australian Governments. Many of the signatories are now reduced to misery, semi-starva-tion, and despair. Suicides are frequent. Some have lost their. reason. Young women have sold their virtue, and the men are herded in camps, where they are treated hardly better than convicts.” Mr Latham points out that “ assisted migration has been practically suspended since the beginning of 1930. There is unemployment distress in every country. A large majority of the migrants went on the nomination of relatives and friends. It is improper to suggest that any Government is responsible for their migration. When the depression, accentuated by the drop in prices, became grave assisted migration was suspended. Many migrants who returned to England are now. seeking facilities to return to Australia, having found that opportunities and prospects here at least are no better than in Australia. Many of the petition’s statements are exaggerated or are without foundation. Migrants are given the same unemployment relief as Australians.’’