POPULATION INQUIRY

Evening Star, Issue 25782, 3 May 1946, Page 7

POPULATION INQUIRY

HOW IMMIGRANTS ARE SELECTED LARGE SCALE POLICY IMPOSSIBLE VET (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 2. “ Ever since the war many applications have been coming from nationals in Europe,” said Mr E. D. Good, Controller of Customs, before the Parliamentary Committee on Population today. They had included persons with relatives in New Zealand, and many inquiries had been made by persons who had come to New Zealand as refugees about obtaining permits for relatives and friends in. Europe. It had been the general policy in the meantime to decline such applications unless the circumstances were very exceptional. Alien applications for entry into New Zealand were largely from business and professional persons. Mr J. Thorn, M.P., chairman of the committee, said there had been representations on behalf of the Jewish community asking for sympathetic consideration of future migration to New Zealand. He asked Mr Good for an expression of his views on the question and suggested that he might prefer to do so m committee. This course was adopted. In his general statement, Mr Good said that at the beginning of each year it had been the practice to prepare a statement showing the policv followed in previous years to help the Minister in determining the policy for the next 12 months. Over a ; fairly lengthy period before,the war and before the Nazi persecution of the Jews began, it was the policy favourably to consider applications from suitable Northern Europeans. Southern Europeans were not regarded as so suitable tor assimilation into the community, and, except for wives and minor children of Southern Europeans already in New Zealand, applications had generally been declined.

The persecution of the Jews in Europe resulted in a flood of applications from Jews,” said Mr Good. “In view of the humanitarian issues involved, many more permits were granted than previously:” In order that too many refugees should not enter one; particular occupation, the Departments of Labour and Industries and Commerce were consulted in each case before a ; recommendation was made to the Minister. After the outbreak of ..war it was decided that permits could not-be issued except in very exceptional cases. No assistance was granted for alien migrants, and no official machinery was established for their reception, placing, and aftercare. The. Minister , was the final authority in the issue of permits for aliens. Mr Good’ said that experience had shown that aliens such as Yugoslavs, although good citizens, were apt to' live- in groups. His feeling was that immigrants should be easily and .quickly assimilated, and from that viewpoint Southern Europeans were not so desirable as Northern Europeans. In his submission on behalf of the Department of Labour, Mr G. M. F. Jackson said that 40 to 50 inquiries from prospective migrants were being received weekly by the department. Many were British. Perhaps half of them relied on the old: idea of assisted passages, but a good, proportion was ready to provide finance. Many had been in the services. Mr, G. W. Albertson, Director, of in -theccourse of an.- analysis of the accommodation problem and shortage of materials* said: ‘‘ It Tvill,be,seen that any largescale immigration policy, if implemented during the next two or three years, is_ likely -further to embarrass the housing situation in this country. We must expect to provide, say, one house for each 3.7 immigrants, unless they are children who might he housed otherwise.” Mr Albertson said that; Tvhile the housing shortage might be‘a contributing factor in the population decline, there were also economic, biological, and psychological considerations. It could be stated that where applications for State houses were the greatest, the number of children, per family was generally smallest.

Evidence on behalf of the State Advances Corporation .was given by the secretary, Mr K. J. Caverhill, who said that a recent survey- had shown a shortage of 25,000 housing units.