250 IMMIGRANTS ARRIVE: WELCOME BY MR FRASER

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 October 1947, Page 3

250 IMMIGRANTS ARRIVE: WELCOME BY MR FRASER

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 12. A guarantee that good working conditions and high' wages would be found in New Zealand was given by the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) when he welcomed 250 assisted British immigrants who arrived in the Atlantis this morning. The vessel also had as passengers 190 Boy Scouts returning from the world jamboree in Paris, a small draft of Army and Air Force men, and seven Italian girls, fiancees of former’New Zealand servicemen.

“You wijl find us friendly people,” added Mr Fraser, “in this country that ' is still in many respects at a pioneering stage, but which we believe is the

greatest little country in the world. Expressing his welcome to the arrivals, Mr H. L. Bockett, representing the Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan) said welfare committees were being established in various parts of New Zealand to cater for the needs of the immigrants. The work of the committees would not be confined to assisted migrants., but would be in the nature of a social service for all New Zealand citizens.

Mr K. McL. Baxter, secretary of the Federation of Labour, warned the immigrants that some persons might refer to them as “just some more ‘Pommies’.” He suggested that the retort “O.K. pig-islander,” delivered without malice, would break down any barriers' that existed in these cases.

There were 198 men, of whom 91 were labourers in building supply trades, and 52 women,'most of whom were shorthand typists or trained nurses. Each immigrant has undertaken to work in his or her allotted employment for a minimum period of two years, or forfeit the passage money paid by the Government. All were given ration books and full details of their employment before the ship berthed.