WORKERS REACH N.Z.

Grey River Argus, 11 March 1939, Page 7

WORKERS REACH N.Z.

FROM BRITAIN

Over 100 on “Rangitata”

[Per Press Association] AUCKLAND, March 10.

More than 100 English workmen arrived at Auckland by the nner Rangitata, from London, to-day. The majority of them were carpenters. There were also a fairly large number of Welsh miners, who are going to Westport, to work in coal mines. There was a larger party which consisted of carpenters and builders’ labourers, and among them there were Englishmen, Scotsmen, and Irishmen. A number stated that they had been persuaded to come to the country by one of two reasons. They had either heard of the Dominion conditions from tradesmen who had only recently come to the country, or else they had decided that New Zealand was worth “prospecting” as the result of what they had read in the English newspapers.

Some of the carpenters are under contract to the Government, and they expect to be assigned to the housing scheme. Others have come out to see if the conditions are as good as they have heard them to be. Australian Builders TWO PARTIES DUE NEXT WEEK. TO WORK IN TWO CENTRES ONLY.

AUCKLAND, March 10

From 40 to 50 tradesmen who have been engaged in Australia by Mr J.' Hodgens, M.P., to work under the State housing scheme, will arrive in Auckland on Tuesday in the Awatea. according to advice received by the Minister of Housing, Hon. H. T. Armstrong. They will comprise the second party under engagement to arrive in the Dominion, the first being due in Wellington on Monday. The men arriving in Auckland will proceed immediately to jobs provided by the builders carrying out contracts under the housing scheme. Mr Armstrong stated that it. is stipulated in their engagement that they will work under the housng scheme only, and, for the time being, all of the men brought from Australia will be confined to contracts in Wellington and Auckland. Numerous applications have been made to the Government by builders, outside of Auckland and Wellington, for Australian tradesmen, but these cannot be entertained at present, said the Minister, because the housing shortage is far more acute in these two provinces than elsewhere in the Dominion.

The men arriving on Tuesday comprise bricklayers, plumbers, tilers, carpenters and other skilled tradesmen in the proportion necessary in the industry. In some instances men are married, although a preference was given to single men.