UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14427, 18 July 1907, Page 9

UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. [FEOM OCR COKKESrONUENT.J WELLINGTON, July 17: The member for Kaiapoi suggested to the Alinister of Public Health that steps should bo taken to ensure that some medical inspection of passengers from the United Kingdom to New Zealand should be made at the port of embarkation in, order to prevent loss and great disappointment to those invalids suffering from consumption and seeking for health who are not permitted to land in this colony, hut must be returned by the shipping companies interested.

The Alinister replied this afternoon, that the attention of the shipping’companies trading to New Zealand had been called to the ’ fact that persons suffering from consumption are not allowed to land in New Zealand. “ The Chief Health Officer,” he added, “ had also written to tho various scientific journals circulating in Great Britain, j Despite this, however, I am sorry to say sufferers from this disease are still being brought out. I am having representations made to the Imperial Government, drawing its intention to the need of more careful inspection at , the port of embarkation. I quite realise j the suffering and mental anguish which are occasioned to the passenger, who, J having been advised to como to the colony because of his health, is forced 1 to return. The Government and the various Hospital Boards have expended \ considerable sums in providing suitable j accommodation for persons suffering from consumption in New Zealand, and it is unfair that indigent incurables should be sent hero to become a charge upon our rates. At the same time we must guard against interpret- j ing this law of exclusion in any spirit of harshness. Consumption is spread mainly by in cans of the matter coughed up, and if wo can be assured that an immigrant is so circumstanced was not to become a danger to onr own people and not likely to become a charge upon our rates, I think it would; be inhuman to say to such invalids ‘you cannot avail yourselves of the benefits of onr climate.’ ”