ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1920. IMMIGRATION METHODS.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 128, 2 June 1920, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1920. IMMIGRATION METHODS.

Obviously the ,Dominion's.' 'immigration methods are capable of considerable improvement. It is • all

very well to talk- and write in a fine, large style of enlarging our-popula-tion by tjie introduction of men and women from the 1 Old Land, but there must be an adequate plan,of absorption. The dangers of a haphazard dumping process must be carefully avoided. ' \An apparent' weakness in the immigration system has been disclosed by the appearance at the Labor Bureau in Auckland of British

immigrants who had' arrived under the Imperial Government's overseas settlement scheme. Most of the men, reports the Auckland Herald^ are asking for- farm-' worky but have had little or no experience of it. There is very little' work;; of - thia . kind offering at present. It.Jiaslthereforebeen very difficult in some instances to place the new arrivals in suitable positions,, although there has' "been no difficulty at all in the cases of tradesmen or men ,pf industrial experience. It appears that in a number of instances those who are now finding it hard to get work have previously bden office workers, of which class there is already in this country a supply that, exceeds the demand. The somewhat _ serious allegation has been made by some of the immigrants that they were misled by officials of the High Cbmmissioiler's office in regard to labor conditions, the cost of land, housing conditoins, the cost of living, and as to what the Dominion Government would do for them. The fascination of a country life evidently appealed to a wide assortment of indoor workers, including bank clerks, hairdressers, and the like. . "We were told,"' stated one immigrant, "thatit was absolutely unnecessary to have farm experience, and that employers would be waiting on the wharf to take us off to jobs." The complaint is also made by some -of-the arrivals that there was no 'Government official to meet them at either Wellington or Auckland. "When we arrived here," said one of a number of men who came by way of Australia, "we were absolutely at a loss as to what to do, and as we wore all /ex-service men, we went to the Returned Soldiers' Association for advice. They explained that the Repatriation Department^here could deal only with New Zealand soldiers, and referred us to the Labor Department. Now we learn for the first time that unskilled farm workers ai'e not wanted in this country, although we had been definitely informed to the con-

trary • both at the High Commissioner's office and by statements in the English press." One of tho men stated they were absolutely "stranded."

Naturally the Government has been looked to for an explanation, and this has been given by the Prime Minister. Mr Massey says the trouble seems to arise from the fact that immigrants are coming through various agencies, and not all through the New Zealand Government agency at. the High! Commissioner's office. Those who are approved by the High Commissioner . are really the only persons for which the Government here has any direct responsibility. Advice about these people is sent by the High Commissioner,1 and their names and description are known before they step ashore. When they arrive at their first port a Government officer, is on hand to meet them. The statement that any such immigrants havo come here, and not been met on arrival is described by Mr Massey as incorrect. He explains that those people coming out under the British Government scheme for ex-service men and their families were not so closely watched by the High Commissioner's Office, and it might be "^liat some of these had landed without anything being don© for them. But the Government would do all it could to find employment for these people. His information was that mbst of them did not want to settle in cities, so that their coming would not affect the housing problem, but many of them appeared to have had little orino experience of country life, and'for this reason were a little difficult to place in employment aX> once. The story that some people had landed without being met by an immigration officer might havo arisen from the fact that a number of people had come via Australia, ami so hads arrived here unknown to the New Zealand authorities. Mr JKassey thought it might be possible to arrange that immigrants to be assisted by the Government should! be required to obtain a character to tire satisfaction of the High Cbmndssioner. The Prime Minister's explanation clears up &ome points, But it is far from being wholly satisfying. Plainly our immigration methods are* far from perfect.