DUMPED ON NEW ZEALAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 57, 6 February 1925, Page 4

DUMPED ON NEW ZEALAND.

AMERICAN UNDESIRABLES. Per Press Association, WELLINGTON, Feb, 5. Statements throwing interesting light on the American immigration laws, -especially with regard to the deportation of undesirables, were mode to-day by a New Zealander, Mr A. W. Wynne-Williams, fourth officer of the American steamer West Calera. which is at present at Lyttelton. ilr Wynnu-Williams is paying a brief visit to Wellington to renew his acquaintance with officials of the Union Steamship Company, by which company he was employed tor some time, first m the local office" and latterly as purser. Mr Wynne-Williams said he had noticed from New Zealand papers which he received that there had been a considerable outcry here about the manner in which New Zealanders are treated while kept at Angel Inland at San Francisco, and in view of that fact he had made it his busmess to pay a visit to the island for the purpose of ascertaining the true state of affairs. He found about 400 people there awaiting deportation to various parts of the world and ho interviewed about 18, who were being sent to New Zealand. He was astonished to find that a number of these people did not know the first thing about New Zealand. They had to go somewhere, and, hearing that the Dominion was a good place in which to live, ttiey told the American officials they were New Zealonders. The officials, who astonishing ignorance of New Zealand, took the story in, and booked the immigrants for New Zealand. The result was that New Zealand was receiving an undesirable addition to her population The authorities were very lax, said Mr WynneWilliams, and allowed anybody- to leave the country, their only concern beingthat they left America, Mr Wynno-WiDianis stated that he could quote cases where mentaa defectives and 'gaolbird* were being dumped on New Zealand and AusrMr' Wynne-Williams stated that great difficulty was experienced in getting men to go to sea in America, and the master ot a ship very often hod to have recourse to tho gaols in order to get a crew at aIL IhM meant that the crews of American ship* were a very mixed lot.