Immigrant Women

Northern Advocate, 14 March 1913, Page 3

Immigrant Women

WHAT BECOMES OF THEM A SURPRISING STORY.

Giving evidence before the Empire Trade Commission, Miss Bremner, lady superintendent of immigration under the Labor Department, detailed the duties of her office. All those girls who were assisted were interviewed by her on the ship, and they were supposed to report themselves to the Labor Department. Very many of them did not. In the last three ships, for instance, only one girl had reported herself. Many of them did not go to service. This she knew well enough, but she did not know where they went. Some went to shops and to other employment. She had no reason to suppose that any "' of them fell into the hands of undesirable persons, but there was little in the present system to prevent this happening. She did not know what to think generally of the present method of control, but it certainly would be an assistance to her if there was a Government hostel to which immigrants could go until they were placed. Sir Edgar Vincent: Have you any reason to suppose that the present system of supervision on board ships is not satisfactory? Miss Bremuer: I have seen it very unsatisfactory. Sir Edgar Vincent: In what respect? Miss Brcniner: Oil, the men and the are all mixed up together. She added that while she was dissatisfied •with things as they were, she did not see how they could be altered. As to the girls' capabilities, they said they had been domestics, but when they arrived here they could do nothing. Perhaps they had been domestics, but, iv England people would keep three domestics where only one would be | kept here. It would be an advantage to have a school or something of the sort at which girls could be trained. Sir Rider Haggard: Am I right in gathering that you are profoundly dissatisfied with the present arrangement for these girls? Miss Bremner: I think I am. Sir Rider Haggard: Surely one girl reporting herself from three ships is not a satisfactory state of affairs? Miss Bremner: Not at all. ~ Sir Rider Haggard: You don't know where these girls go? Miss Bremner: We really don't know where they go or what becomes of them. Sir Rider Haggard: Are the girls all that they ought to be? — Miss Bremner: Some of the girls are certainly not. ■Sir Rider Haggard: Could you say how many of the girls have gone into . domestic service here? Miss Bremner: I could not. Sir Rider Haggard: Should you say that half of them do? Miss Bremner: No,, I don't believe j half of them do go into dometic ser1 -Sir Rider Haggard: Then it seems as if half of them come here fraudulently? . Miss Bremner: It seems so. Sir Rider Haggard: A very unsatisfactory story. Sir Edgar Vincent: You seem to be . very hopeless about the whole -thing? Miss Bremner: Very hopeless, bhe explained further that it was her custom to spend a lot of. time running after girls on arrival, and arranging for places for them, but the mistresses never saw them. She could not suggest any betUr system of control on the sh'ps. owing to the impossibility of avoiding mixing of the sexes in immigrant ships The amount of supervision depended very largely on the matrons appointed, and the matrons had really very little control over the girls Then there should be no distinction on the ship between Government girls and syndicate girls, as it Avas found there was in actual fact, I* was "thrown up to them" on shiphoard that they were Government girls. _____-——-——