IMMIGRATION.

Northern Advocate, 30 January 1922, Page 8

IMMIGRATION.

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE MEN FOR THE RAILWAY^ Several questions relating to immigration were put to the Minister *n charge of immigration in the House of on Friday. Mr H. E. Holland (Buller) asked the Minister to inform hihi whether a statement published in the "Aberdeen Weekly Free Press" of November 12 last, was accurate. The newspaper reported that a Mr Gavin Wilson, a representative of the New Zealand Government, was in Aberdeen with a view to obtaining tradesmen foi work on the New Zealand railways. A number of pattern-makers, boiler-makers, and blacksmiths had signed on, and wouU T-e sent io New Zealand. Mr Hollru! ■wished to know whether the Government had a representative going through Great Britain seeking men for ■work on .the railways, and whether ths Government was aware that there w 7 ere toiler-makers, pattern-makers, and blacksmiths in New Zealand who coull not obtain employment.

The Minister replied that he was not r.fcle to give tlie information asked He had grave doubts about tho a*cutncy of the statemorts euoted, ba- he v/ould be pleased to h-ive inquries made. The result of the inquir-.c-s he would Communicate to the member.

Mr Bartram (Grey Lynn) asked how many apprentices had been brought to "New Zealand under the 1920 amendment of the Master and Apprentices Act, and the Minister replied that so far none had been brought. The Government had been confining itself to the "nominated immigrant" system.

Mr W. T. Jennings (Waitomo) inquired whether the Minister hart soon some of the published observations of Magistrates on the class of persons s-ometimes found among new He remindod the Minister tlwxt the In-spector-General of Mental Asylums, in a report a year or two ha.l not- d itie number of cim-s of mental 'lefic • tn-'y Mnong arrivals froiii other c ».iutres Was sufficient Z'-a being taken h" .i<l»ed, to ensure th-i", the immigrants to Now Zealand were of a desirable type?

i The Minister said that he had 30.311 the report of some Magisterial comments. The immigrants in the case had come from Australia, and were in no way under the jurisdiction of the Department of which he had control.