WOEFUL STORY

Northern Advocate, 8 April 1931, Page 6

WOEFUL STORY

EMIGRANTS’ PETITION. HARSH TREATMENT AVERRED. (Received 9 a.m.) LONDON, April G. Inmates of the unemployment camp at Blackboy, West Australia, in a letter to the “Manchester' Guardian, ’’ enclose a petition, with 645 signatures, imploring to be repatriated. They point out that,'despite the talk of Australia’s vast natural resources, the West Australian Government, after the depression, can offer emigrants nothing. Since the depression became chronic two years ago, recent emigrants have had no chance. They should have not have been permitted to land. They declare that the attitude of the Government, the Press and a section of the public towards the camp is unsympathetic, Inmates of the camp arc deprived of citizenship, economically pauperised and morally degraded. Ninetenths of them are British immigrants, many of whom are former soldiers, who would willingly enlist in the British Army, which needs recruits, rather than submit to conditions which are those of Indian coolies. They say they were encouraged to emigrate and' were discharged when the need foe their services ceased. The Agent-General of West Australia, Mr W. C. Angwin, sypmpathotically replying to the complaints, admits that the statements arc substantially correct. He points out that the Government has been economically handicapped, but is doing its best to w lieve distress. Ho says that West Australian wheat and fruit areas exceed the size of England, while there is much land still available. Mr Angwin refers to his own. experiences as an emigrant, when Australians proved most helpful to him, and cites the case of an Englishman who returned to AVcst Australia. He said that; ho preferred to return there after experiencing conditions in the Homeland.