GIRL IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR CHARACTER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 25 January 1911, Page 5

GIR L IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR CHARACTER.

•A CHARGE AND A REPLY

(United Pkess Association.)

WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Every now and , again it is pub!icly stated, somewhere Zealand that th'ings are ,not always -as :hoy should bo in the immigrant .■juaTlers of Home liners,, and charges •-J" varying seriousness' are made •".gainst the character of spme ofthe female passengers to New Zealand! Xhe most recent allegation is - by • Xtr Smith, a .passenger by the rtctorua, who states in an interview '-1 file South, that a number qf girls '

_>f obviously loose character were imported by the steamer. The chaTge .vas referred t 0 -he Labour Department by a pressman. The vagueness of the charge was found to be the chief difficulty in lli'o way of frainiiiQ a reply, for the Cepartment did not ,know whether ?,li Smith was referring to assisted ""c-Miestic servants, or to female pas-*f-Tigers who came on their own ac••'LiiMf. The Department denies that :>e allegation could refer to anj r girls v-ho came by the Rotorua. The lady in charge of the women's employment brjmch mingled with the women and '>Nird them talk, but came across no evidence whatever of the presence .inong them of girls of "obviously 'ocse character.-'', .