IMMIGRATION POLICY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17371, 19 January 1920, Page 4

IMMIGRATION POLICY.

OUTLINE BY MR.IMAS3EY.

OVER 2000 PEOPLE WAITING.

WAR- WORKERS FIRST.

[BY mEoaAPH.--PBESS ASSOCIATION.']

'" — : 'Ol CHRISTCEURCE, Saturday. ;- An outline of f. his f immigration policy was given to-day by the Prime Minister. > Here is the position'-, we are. in so far," .Air. Massey ;said. "It was , our duty ,'in 'the first I place to ' get'; our soldiers ' back/ We have got them nearly all here now. There 'are. a few men still to come, but not-a great many. After that we take in hand the 1 getting back to New Zealand of the very large number of New Zealanders who went. over to-do other war service. Tdo not think there are less than 3000 of them now. • Next to them we take immigrants from England, and we have 5400 immigrants ready and waiting for ships, with all arrangements made : and passages r paid; ? and I believe they will be a particularly good lot. Many of them, are nominated by people in this country, and are. relatives of New Zealanders. They are mostly country people, but are representatives of all classes, and include some domestic servants, That is the beginning.

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S" OFFICE.

CRITICISM BY VISITOR.

[BY. TELEGRAPH.—OWN COKBESPOKPENX.] CHRISTCEURCH. Saturday; • "The High Commissioner's office in London is a farce," said Mr. George Scott, the well-known ironfounder, who recently returned from England, in an interview on the subject of immigration and the need for making New Zealand known at Home. >vj; ~, ••■.".'.. .. Mr. Scott stated that while he was m the office in London a few weeks ago a man entered seeking information about the Dominion. The clerk behind the counter was an Englishman, and knew nothing of New Zealand, r andl told the inquirer so. Mr. Scott realised that the situation was delicate, but he told tee man that he could-give him a great deal of information about New Zealand. After he had gone, he asked the clerk what data he had -about' the Dominion. The clerk replied 'that they had received .nothing new since the beginning of the war, ana there was only ope little handbook about New 2ealand. ' -. .' ■, "The men on the High Commissioners staff," said Mr. Scott, "should be New Zealanders-, and they should not. only have a fall knowledge of tho Dominion, but they should come out periodically lor refreshers." *. •\■'' ; r ' ~ Discussing immigration, Mr. Scott said ho could have- brought a shipload of tradesmen out with . hiir. \ Moving about in munition centre?; he was simply besieged with inquiries by skilled; tradesmen who were even prepared to pay their own fare to New Zealand, and only wanted to know Something about, wages, conditions of life, and so on. The principal inquiry was about the fare, and although the inquirers could have ascertained it for themselves by writing to the shipping companies they just lacked the initiative to do the thing themselves and they needed soraebedv to give them a 'sad. .... ' Mr. Scott 'expressed the opinion that the housing difficulty :n New Zealand , was no obstacle to immigration. ; > The housing scarcity, at t Home was ' much worse than it was in New Zealand,', for men who had previously ; lived -in , tenements—he-, had heard of; five men in a bed—had come bad? from the war demanding better conditions, and they had married and were seeking homes. ■','';" i^lv "It is onlv, necessary to tell the truth about New Zealand to se.mfe any number of "good i: immigrants, both agricultural workers and tradesmen," said Mr. Scot* "They are just awaiting a lead." * • 1

«' CAW BB'tKPBOVED."' , < MR. MASSEY'S COMMENT. : - [by TELKG3APH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] , CHFJSTCETOCH, Saturday.' * Referring to Mr. Scott's criticism of the High Commissioner's office staff, Mr. Massey remarked to-day that the office could be improved. "I think it: is necessary to keep the office in touch with the Dominion," he said. • ; ■ ''•'