RECEIVING IMMIGRANTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17649, 9 December 1920, Page 7

RECEIVING IMMIGRANTS.

REPLY TO COMPLAINTS.

SALVATION ARMY WORK.

LACK OF NOTIFICATION.

The statements regarding neglect of immigrants arriving by the Sydney boat, made at the meeting of the executive of the Returned Soldiers' Association on Tuesday evening, were declared yesterday not quite to place the position fairly, by Mr. C. Davies, officer in charge of the Immigration Department of the Salvation Army. He works in conjunction with the Government in meeting arrivals from overseas, finding them accommodation, and endeavouring to place them in employment.

Mr. Davie? said that whatever families he had received ini'oimation about, bv telegram or otherwise, from the Immigration Department in Wellington, had been met. The fault eomc-ume.s was that the immigrants themselves, on their arrival in Sydney, failed to notify the immigration authorities there ol their arrival, and cf their intention to go on to New Zealand. If this notification was given, the Immigration Department in Wellington, in its turn, received notice from the Australian authorities. The names of immigrants arriving in Auckland bv the Sydney boat were then telegraphed to him, said Mr. Davies. Despite, difficulty that arose frequently in obtaining accommodation for the new arrivals, this had always been managed, and employment found as speed as possible, very often within one or two days. Whenever the intimation was received from '.Veilington that immigrants were expected, the boats were boarded, either in_ the stream or on arrival at the wharf. When .1 boat arrived direct from England the Immigration Department in Wellington sent up an officer from there. In regard to the specific complaints made to the Returned Soldiers' Association, Mr. Davies said he did go on Monday to meet the boat by which the party arrived. There was some delay, and as he had received no notice that any immigrants were on board, he did not go down again. This statement could be verified by Rarbout Board and other officials.

Mr. W. Huey. pro\ incial secretary of the Farmers' Union, through which many of the immigants are placed in employment, made some remarks supplementary to those of Mr. Davies. Mr. Huey said that by the Welfare League, the Farmers' Union, and the Salvation Army, working in conjunction, it haO been possible to place all the new arrivals, with very few exceptions, within a fortnight. With regard to the information which was issued to immigrants in Lritaia, it was unfortunately a fact that the representations made were quite contrary to fact, especially with regard to the rents of houses and the guarantee of employment immediately on arrival. The pamphlet in which these rtatements were made was published in 1918.

Mr. Huey mentioned that Mr. V. A. Mills, chief clerk of the Immigration Department in Wellington, had been sent to London to superintend the work of the _ Commissioner's Office in regard to immigrants to New Zealand under the Imperial Service scheme, lb was confidently anticipated that on his arrival the system of notification and co-ordina-tion between the High Commissioner's office :*nd the Immigration Department would be greatly facilitated. -.., —