COST OF IMMIGRATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19412, 21 August 1926, Page 15

COST OF IMMIGRATION.

PROVISION FOR £275,000. LAST YEAR'S VOTE EXCEEDED. £538,000 FOR PASSAGE MONEY. [BY TELEGRAPH,-—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Friday. The sum of £107,521 was expended by the New Zealand Department of Immigration last year, out of a total vote of £200,085. The proposed grant for this year is £275,000. The principal items of expenditure hist year and the votes this year are. as follow :— 1 Vote. Expended. 19*36-27. ) 925-20 Administration expenses .. 15,575 9,997 Accommodation grants . , 5,000 2.047 Passage money . . .. 538,000 257, COj Salaries, London office .. 7,500 7,0C0 Passage Money refunds , . 12,000 5.4 IS Subsidy, Salvation Army .. 500 .500 Subsidy, Y.W.C.A 501) 500 DEMAND FOR TELEPHONES. RECORD IN NEW SUBSCRIBERS FACILITIES IN RURAL AREAS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—-SPECIAL REPORTER.} WELLINGTON. Friday. The Minister of Public Works says that, as a result of special efforts having been made during the year to overtake the arrears of telephone subscribers' services, a new record was established in the matter of new connections, the total for the year, 13,368, being in excess of the number connected during any previous year. Due probably to the further recognition by the farming community of tho great value of telephone service, and also to the favourable conditions offered to country residents of securing telephone facilities, particularly by means of tho party-line system, which enables backblock settlers ton to twenty miles distant from an exchange to obtain tele-phono-exchange connections at rates comparable with those ruling for exclusive connections in tho cities, tho development at country exchanges equalled the combined development of the city and main provincial exchanges, the percentage rates of increase during tho year being 14.2 and 14.1 respectively. The number of deferred applications on hand at country exchanges on March 31 was 890. and at other exchanges 190,. ns compared with 1591 and 2031 respectively on March 31, 1925. Prominent among the works of magnitude upon which it is proposed to concentrate during the coming year is tho conversion to automatic working of'the Duncdin and Christchurch exchanges. These two works, together with the installation of automatic-switching systems at Napier, Hawora. Dannevirke, and Stratford, the renewal and reconstruction of tho cable system at Christchurch, and tho oxtension of tho cable system at In* vercargill and other large exchanges, will comprise the more important of the year's telephone-exchange operations.

EXPERT, DEVOTED STAFF. MINISTER'S COMPLIMENT. CONDITIONS FOR WORKERS, [By TELEG HAI'IT. —SPECIAL HEPOIITEn.. ] WELLINGTON, Friday. "I desire to acknowledge that, in the staff of the department which I have the honour to control there exists a body of public "servants; exceptionally well qualified in,their duties and imbued with ft devotion to public service/' .says the Hon. K. S. Williams in his first Statement. "No Minister can achievo real success unless he can inspire his men with confidence and the assurance of his support in their work. To the staff and employees of my department I give this assurance, audi I; have, no icar that they will fail to respond. While 1 am *.vith them, I demand their best service anc! I want their fearless judgment. "The change in ministerial control may possibly, raise a question as to the policy to be followed with regard to the employment of workmen. As I see it, iho position is clear. There are certain classes of work >r which men can be employed only on day wages. There are other classes of work which, both in the interests of department and of thci men, can best be dealt with on the system of open contract, ho it large or small, or on the co-operative contract system, whichever is the fairest way lo both parties. The department must secure fair value in work product for which it pays. I am not particularly concerned, as to how that result is achieved. The resultant daily earning must not be the deciding factor, but . the cost of the work per unit of .material dealt with. If parties of men, by their special effort, are enabled to double the day's wage-rate, then I shall berglac? to know that onr conditions of employment can attract such workmen, for such results pay f the department and encourge and Jsrofit the men."