IMMIGRATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1799, 29 August 1906, Page 18

IMMIGRATION.

ARRIVALS FROM ENGLAND.

REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT.

Tlie Minister for Immigration, lion. R. MeNab, submitted to Parliament on Aug. 22 a report on the operations of the Department of Immigration dealing with the number and class of immigrants who have arrived in New Zealand from April let, 1905, to March 31st, 1906; and also upon the general scope of the working oi : the Immigration Department in New Zealand and of the Emigration Department, under the High Commissioner, in London.

Tli© Immigration Department's duties in New Zealand have, ©ays the Undersecretary, hitherto been confined to receiving and answering all correspondence received from the High Commissioner, and also answering the numerous inquiries from persons anxious to bring out relatives from the United Kingdom. It has also recorded the amounts paid to the shipping companies as against the Parliamentary votes, and has arranged direct Avith persons anxious to bring out their relatives, receiving the amounts deposited for the passages, and then adrising thei High Commissioner. Since the close of the financial year a neAv departure has been taken, viz., the sending of an experienced officer on board the steamers upon arrival to, in conjunction with an officer from the Labour Department, afford immigrants information and assistance.

The High Commissioner's Responsibilities.—Upon the High Commissioner in London devolves the whole of the arduous work and responsibility of selecting the emigrants, and of making known the resources of New Zealand by advertisements liberally distributed throughout {&e United Kingdom, by issuing pamphfais and leaflets setting forth the advantages New Zealand offers, and by arranging for Lanltem exhibits and lectures wherever advisable. The High Commissioner also insists upon the emigrants being of good physique, and healthy in

body and mind, and he has been eminently successful both as to the class of emigrants sent from the shores of Great Britain and: in their general physique and high character.

That New Zealand has benefited very largely by 'the High Commissioner’s judicious selections the following statistics will, remarks the Under-Secretary, show: Statement showing the number of persons who have received passages at reduced rates for twelve months from April Ist, 1905, to March 31st, 1906—Number of.souls, 2469; number of statute adults. 20/6; capital in possession of passengers, .£110,204; income derivable by passengers, <£1960; amount of money contributed by Government to shipping companies, in addition to sums paid bv passengers, £'8304.

Much has been written in the public press- upon the subject of granting assisted passages to navvies. It is, therefore, interesting to note that for the past financial year the High Commissioner approved of 150 applicants and declined 170, whilst only 44 actually embarked. For some considerable time it lias been made evident that help was needed to enable families to reunite in New Zealand. Husbands who had preceded their families, and who were making good propress, though finding it naturally uphill work at first, were anxious to bring out tbeir wives and children. Bi-others wished to bring out brothers, and other relations were anxious to be reunited. The Government, therefore, decided that these persons should be allowed to pay either the £lO or £l2 for each adult (according to the berthing accommodation required) to the Under-Secretary for Immigration at Wellington, furnishing at the name time the full names, ages, and addresses of. their relatives. The High Commissioner is then advised to grant them assisted passages, provided they are in good health. In many cases where the whole amount could not be deposited owing to lack of means, amounts have been received upon account, and undertakings accepted to pay the balances at stated times. These promises have all been honourably kept. Passages for 120 statutory adults have been sanctioned under this arrangement, the amount deposited with this'office in Wellington being £1175 18s 6d.

The following is a return showing the names of the vessels which 'carried passengers at reduced rates from the United Kingdom for the year ending March 31st, 1996; and also the number of persons granted passengers, together with the amount of capital possessed by tlem:

'ti ® . CO o> fcD-S U m CD •— 1 !=* £ o 3“ o o a r- 0.3 3 3 -m 3 & & P-* p> 3^ £’3’2 £ Steamer. Jz; o Q<0 £ £ Karamea • •• ... 35 5,280 122 Ayrshire ... iM 2 350 8 Kaikoura ... 7 375 28 Aotea ... ... 60 3,045 198 Rimutaka ... 42 2,741 1*29 Rippingham Grange 3 100 12 Ionic ... ... 177 9,322 592 Essex ... 14 200 42 Tongariro ... 47 2,016 151 Atkenic ... 125 6,558 440 Drayton Grange 9 300 32 Turakina ... ... 68 2,040 222 Corinthic ... ... 175 7,2*20 576 Paparoa • •• ... 73 2,838 260 Kumara ... ... 138 4,844 452 Ruapehu ... ... 26 851 92 Morayshire ... ... 19 310 66 Gothic ... ... 119 4,407 398 Rimutaka • •• ... 24 782 80 Wakanui ... 1 50 4 Banffshire ... ... 17 840 60 Ionic ... ... ... 293 14,303 976 Tongariro ... 24 615 86 Somerset ... 21 275 67 Athenic ... ... 314 12,968 1,085 Turakina ... 70 3,230 *235 Ayrshire ... ... 36 1,015 121 Aotea ... ... ... 29 1,485 105 Paparoa ... ... 52 2,400 172 Corinthic ... ... 129 6,261 419 Essex ... ... 5 490 14 Ruapehu ... ... 45 2,962 158 Suffolk ... 1 50 4 Gothic ... ... 44 1,394 152 Dorset ... 8 220 17 Rimutaka ... 64 3,097 210 Drayton Grange 2 110 8 Ionic ... ... 107 3,890 356 Tongariro ... 44 970 155 2,469 110,204 8,304