BRITISH IMMIGRANTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18760, 13 January 1923, Page 10

BRITISH IMMIGRANTS

TYPE OF NEW ARRIVALS. STATEMENTS REFUTED. (From Our Own correspondent.) WELLINGTON, January 12. A correspondent has written to the Dominion that the country is being flooded with the wrong type of immigrant, and that men, women, and children are being landed in Now Zealand " practically without a penny.” Your representative paid a visit to the office of the Department of Immigration to investigate the accuracy of the statement. The Ruapehu, which berthed at the Queen’s wharf (Wellington) yesterday, brought the latest band of immigrants from Great Britain. They numbered 185, and included 40 domestics. All but the domestics were coming to. join persons who had nominated them. They had been guaranteed employment and accommodation. The immigration officials state that domestics are exceedingly easy to place in employment, so that the 40 who came by the Ruapehu will go at once to work. Your representative inquired whether arty of the now arrivals had means. It was , explained to him that many immigrants deposit sums of money with the High Commissioner for New Zealand before leaving Great Britain, and that when they land in this country the department, which has been notified by the High Commissioner of the amounts paid in, hands over equal amounts to the depositors. No less than £4115 10s was paid over on this system to the arrivals by the Ruapehu, and. in addition,, some of the immigrants by . that vessel had "Bradbury's” or British Treasury notes for various amounts. The department cashed £BOO worth. The sums mentioned do not. of course, represent more than a part of the resources possessed by tho immigrants. Some of them carry considerable- sums in notes, and among the Ruapehu's immigrants were several who the immigration officials know had sums of more than £IOO each. Included in tho .amount of £4113 10s mentioned above was one of nearly £3OOO, and others of £233, £225, and £l5O. Another boat recently brought an immigration officials know had sums of more haps there are not so many penniless immigrants after all.