REFUGEE PROBLEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23857, 11 July 1939, Page 10

REFUGEE PROBLEM

PERMITS FOR IMMIGRANTS CONTROL SYSTEM IN FORCE CRITIC'S "LACK OF KNOWLEDGE" (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 10. "Any statement that there is no system in admitting refugee applicants shows complete ignorance of the facts," said the Acting-Minister of Customs (Mr Mark Fagan) when commenting in an interview this evening on the remarks made at an executive meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce by Mr A. E. Bartrum. Mr Fagan said that Mr Bartrum appeared to have very little knowledge of the manner in which the Government was dealing with that difficult problem. The Minister referred to Mr Bartrum's claim that there was no system in the Government's present method of admitting X'efugee immigrants and that as things were it could happen that a man for whom guarantors of work and support were forthcoming would not be admitted, while others might be allowed in without any trouble. " I do not propose to enter into a newspaper controversy with a member of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce," Mr Fagan said, " but I would like all those interested in the secondary industries to know that for many months past the utmost consideration has been accorded refugee applicants, who by their training and experience are fitted to set up factories or a.-sist in production in established concerns which need skilled workers." Manufacturers' Interest Mr Fagan said that recently the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation had put forward its views concerning the admission of refugees who were trained factory workers. The policy advocated by the federation was precisely what the Government had been doing for some considerable time, and he thought that the manufacturers were better qualified than the Chamber of Commerce to know what could be done in placing refugees in factories. It might be alleged that the manufacturers would be biased because they were interested parties, but he felt sure that the outlook of most manufacturers extended beyond their own personal interests. In any case, the active Department of Industries and Commerce was in a position to advise on the need for factory extension and on the establishment of new industries.

"Apart from the representations made by an applicant's sponsors," Mr Fagan said, " it is the practice to make inquiries regarding the likelihood of a prospective industrialist being successful on his own account or whether he could be absorbed to advantage in an established factory. It surely must be evident to those who have given this problem any thought that it would not be helpful to this Dominion or to the immigrants themselves to - permit the establishment of redundant factories or small back-yard industries." Mr Fagan mentioned that there had been numerous instances where an applicant had appeared at first glance as being one likely to succeed in a particular industry. Inquiries had been made and it had then been found either that the existing factories in the applicant's line were not working to full production or that there were for the time being insuperable difficulties against the successful establishment of the proposed industry. Complex Problems From remarks attributed to Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon, chairman of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Mr Fagan said that he thought that this speaker had an idea of the factors which some times prevented permits being granted to refugee applicants. The Minister mentioned that for the past three years he had handled the foreign immigration branch of the Customs Department for Mr Nash and he was satisfied that the problems involved in dealing with the admission of refugees were far more complex than the average New Zealander realised. An offer of employment and guarantors was merely one aspect, but it was by no means all that was involved in deciding on the issue of a permit.