IMMIGRANTS STRANDED

Otago Witness, Issue 2913, 12 January 1910, Page 26

IMMIGRANTS STRANDED

SYDNEY, January 10

The cases of 17 recently-arrived AngloIndian immigrants aire attracting much public attention. They complain that they were induced to leave India by the rosy promises of certain work at high "wages and other good things made by the agent of the Sydney Immigration League in India. Some immigrants, it is alleged, threw up good employment and sold their property, while others brought their wives and families on the strength of an understanding that they were to receive a bonus of £6 for the wife and £3 for each child, only to find on their arrival that their hopes were disappointed. The Government declines to take any responsibility in the matter. Meantime several of the new arrivals, failing to find work or to obtain the alleged promised j?fund of their passage-money, are penniless.

The Immigration League's reply to the adverse criticism is that the league's Indian agent, through lack of accurate information, unintentionally misled some of the. earlier batches of immigrants in regard to -refunds, but due warnings were published in the Indian press as to the conditions in Australia and as to the proper type of immigrants required. The coal strike np&st all calculations, and a cablegram was sent-to the Indian agent en December 1 to- stop sending any more.