TIDE OF IMMIGRATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2935, 15 June 1910, Page 38

TIDE OF IMMIGRATION.

THE ARAWA’S PASSENGERS. WELLINGTON, June 13. Two hundred and twenty-four passengers in the third class arrived by the Arawa from London this morning. Of this number 95 were assisted immigrants —64 women, six men, and 25 children. Fifty-three of the “ assisteds ” were nominated by relatives in New Zealand, and have employment to go to immediately, these including 31 adults and 22 children. Thirty-nine adults and three /children were approved by the High Commissioner. Included in the total number were 44 domestic servants, 12 wives coming to rejoin their husbands in New Zealand, three farmers, and two farm hands. There is a considerable amount of capital among the new arrivals, two brothers having between them no less than £2450, while two of the domestic servants have £2OO each. Mr Danby, immigration officer, reports that the newcomers are of a good type, especially the domestic servants. A Dane and a German who worked their passages by the boat passed .satisfactorily the education test imposed on foreigners, and they intend settling in New Zealand. DESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS. (From Oub Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, June 13. The Arawa brought 28 strong, healthylooldng girls to New Zealand under the auspices of the British Womens Emigration Association. Mrs Lindsay, who is in charge of the girls, told a local pressman that before a young woman is accepted by the association she is required to pass a medical examination by an independent doctor in London, and must have three certificates—one from the doctor, one from a clergyman, and another from her employer. Girls who cannot afford the pas-sage-money (£lO to New Zealand) have the amount advanced to them, and places are found in New Zealand by a syndicate, of which Mrs Lowry is head. In return the girls are moi'ally bound to the association for a period of a year, at the expiration of which the majority are in a position to repay the passage advanced. The association guarantees to find the young women situations having a weekly wage of not less than 15s, and the association never takes girls to any town where there is no home, such as the Girls’ Friendly Society, the Young Women’s Christian Association, and kindred societies, -where they can find immediate shelter, or whither they may go in the event of their situations being unsatisfactory. In Canada the Government allows the immigrants 24 hours’ tree board on arrival. “ Prior to my leaving for New Zealand, I had just taken 75 girls from London to Canada, a number of them being bound for Calgary, Banff, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. The steam e; by which we travelled, the Lake Champlain, had no fewer than 1200 emigrants of both sexes for Canada. In three days no less than 3000 immigrants from Europe landed at St. Johns, New Brunswick, and people are still pouring into the great Dominion. On an average we dispatch to Canada from 75 to 100 girls every month. From March to November the conditions ol living in Canada, especially in the West, demand very strong and self-reliant girls. Their work would be much harder than that in New Zealand, the standard of civilisation being, I think, higher in this country than in the western provinces of Canada. 4 liberal concession is allowed by the Canadian Pacific railway in taking the girls out West, and as it means about £SOO or £6OO to the company during the season, it caters a good deal for the association’s business. There are 28 of the association’s girls for New Zealand on the Arawa, and they represent the very best class we can find in England : in fact, they are considerably better than the average servant, class ip time Old

Country. All of the girls have situations ready "for them, and 17 are leaving for the Hawke’s Bay district immediately. Of the large number of young women sent out from England to the colonies, it may be said of the majority that if they remained in London there would be absolutely nothing ahead of them in life except perhaps to marry a man who is out of work for nine months of the year. Our association’s object is to see such girls in better circumstances with a view to their marrying comfortably in the colonies. We .send out two lots of domestic servants every year to New Zealand—2s to 30 each time. The next party will arrive here about October.”' Mrs Lindsay is proceeding to Napier with the girls for that district, and on return will be the guest of the New Zealand Government at the Girls’ Friendly ‘Society. She subsequently returns to England by the Arawa, sailing next month, and almost immediately after arrival in London will leave for Vancouver in charge of another large party.