IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3031, 17 April 1912, Page 67

IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.

AUCKLAND, April 12. A suggestion for co-operation between the various Australian States and New Zealand in the matter of immigration and the fostering of the tourist traffic was made by Mr Percy Hunter, Director of Immigration for New South Wales, to a reporter this morning. Hunter has been commdsioned to reorganise the various departments, especially in connection with tourist matters, both in England and on the Continent. He is proceeding on his mission by the Marama, which is calling at Auckland to-day. A new principle is being established in connection with the immigration move* ment, Mr Hunter said. Hitherto the methods adopted have been somewhat hapv hazard, but now more careful selection it. to be gone in for. " Our Government,'' Mr Hunter rex marked, "is sending a skilled tirade* unionist abroad to select a number ot skilled artisans, who are urgently wanted for the various branches of industry ia Australia. We are making big efforts to fill the domestic servant market, as well as to secure an adequate supply of arti--sans and farm labourerej.'' The whole tendency of the system, Mr Hunter stated, was to work more along federal lines. In the past tlie work had to a great extent been duplicated, and a part of his undertaking was to bring the vari< ous agencies more together. By a decision of the recent Premiers' Conference the various States had adopted uniform immigration rates, which was a big step in the direction desired. He thought New Zealand might participate in thisconnection with beneficial results. " This has already been done to a large extent with the Tourist Departntents," said Mr Hunter. " When I was in England last year I came into touch with Mr Donne, who is probably the greatest tourist enthusiast New Zealand haa ever kid, or is, perhaps, likely to have, and we arranged to work together a lob abroad. This applies more especially in connection with the improvement of tha Pacific steamer service." Mr Hunter expressed the opinion that the now 13,000-ton boat that the Union Company is putting on would prove a good magnet to the big tourist traffic from America. The service would also attract numbers of people who would otherwise travel via the Suez ("anal. This, of course, was much to the advantage of New Zealand.