THE IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 1001, 2 May 1871, Page 4

THE IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS.

cOn Saturday morning a deputation from the Working Men's Mutual Protection Association, composed of Mr James M'Pherson, Mr John Wallis (Sec), and Mr James Kilburn, waited upon the Provincial Government for the purpose of making known certain grievances which they alleged to exist, and which they desired to have removed. The deputation were courteously received by Mr Kennaway, Provincial Secretary, no other member of the Government being present. Mr M'Pherson, who acted as spokesman, inquired whether the Immigration Regulations now in force are authentic and legal, and whether they had been passed by the Provincia' Council or the General Assembly. Mr Kennaway aaid that the preparation of such regulations is an act of administration, and falls within the province of the Executive Government, and that the Regulations now in force had received the sanction of the General and Provincial Governments. Mr M'Pherson called attention to the large amount of discretionary power which the Regulations now in force give to the Immigration Officer, and said the deputation considered this power operates against the interests of a large section of the community — manual workmen. He referred more par-j ticularly to No. 12 of the Regulation-*, and | said, though right enough as referring to the I preservation of discipline, admittance to the J barracks had more than once been refused to relatives of immigrants. He stated, also, as another instance of severity, that Mr James Kilburn went to the barracks with a letter to the sister of a friend of his, and he was not allowed to speak to her, even in the presence of the barrack master. Mr M'Pherson also referred to No. 1 of the Regulations relating to the hiring of immigrants, and pointed out the difficulty of ascertaining what is the reasonable rate of wages, and that the power to advise on the part of the overseer iB likely to bear, and had borne unfairly on the immigrants and the interests of the manual workmen. He read Utters to prove that an employer had been advised to give only £30 per annum to a man he wished to engage, whilst he had given a much larger sum to the one he had previously employed. He said the deputation thought that engagements should be made opeuly, and that the Barracks should be thrown open to the public at the time of en-gagemc-nt. He adverted to the presence of a policeman, and said the deputation considered oue should not be placed at the Barracks except to keep the peace, and ought not to interfere with the ingress or egress of immigrants or the public. He said that the deputation believed that the present Regulations conduce to the following state of things — that employers rather than engage men already in the province would wait for the arrival of an immigrant vessel, because they think they can engage on more favourable terms under the Regulations, and that employers even go so far as to dismiss their old haudß for the purpose. Mr M'Pherson said the deputation considered the vital remedy for ihis state of affairs would be that the supply 'of labour should not be greater tban the demand. He said they would also ask the Government to take into their earnest consideration whether it would not be just to all parties concerned not to allow the Immigration officer to interfere in the agreement as to the wages, but that the rate of wages to be given should be a matter to be left entirely to mutual arrangement between employer and employed. Mr Kennaway, in reply, said the Government would give due consideration to the points to which the deputation had called their attention, and if any abuses existed, would endeavour to remedy them. The deputation then thanked Mr Kennaway for this assurance, and withdrew.