EX-SERVICE MEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16908, 6 December 1922, Page 9

EX-SERVICE MEN.

EARL HAIG’S STATEMENT. Bj Telegraph.—Trees A*sociation~-Copyri*bt Australian and Jf.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, December 4. Officers of the Overseas Settlement Committee are surprised at Lord Haig's strictures. It states that approxi mately 85,000 souls have been dispatched overseas under the free pas eage scheme, and expresses the opinion that no emigration has been attended by a smaller percentage of failures. In vestigation shows that the number ot dissatisfied migrants returning to Bn tain from Australia has been greatly exaggerated. On one occasion, when t was stated that a boat-load wot. return ing. inquiry showed that the actual number was two. Many of the migrant had written expressing deep gratitude and delight with th© new surrounding*; and th© prospects id the Commonwealth. Letters expressing dissatisfaction were comparatively rare, and in many of these cases the migrants themselves had been proved not blameless. Prior to the establishment of the present scheme, a number of men emigrated without advice and unaided. Some of them had failed, and inquiry showed that they were completely unfitted, physically and temper amentally. They lacked the necessary finances, and should never have been selected to emigrate. The committee sums up the position by stating that its experience does not suggest that there is any foundation for the statement that there is anything in the nature of a general movement of migrants back to Britain.