THE RUSH TO CANADA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 8940, 14 December 1907, Page 2

THE RUSH TO CANADA.

CLOSER SCRUTINY OF IMMI-

GRANTS.

MANY UNDESIRABLES.^ St. James Budget has been recraßly informed that the Canadian authorities had decided upon a more strict supervision of immigrants than had hitherto been carried out.

During the rush of the past few years more people who have turned out to bo undesirables in more ways than one have been allowed to enter than is considered good for the country.

A number of those who have gone out from England, under the auspices of philanthropic or rate-aided organisations, have proved very disappointing. They are, for the most part, men whose downward path in the Old Country had been arrested, and who, showing promise of reform, were sent to tlie Dominion to begin life afresh in uew and better surroundings. "Many of this class have certainly ■ done well," said an official of the Canadian Government, now in London, to one of our representatives, "but the proportion of backsliders is larger than we should like. "A deputation from the Ijißton Unemployed Body has just returned from a visit to Canada, and I see that one of its members says that all those the organisation lias already sent out are doing well. lam afraid the depuatiou did not see them all. Alter however, the statement the other day of Mr Lloyd-George that 30 per cent, of the unemployed owed their position to drink, I am ouly surprised that the failures m Canada have been so few.

"I am far from pleased at the statement that the Unemployed Body contemplates sending many more. They will find that a closer scrutiny of the character and. records of the men will be made than has been the case in the past.

WORST CASES SENT BACK. "We have sent back the worst cases, not only of the Unemployed Body, but of other organisations. I will give you an instance of what we have had to contend with. Fifteen men were sent out recently by one of these organisations. We were told that they had V been reformed, and as a result of the training they had received would make worthy citizens. Each man was £1, in addition to a through ticlSPto Montreal.

"As soon as they landed they made for a publichonse, and in a few hours were attempting to take the Immigration Offices by storm. We allowed some of them to remain, but sent the others nome.

Canada is in need of men, but she wants only the best that Europe can scud her."

Scotchmen will be flattered at the following return, which shows the proportion sent back to the number who entered Canada :—

English .. 1 in every 495 Irish . . 1 iv every t>6B Scotch . . 1 in every KHS6 Up to the present, close on a hundred thousand people have emigrated to Canada from Britain this year.