IMMIGRATION

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14766, 4 October 1921, Page 3

IMMIGRATION

INTERESTING FIGURES. The report of the Immigration Department, presented to the House. i» or more than usual interest. It states that, early in 1020 the Department took a census of the industries, with the object of dclennining the shortage of labour, and it ascertained that the tola! shortage was 12,937 persons. In view of this fact the Department deemed il, advisable to widen the system of nomination so as to permit employers and other persons, as well as relatives, to nominate suitable persons for assisted passages to this countrySome employers took advantage of the system. The expansion from restricted In open nominal ion is considered by the Department to have proved an unqualified success. The number of immigrants for the year ended Nfarch :'■ 1 last far exceeded the total of any other year for the past forty years. The arrivals from the United Kingdom during the year numbered 14,444, of whom i)832 were males, and 7612 females. Of this number 4821 were assisted by the New Zealand Government, and 5286 by the British Government. The number assisted by Hie New Zealand Government, included 3670 nominated immigrants. The Department claims to have been able to find housing at once for every assisted immigrant, and to have offered employment within fortyeight hours of arrival. The report, which docs not cover recent months, mentions that I,SOU domestic workers have applied to the High Commissioner for the free passage offered to New Zealand. They get a gratuity of £2 each in addition to the free passage.