IMMIGRATION.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17109, 2 April 1921, Page 10

IMMIGRATION.

SALVATION ARMY'S POLICY,

Colonel Taylor, of the Salvation Army International Headquarters, London, is renewing an acquaintance with New- Zealand, after an absence of over 30 years. In the SO's he was officer commanding the Salvation Aimy forces in New Zealand. His visit to the .Dominion now is partly private, as he desired to look up old rriends, but _he is also acting'in the interests of his organisation in an important function, which has been resuscitated since "the termination of the war. That is the work of immigration. Colonel Taylor came out in charge of a party of 80 immigrants for West Australia, and was also detailed to visit New Zealand, and enqiiiro what might be done by the Army in the way of sending out selected drafts to this' Dominion. Last evening, before he left for Wellington, a "Press'* reporter had an interesting half-hour's chat with him about the Salvation Army immigration system. From what the Colonel said, it was evident that the colonial governments have something to learn from tho Salvation Army in tho matter of organisation and management of immigration affairs. "It is no part of our work to advise or assist people to go to. any country whore they would not be welcome or suitable," "said Colonel Taylor. / "pur sjsteni of agencies all over the civilised world enables headquarters to hn°\v where emigrants can best be placed with advantage to themselves and to the Empire. We do not enquiro into a man's religion, and when we have an applicant for emigration who shows that he has still retained good qualities, although sucked down in tho whirlpool ot England's ibngested life, we say: This man. has not had a fair chance in Jintain. To what country of tho Empire can we send him that he might laid liis clicin.ee ? The extensive organisation of the. Salvation Army enables the question to be answered, and the means provided—although* it is only in very necessitous cases that emigrants are assisted m their passage out. For seven years previous to the war, as many as 50,000. immigrants were sent over to Canada, and so large were the. drafts at one period that it. was found advisable to charter the s.s. Kensington to- ran as an "immigrant. boat" between Liverpool and Quebec for, three voyages. Shortly after the resumption of the emigration poncy, about two years ago, there were as. many as 1000 applications from intending emigrants received at the general headquarters in London. The "Home"- organisation attended to this end of the work. It was the duty of the agents to find first of all if the applicant stood a fair chance of being a successful colonial. Those accepted were then put in emigration drafts, accompanied by an officer of the organisation, arid before the arrival of the steamer at its destination the colonial agents, who had been advised, hdd positions secured for-the immigrants. Delays in the,ports were encouraged, and an immigrant was immediately after disembarkation,' sent out to the farmer who had arranged to engage him. Occasionally, of course, "misfits" were found, but, as a general rule, the Salvation Army immigration policy was found to he successful. The Army's immigration activities have not yet been extended to New Zealand, but Colonel Taylor is how making enquiries into the labour conditions here, and,openings for immigrants, more especially for/ rural workers. In the meantime, however, Major Green, of tho Salvation Army general' headquarters staff, Wellington, is giving much assistance to the immigration department in finding positions for State assisted '' In, concluding his interview, Colonel Taylor said it was'desirable to send out men with young families, so that there would be all the more inducement to them to settle down in their new homes and by doing so, win the sympathy ot their neighbours. In his opinion Australasia lost, much in productiveness from the land because the labour ottering for it was greatly from transitory individuals. '