REFUGEES WHO STAYED

Chronicle (Levin), 24 May 1947, Page 5

REFUGEES WHO STAYED

^-Press Associatior

^ Majorily Have Been Easily Assirailated

3y Telegraph -

WELLINGTON "May 23:. It was signxficant that oi the 1C0J reiugee alieps in New Zealand, the majofity at .the concxusion of hostili i,xej inimeciiateiy made applt-ation fox aaturalisation, declared ux. R, , a. ijochore, when addressing the indU3tria, secLion of the Science Congress on Auropean alien groups' ies-d-nr. in the Dominion. "Nothing like that had evei nappened before xn our history," he said. -. •. Ths refagees had known from the o'atset -that they had "hurnt ;their ooats" axid could noc return to Europe, a fact that was now heginning to dawn iipon jwew zealanders. Dr. Docno^e summarised them as a people who were entirely unsuited to New Zealand conditions, but a gioup who by their wili had made a great sueeess in their new (if e. ' ' There have, of course, been exceptions," said the speaker, "but th. iatter have been few." Dr. Lochore said he would leave it to the social psychologists to ascertain ; why raciaj feeling had developed in :New. Zealand, something hitherto un known when other foreign groups had entered tjxe country, and it had been due at least in part, he believed, to the arrival of the ref ugees. Dr. Lochore prefaced his remarlcs by tracing the settlement of foreigners iu New Zealand fiom the time of the 'French at Akaroa in 1840. The inffux reached its peak probably, he said, dur ingdhe gold rushes, and with th.e group settlement (such as the Scandinavians in Hawke's Bay) of the eighties. There was also a Ilungarian settlement in tSouthland. Following the Scandinavians and the Germans, the arrival oi southern Europeans began from about 1906. Wfiile. the present foreign born population was about 10,000 in 1884 it was approximately 19,000. The Scandinavian groups had all been good citizens, and easily assimilated. The total immigration was about 800(5, vvhile today they numbered 738. It ceased when land was no longer obtained with comparative ease. Tlie Get mans had contributed about 9000 sett lers, and were equally easily assimi lated. , Today 1200 were registered. "Itallans have "been Italy's great ex7 port," said Dr. Lochore, "and about ^000 have come here. It was entirely peasant immigration. From one Italian viliage alone there has been a steadj migration to Nelson for more than 6't 3rears. It has been tlie most regulat migration of all. There is no reasop why they should not beconie good citi zens if given the right assistance for , a s milation. " The largest group were the Yugoslavs who numbered between 5000 and 6000, and practically all were Dalmatians The migration began prior to 1890. . At first the people were employed as gumdiggers; later many bought the poor land fliev had worked,. and had made farms that were a eredit to themselve° and to North Auckland. Some were rapidly xxushing themselves southward:. in the restaurant business. "Those wlic settled on the land were the most desir able from the national viewpoint," he remarked. The Greeks, who now numbered 500 had also indulged in what Dr. Lochore termed "chain immigration". They had proved themselves capable businessmen, but wore not assimilated. The majority preferred to make their fortunes, and then return to their own country. Tlie French, numbering 176, had ahvays been of great cultural significance. The 309 Dutcli now in the country were highly desirable settlers, and included about 40 evacuees from the Indies. The Swiss had. contributed more than 1000 settlers, the majority as dairy farmers in Taranaki. In addition, there had been a number of Austrians, and a few « Finns, Russiaris, Poies and Czechs. Of reccnt refugees the majority were of Jewish extractfon, 500 had come from Germany, 250 from. Austria, and . ,120 from'Czechoslovakia. ; Spih'e had tried to be assimilated in their' "nktwe eduntries, others had been prevented. "Now they have to go through the process of assimilation all over again," commented Dr. Lochore.