IMMIGRATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 894, 13 August 1910, Page 12

IMMIGRATION.

UNITED KINGDOM YIELD. During the twelve months ended March 31 last,- according to the annual report of the Department of Immigration, wnicn has been presented to Parliament, U2di) persons, consisting of 7569 adults and 11)81 children arrived in New Zealand from. the United Kingdom. These figures' include'both those who made their own arrangements and those who obtained fares at reduced rates. The number of persons who were assisted- by < the High Commissioner amounted to 2G72 souis. Thi> number of souls nominated by relatives in the Dominion during the year was .1841, and the amount of money deposited toy iho nominators towards tne cost of the passages of these persons was ,m,33<J. ' • ■■ . A proportion of the nominations were received from husbands on. behalf of their wives and families. Theso meii come first and see for themselves whether they are satisfied with the conditions existing, and obtain employment. Threo hundred and sixty-eight wives; nominated by thuir linsbnuds, and accompanied by 6/2 children, em barked, during the year. ■ Thu report says it is gratifying to know from the medical inspections that the, persona who are assisted by the Government are in • possession of good health, and arc JiKely >o matte satisfactory colonists. The medical inspecting officer is careful in his inspections, in order that unfit' persons may be prevented from sailing. In this connection it may be well to state that the medical examination of the perso.ns who puss through tho High Commissioner's office is more rigorous than for those who make their owu arrangements with the shipping, companies. ' ' ' ' «■ The .object' of the Department's oflicef s inspection is different from. that of the examiner for the Board of Trade, as tho latter is concerned only in excluding from sailing all persons suffering from any infectious disease. .To discover whether such persons are constitutionally sound is left to the medical inspection at'the port of arrival.. There have oeen cases where some member of the family has been suffering from consumption. This has been concealed until the inspection on board tho vessel, and it is very trying to all persons, concerned that the people should be turned away at the last moment. It is much bettor- for intending emigrants to be quite candid as to the state of their health, as when the deception is discovered a great deal o.f expense has Iwen incurred which might, have been avoided. As an illustration of'the value of the. medical officer's inspection, the follow-' ing extract from his report of March 5 last is furnished:—"Last month a case was referred to me. The proposed emigrant was a cheesemaker who suffered from tnbercule of tho right forearm. Eehad arranged to take up work in the Tai-anaki district as a cheesemaker. This man could easily have passed any inspecting officer, beeauso apparently he was quite well. I advised that the man should not go, because, although he did manage to pass the Port Health Officer, I explained .that as soon as .the manager of the' cheese factory saw the condition of his arm he would most likely have refused to allow him to work." This man, who intended paying his own way to the Dominion, decided to act'upon the omcer's advico, and refrained from emigrating,- •