IMMIGRANT WOMEN

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1695, 11 March 1913, Page 5

IMMIGRANT WOMEN

WHAT BECOMES OF THEM. A SURPRISING STORY. BY LADY SUPERINTENDENT. HOPELESS STATE OF AFFAIRS. Oiviuff evidence before tho Empiro ii-ade Commission yesterday, Jliss Bremnor, lady superintendent of im- ■ *.. migration under tho Labour Department, detailed the duties of her office. ' All those girls who were assisted were interviewed by her oil tho ship, and they were supposed to report themselves to tho ; Labour Department. Very many of them did not. In tho last three ships, for instance, only one girl had reported herself. Many of them did not go to service. This . she knew well enough, but she did not know ' ' wliero they went. Some went to shops and to other employment. She had 110 reoson to suppose that any of tliem fell into tho hands of undesirable persons, but there was little in. tho present system, to-'V. prevent this happening. She did not know what to think generally of tho' present method of control, but it certainly , Would be- an assistance to her if there was a Government hostel to which immigrants could go until they were placed. Sir Kdgar Vincent: Have you any reason to suppose that tho present nyst'cm of , supervision on board ships is not satis' ' factory!'

Miss Brainier: I have seen it very un> 1 satisfactory. . Sir lidgar Vincent: In what reshect? Miss Bremnor: Oh, the men and.tin women are all mixed up together. Slia a '•!. 1 wllil ° s,lc dissatisfied with things as they were, slio did not seo how tlioy could be altered. As to the girls' capabilities, they said they had been domestics, but. when, they arrived here they could do uothiug. ' Perhaps they had boon domestics, but in fyigland people would keep three domestics where only one woulff lie kept here. It would bo an advantage to have a school or something of tho sort at, which girls could be trained. Sir Wider Haggard: Alll I right in gathering that you arc profoundly dissatisfied with the present arrangement for these girls? Miss Bremnor: I think I am. Sir Rider Haggard: Surely one girl reporting herself from three ships is not a satisfactory state of affairs ?. Miss'Bremnor: Not at nil. Sir Rider Haggard: You'- don't- know where these girls go? Miss Bremnor: We really don't know whore they go or wliat becomes of them. Sir Rider Haggard: Aro tho girls all that they ought to be? Miss Bremner: Sonio of the girls are certainly not. <</ ■. ' ■ \ Sir llider Haggard: Could you say how many of the girls have gone into domestio service' here? 1 Miss Bremnor: No, I could not. Sir Rider Haggard: Should you say that half of tlieni do? Miss Bremner: No, I don't believe half of itliem do go into domestic service, Sir Rider Ilaggard: Then it seems as if liftlf of tliem come here fraudulently? Miss Bremnor: It seems so. . ■ • . Sir Rider Haggard: A very'unsatisfactory story. Str lidgar Vincent: You jeom 'to bo very, hopeless about tho whole thing? Miss Bremner: Very hopeless. She explained further that it was licr custom' to spend a lot of time running after girl# ,011 arrival, and arranging for places for tliem, but the mistresses never saw them. She-could not suggest any better■ system ■ of control on the ships, owing to the impossibility of avoiding mixing of the sexes in immigrant. ships. The amount of supervision defended very largely on. the matrons appointed, and the matrons ■had really very little control .over tho girls. Tlien thero should be no distinction 011 the ship between Government girls and syndicate girls, as it was iouiul there was in actual fact. It was "thrown up to them" 011 shipboard that they were Government girl?.