IONIC'S IMMIGRANTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1849, 8 September 1913, Page 7

IONIC'S IMMIGRANTS.

j, AN "EXTRA SPECIAL" LOT, ,t r~ SEVENTY-NINE DOMESTICS. - X _ . • g The White Star liner lonio, which r arrived from London on Saturday morn- " iiig, brought 654 passengers to Now ® Zealand, As of that number 490 trar 3 veiled third-class, it is competent for one to conoludo that the population of the Dominion will benofit to the extent of at least 500 genuino settlers. Tho number on the vossel'u berthing list was made up as follows:—Eirst-olass, 7; second-class. 57; and third-class, 490. Of the total number of passengers, 224 i. were assisted in their bookings by the Now Zealand Government, which num- ' ber is made up as_ follow: —Farm labourers, 43; domestio servants, 79; wives 9 and families, 102. Tho soventy-nino domestics, consisting 3 of English, Irish, and Scotch young '> women, wero sent out on tho rccom- " mendation of tho British Immigration Society, a .society which interests itself in tho condition of tho domestic class in ■Great Britain, and, as far as lies in its powor, guarantees, tho characters of. • thoso it recommends as "fit and proper". immigrants. This arrangement relieves - tho High Commissioner's staff of certain s duties which were found difficult to porr form with perfect satisfaction. r The present. party of domostios was 5 brought out under tho guardianship of Miss Woods, a lady who has had considerable experieneo in the chaperonage of girl immigrants from London to Western Australia and Victoria, but is making her first trip to Now Zealand. She has been assisted by Miss Head.. The Matron Interviewed, . ' Miss Wood, when interviewed by a Dominion representative, stated' that tho girls she had brought out to 'New Zea- [ land wero by far the best-behaved and most superior she had ever been asso--1 ciatcd with. Indeed, the whole of tho , third-clasß passengers could bo included in that category. They wero a fine lot who should do well in any country. Thero had tin'lisa id. ",dov n—P —? — ? been no bad language to complain of and no drunkenness. Tho only sign of liquor sho noticed at all was when a I few of tho men camo on board from a ) visit to Capo Town and wore "jolly" ■ as tho result of their experiences. Ad- ■ mirable discipline prevailed on board, ; thanks to the code insisted upon by the i offioors of the ship. In that regard sho i had never seen anything quite so satis- , factory before. There had' been abso--1 lutcly no sickness on board during tho I whole voyago, and only a few very ' minor accidents. Of thoso under her charge fifteen girls wero brought out under arrangement with the Hawko's Bay Domestio Help i Syndicate, and would bo taken on to Hastings to-day in charge of Miss Russell (daughter of Sir Wm. ltussoll). Tho wliolo of the girlg w'oro a very creditablo and well-behaved lot, who, she was ' sure, would give satisfaction to their employers. Asked as to whether it was not timo that domestics were becoming scarce in England a:s tho result of tho drain to Canada, Australia, and' New Zealand, Miss Woods said that thero was not such a glut in tho domestio market at Homo as there used to bo consequent upon tho heavy immigration traffic and tho ever-increasing demand for factory girls. To girls who valued a measure of freedom of action tho factories offered attractions which wero nonexistent in domostio service. Tho rate of wages was improving for factory work and tho girls had their nights off and wero free to govern their own conduct. In domestio service in England tho hours were still very long, and the discipline was very strict. In tho cities a groat number of tho kitchens wore underground, which practically meant that many girls lived their lives' underground with a few compensations to brighten things. Wages? A girl getting £30.a year (lis. 6d. a week) would bo accounted fortunate. Tho avorago domestie would receive wages which would moro nearly average £20 a year. Miss Woods said that she would, in all probability, bo returning to London by the lonic. ■ Ports of Destination. Tho ..lonic's passengers will bo pretty fairly distributed over tho wholo of tho Dominion. The ports of places of destination as follows:—Wellington, 157 ; Auckland, 1-41; Napier, 28; Gisborne, 12; Lyttelton, 17; Timaru, 7; Oamaru, 1; Dunetlin, 39; Bluff, 25; Nelson, 6; Wcstport, 4: Greymoutli, 16; New Plymouth, 28; Wanga.nui, 19. Nearly "30(H) poverty-Stricken people hnvo been transplanted from the Liverpool district to tho textile areas, whoro they have been able to find work at good wagns. Labour bodies in tho textile districts are protesting against the practice. At the meeting of the London County Council it was decided to reform tho procedure of tho council by delegating further powers to committees, which are also to be reduced in .number. After tho summer recces proposals for tho regulation ami inspection of nursing homes, massage institutes, establishments for electric treatment, manicure, etc., aro to bo considered. A scheme for the completion of the Admiralty A roll improvement, at\a cost of JCIIo.OOO, has been arrived at fiy a joint committee representing the Oflico of Works, the London County Council, and the Westminster City Council. It; is proposed that the cost shall bo borne in equal parts by thoTroasury and tho two coun*