OVERSEAS DELEGATION

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1923, Page 4

OVERSEAS DELEGATION

WELCOMED IN WHI.I.IN'L lON. WELLINGTON. Sen. 12. A civic reception was accorded today to the British Overseas Settlement delegation. the members being welcomed by tlie Mayor and tiie Hon. R. F. Bollard on behalf of the Government • Sir William Windham in reply mainly traversed the ground already covered at Auckland. I.atcr tlie delegation attended lhe monthly linn boon of the Chamber ot Commerce, at which Sir William Windham. discussing immigration method., said the nomination scheme was probably the hast possible a.'heme lor dealing with the question. Tile old policy ol allowing people lo conic out when they were ignorant of the conditions which they would have to meet was a had one. What they wanted lo

ensure was that everyone who came out would have an opportunity to develop along tlm lines best suited to them. Rroper channels of information slum) 1 he opened up and the e-ttabli-linieul of those rlianni'ls was -cue of ill' main objects of the mission. ’.I hoy wanted to see and to learn what was New Zealand’s point of view and to represent those views truly and faithfully to the people at Hume. The question of reparation was all important. and should he complete before any attempl was made to firing people to the Dominion. Ii they could remove past causes of mislits in the dominions they would go a long way towards remcdwng the faults of the old migration policies.

Subsequently members of the deb. gallon and Mr 11. D. Thompson, Under Secretary for Innnigralion Department met the Welfare League executive, M' C. I’. Skerrott. K.C. in the chair, whet the whole matter of overseas emigra lion was discussed. Special stress was laid on the necessity for providin'! some maehiuerv in the direction ot

social and community work, s> that ail emigrant on arrival might feel that he was being welcomed to die country. It was I'/.iinted out that a Government Department could not, go beyond establishing the newcomer in his oei upat ion. His admission into social life was rather the doty of the citizens in their private capacity. The Welfare League believed it could assist in this direction through its members, and stated its williiignvss in do -<>. Mr Thompson emphasised the importance of lids work and suggested that any organisation or social committees formed for the purpose should keep in touch with the Department, so that he could direct those who arrived to the proper quarter. OVERSEAS DELEGATION. DUNEDIN. Se]i. 13. The members of the .British Overseas .Settlement Delegation arrived at Dunedin this evening, and wete accorded a civic welcome, the Mayor presiding. A conference will he hold tomorrow, with the Chamber o! Commerce, the Employers’ Association, the Expansion League, .the Returned Soldiers' Association, and tlie Labour Council. The Mission will leave Dunedin on .Saturday.