INFIRM MIGRANTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1930, Page 7

INFIRM MIGRANTS.

MAY ENTER UNDER BOND

HEALTH DEPARTMENT’S

REPLY

I By Telegraph. Per Press Association.! 'WELLINGTON, January 10. The Health Department lias replied to _,ir Hill’s remarks at the meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board regarding immigrants.

The Department states that it is difficult to understand the remarks that Mr Hill is reported to have made regarding a confidential report on the subject, unless they were due to the fact that he had quite misapprehended the nature and scope of the department’s communication, which it may he mentioned had no relation to assisted immigrants.

No doubt the report to which he refers is a circular letter forwarded to hospital boards giving a list of certain infirm and prohibited immigrants who in accordance with the provisions of Part 1 of the Immigration Restriction Act. had been permitted to land "tli the Dominion on the execution of a satisfactory bond or giving of a guarantee or the depositing of a sum of money to cover any expense which may he incurred, and chiefly to secure that the immigrant did not become a charge upon the public. Any bond so executed in respect of infirm immigrants holds good for a period of five years from the date of execution of such bond. The law in this respect has stood for over forty-five years.

Early in November the Health Department, after consulting with the Customs Department (which latter De partment is responsible for the administration of the Immigration Restriction Act) circulated for the confidential opinion of hospital boards brief particulars of immigrants in respect of whom since November, 1924, a bond had been taken of a guarantee or deposit received.

For this period of approximately five years, sixty-five persons were admitted under the aiepsesclg -h— P—? —?— under these special conditions the amount of' ind ,; '"’ /l, in! bonds ranging Irom £IOO to £SOO, according to J nature of the dihauility. Only four o'f these cases were 1 suffering from venereal disease, the last of which" arrived in 1920 under a bond of £SOO.

In a fc”- nnufis ; i s would be expected, the patients have had to be ad tod for institutional treatment immediately on arrival. It is desired to make it clear that the list referred to did not include any assisted immigrant hut was comprised of persons who had come out at their own responsibility. It may be added that the number of those admitted under bond average about eleven, a year. A considerably greater number of declared infirm or prohibited immigrants are not permitted to land, being unable to satisfy the provisions of the law regarding the giving of security against their becoming a charge upon the public. For the five years, 1923, to 1927, the number of arrivals in. the Dominion is shown by the Official Year Book as 202,510. It will be seen, therefore, that the number of infirm or prohibited immigrants admitted under special conditions constitutes an , extremely minute (fraction of the total arrivals.