FEMALE IMMIGRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 257, 20 March 1913, Page 5

FEMALE IMMIGRATION.

MISS BREAKER'S POSITION 1 . ,'

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night.

The Hon. IT. D. Bell, commenting on the announcement that Miss Bremner, officer in charge of the women's branch of the Labor Department, was forbidden to go on board incoming liners in future, said that it was a fact, as Minister of Immigration, he had directed that Miss Bremner should not again attend the ships on their arrival to interview immigrants. "Miss Bremner is an officer of the Department of Labor, and her posi-tion'-has not ieen affected', nor has her salary been affected. Her statements before the Commission were mostly matters of opinion, and not facts within her own knowledge. As it appeared from heV own statements that she had neither been able to obtain oninions from girls arriving as'to their employment, nor to keep in touch with them afterwards, there was no object to be gained in'her meeting them. " The statements made to the Commission affected not myself nor the present Government." said MrBell, "hut past Governments, because, on the establishment of the Department of Immigration, alterations had been made which obviated her comments., -But it is only fair to past Governments and to female immigrants who have arrived, that T should sav that the result of mv enquiries has led me io an entirely different conclusion from that to which Miss Bremner's statements tend. T am satisfied that female immigrants selected by the High Commissioner, and who were under the ''are of the New Zealand Government during the pissasre. have been well conducted and entirely suitable Immigrants."