DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1909 Session II, D-09

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1909. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Si_. ) — Immigration Department, Wellington, Bth June, 1909. Herewith I have the honour to submit the annual report upon the immigration which has taken place into New Zealand from the United Kingdom during the year 1908-9. I have, etc., Wm. C. Kensington, Under-Secretary. The Hon. George Fowlds, Minister of Immigration.

REPORT. I have to report that during the year ended 31st March last the number of statute adults who have received passages at reduced rates amounted to 4,141J, equalling 4,953 souls. These were distributed over forty-seven trips of the several steamers coming to the Dominion —an average of 105 souls for each steamer. Ten vessels sailed in the quarter ended 30th June, eleven in the September quarter, thirteen in the December quarter, and thirteen in. the March quarter. The return attached supplies detailed information regarding the names of the vessels, and the number carried in each. The capital of those who had been assisted amounted to £96,055, and in addition to this a few were in receipt of small incomes which totalled to £462 a year. ■ The number of souls that were nominated by relatives in the Dominion during the year was 2,289, and the money received from the nominators towards the cost of the passages amounted to £18,484. The High Commissioner reports that during the past year the number of people going to Canada diminished owing to discouraging reports, and accordingly the stream of people leaving the United Kingdom was diverted to other colonies, and of these we no doubt obtained a full share. Hence it happened that, starting with the s.s. " lonic," which left London for New Zealand in July, 1908, the passenger-vessels for the Dominion have carried large numbers of full-paying passengers, who trusted that in a country like this they would find themselves in a better position than that which they occupied in the United Kingdom. Inquiries and applications for information regarding passages at reduced rates were numerous at the High Commissioner's office. The majority of the applicants, upon the information they received, did not proceed any further or make formal application. Nevertheless there were 2,191 completed applications for reduced-rate passages which were declined by the High Commissioner. As showing the careful manner in which the question of suitability is dealt with by the office in London, I would refer to the following extracts from the reports of Dr. W. Spooner and Mr. R. H. Hooper. The former inspected the s.s. " Morayshire," which sailed from Liverpool on the 17th October, 1908, and the latter the s.s. " Arawa," which sailed from London on the 15th October, 1908. Dr. Spooner states, " I inspected the passengers on board the ' Morayshire,' and found them all in good health and of good physical stamina. I may remark that, from the experience I have had in examining passengers for the Board of Trade, I have found that the emigrants embarking for Australia and New Zealand are much superior in physique and stamina to those proceeding either to the United States or Canada, which points to the conclusion that the coming race of New-Zealanders and Australians. bid fair to be the pick of the British Empire." Mr. Hooper says, " I have to report visiting the s.s. ' Arawa,' which sailed from the Albert Docks to-day with 125 assisted passengers, including a number of children. On inspection, I found the passengers to be a very satisfactory body of people as regards health, physique, and general appearance. I may mention that the Board of Trade officials commented spontaneously on the high general standard of this lot of passengers. I was asked, in fact, whether we had increased the severity of our tests." Inspections are made under the High Commissioner's instructions of the persons who obtain passages at reduced rates upon every vessel. The London office takes no action in regard to those who may be emigrating and who have made their own arrangements with tfie shipping companies. The number of persons who arrived from the United Kingdom during the year and, who had made their own arrangements with the companies was 7,121.

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It might be mentioned that some of them had applied for reduced-rate passages, but, as they were not eligible under the conditions in vogue, they were refused the concession. Of the souls who were assisted there were 332 wives and 826 children of persons who had previously arrived, and, finding employment, nominated their families for passages at reduced rates. It is stated above that the capital introduced into the Dominion during the year by those who were assisted amounted to £96,055 ; but it must be remembered that this only applies to those who made arrangements with the High Commissioner, and does not refer to any of those who have been nominated in the Dominion, as one condition of the nomination must be that the person doing so has provided or will provide for his nominees upon arrival. The number of letters received during the year was 6,330, and 7,235 were despatched from the office.

Return showing the Names of the Vessels which carried Passengers at Reduced Rates from the United Kingdom for the Year ending 31st March, 1909; and also the Number of Persons granted Passages, together with the Amount of Capital possessed by them.

Date of Leaving. Steamer. Souls. Adults. Declared Amount of Capital. Income. Amount of Passagemoney paid by Hign Commissioner. 1908. April 3 . 11 16 May 1 2 „ 14 „ 29 30 June 11 26 July 2 9 . 24 „ 25 Aug. 7 „ 21 . 22 Sept. 3 4 „■ 18 „ 19 Oct. 1 3 ■ 15 17 ■ 29 Nov. 7 . 14 . 14 Dec. 2 5 „ 10 ■ 12 ■ 29 1909. Jan. 5 8 9 9 „ 22 „ 30 Feb. 5 6 „ 18 March 5 6 . 18 . 27 Athenic Cornwall ... Papanui Corinthic ... Fifeshire ... Ruapehu ... Arawa Norfolk Rimutaka ... Mamari j Oswestry Grange i Tongariro ... ... Ionic Rippingham Grange... Turakina ... Athenic Surrey Paparoa Karamea ... Corinthic ... Devon Ruapehu ... Papanui Arawa Morayshire Rimutaka ... Wakanui ... Tainui Cornwall ... Mamari Whakatane Ionic Fifeshire ... Turakina ... i 126 27 42 185 40 88 104 25 103 86 56 74 360 18 57 327 58 27 103 225 47 27 145 129 34 35 332 189 61 249 123 405 66 70 1054 224 331 151* 30 71 88* 174 85| 72 49i 621 29d 18 50i 270* 53 21 874 188i 38 21* 129* 105* 28J 30 2754 165i 474 215* 1051 334 54* 594 „ 2,993 278 669 6,914 '568 1,970 1,559 130 3,232 3,323 1,643 1,518 8,423 347 842 9,076 1,522 359 1,238 3,403 525 172 5,020 1,781 460 100 6,477 2,942 730 3,176 1,549 9,863 989 1,434 _ 25 200 "60 40 "40 "45 _ 423 91 134 606 120 284 354 71 343 288 197 249 1,184 72 201 1,082 212 84 351 753 152 86 517 421 114 120 1,103 662 191 862 421 1,336 217 239 1 Tohgariro ... Athenic Kumara Drayton Grange Paparoa Ayrshire Corinthic ... Langton Grange Ruapehu ... Arawa Nairnshire... Rimutaka ... Essex 2 289 66 9 48 3 237 43 73 66 16 54 4 2 2484 54* 9 414 3 193* 33f 55* 55* 13* 43f 4 30 4,007 614 603 581 3,113 370 552 524 27 409 52 8 995 217 36 167 12 774 134 221 222 49 175 16 Totals 4,953 4,141* 96,055 462 16,566

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Summary of Persons who embarked for New Zealand from the United Kingdom from 1st April, 1908, to 31st March, 1909.

Approximate cost of paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (1,550 copies), £2 7s. 6d.

Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington. —1909.

Price 3d.]

Single Men and Heads of Families. Farmers. Souls. Domestics. Artisans and Miscellan Single Men and Heads of Families. Artisans and Miscellaneous. leous. Souls. — Total Number of Souls. Approved by High Commissioner. 1,016 | 2,339 j 461 | 7 j 22 I 2,822 Authorised by Immigration Department in New Zealand. 118 238 [ 173 I 660 I 1,720 2,131 134 2,577 634 667 1,742 4,953