DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR AND IMMIGRATION (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1939 Session I, H-11b

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1939. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR AND IMMIGRATION (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

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

Department of Labour and Immigration, Wellington, 10th July, 1939. Sir, — Herewith I have the honour to submit the annual report on the immigration activities of the Department during the year 1938-39. I have, &c., Henry E. Moston, The Hon. the Minister of Immigration. Permanent Head.

REPORT.

There has been no change in the position regarding the assisted immigration scheme since the last report, which is embodied in the annual report of the Department of Labour for the year 1937-38. During the year assisted passages were granted to thirteen migrants (previous year ten). As explained in last year's report, the cases approved of in recent years have been those where a portion of a family has been previously in receipt of assisted passages and there was a promise implied that applications in respect of other members of the family would receive consideration later. The thirteen assisted passages were granted under the nomination scheme, which, when fully in operation, had the effect of enabling persons in New Zealand to nominate friends or relatives in Great Britain for assisted passages, the nominator being responsible for the nominee's welfare from the time of arrival. During the month of March, 1939, however, it was decided to accelerate the Government's housing programme by advancing fares to selected skilled building tradesmen to come from Australia and the United Kingdom to New Zealand, the arrangement being that, where necessary, passagemoney would be advanced to be refunded by instalments after arrival in the Dominion. The selection was to be limited to single men or married men able to come to New Zealand without their families. During March, April, and May, 384 tradesmen from Australia arrived in New Zealand under this scheme, while the first contingent from England, comprising fifty-nine men, arrived prior to the date of the report. Each of the men was provided with employment on arrival in New Zealand, and reports indicate that they are settling down satisfactorily in their new surroundings.

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