D.—9

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.