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ment problem confronting us, the immigration policy should be brought into line with the actual conditions in the Dominion —that is to say, that we should not be called upon to receive immigrants when we cannot absorb them in industry. In dealing with this phase of the matter, I would like to say that the special sub-committee, when discussing the question of immigration, had the advantage of an explanation by Mr. Thomson, the Secretary of the Department of Immigration, as to the measures already being taken by his Department. Mr. Thomson's assistance in connection with this matter was extremely valuable. I think I will adopt Mr. Mcßrine's plan and content myself with explaining just what is behind each of these four recommendations in the report on immigration. The first point we make is that there should be the strictest possible supervision of the nomination system for all classes of migrants, both as regards the immigrant and the ability and capacity of the nominators to perform their obligations. Now, that recommendation might seem at first sight to suggest some criticism of the Department which supervises this matter. In fact it does nothing of the kind. The present policy of the Department was explained to us, and those of us who were not acquainted with the position now understand precisely what the Department does. All this recommendation means is that we have heard of cases where people have got through the net which the Department spreads to prevent undesirables coming into the Dominion. They have accidentally got through. We cannot expect any system to be absolutely perfect, but we do ask that the Department should spread its net with the greatest care in order to prevent as far as possible such undesirables getting through. The next point we make is that there should be an efficient medical examination of all migrants, assisted or otherwise, and that this examination should take place at the port of embarkation by medical officers appointed by the New Zealand Government. The special point in that recommendation is in the words "or otherwise." There is, we understand, a medical examination insisted on for assisted immigrants, but we believe that the Government should also take the responsibility for ensuring that immigrants who are not assisted —people who pay their own passagemoney —should not be suffering from physical disabilities such as would make them liable to become a charge upon the community later on. There have been cases where immigrants who paid their own passages have fairly soon become a charge upon the community. I think I need not stress the point that the examination should take place at the port of embarkation. We do not want any more of these cases of people coming out here and then being sent backwards and forwards, such as we have heard of in the past. The third point made in the recommendation is that immigration should be regulated in accordance with the state of the labour-market in New Zealand, and with due regard to the ability of the Dominion to absorb the immigrants in employment. This recommendation does not call for any explanation. It fits in with clause 5 (d) of the report on unemployment, to which I have referred. The fourth point is that the Immigration Department should be given control of health examination and financial qualifications of juvenile and adult immigrants, whether assisted or otherwise. That, of course, is pendent to the other three recommendations. We had before us a suggestion that an Immigration Board should be set up to deal with this matter, but it seemed to us, after we had heard what was being done by the Department, that it would be a much more reasonable thing to suggest to the Government that the functions of the Department should be extended to meet the problem of the non-assisted immigrant, and so avoid the necessity for setting up another Board. With these few remarks, I have much pleasure in moving, That this section of the report be adopted. Mr. Bromley : Mr. Chairman, I have great pleasure in seconding the motion moved by Mr. Turner for the adoption of the report on Immigration. It is fortunate to be connected with this recommendation, because it is the only recommendation in which there is not an element of compromise. I think it is safe to say that both sides were quite satisfied with this recommendation as the one that should be made on the question of immigration. It is just a question now of the relative value of the various suggestions made. Personally, I would suggest to the Conference that the special committee was mostly concerned about clause 3 of the recommendations, which states, in effect, that immigration should be regulated in accordance with the state of the labour-market in New Zealand, and with due regard to the ability of the Dominion to absorb the immigrants and provide them with employment. That is because the sub-committee was unanimously of opinion, without blaming anybody, that the system as we have it at the present time, until tightened up in various directions suggested by Mr. Turner, does not regulate the influx of immigrants in the best possible manner. For instance, the immigration figures for the last few years indicate that, of the large number who have taken up their residence in the Dominion during the past four years, six thousand came out with the specific intention of settling down upon the land. From statements made by Mr. Thomson, who is the head of the Immigration Department, it would appear that the assisted immigrants —the only ones I am referring to at the moment —have all been placed in the occupations they came to the country to fill, and we have no reason to doubt that at all. But if those six thousand have settled on the land, we are, on the other hand, fully conscious of another set of figures which indicate that the number engaged upon the land to-day is something like nine thousand less than at the beginning of the period. If we must accept the first statement, that the six thousand have been placed in occupations on the land —and we agree to that —we must also agree that fifteen thousand have been pushed off the land and sent to look for jobs, in non-productive lines generally, in the cities. This problem, therefore, is very closely connected with the unemployment problem we were previously discussing. The sub-committee, therefore, considers that one of the most important duties of the Immigration Department in the future should be to see that immigration is regulated more in accordance with the requirements of the Dominion, having regard to the state of employment. If that were done, lam quite sure that, while the officers of the Department have done their best, it would not entail very much more work than has been required of them up to the present time. I feel it is true to say that there has not been a very serious analysis of the occupations of immigrants with a view to seeing that there are jobs for

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