I—l 7

The peak years under the reduced-fares scheme were from 1906-07 to 1908-09 and 1913-14, but the aggregate number was always below those of the boom immigration period of the " seventies." In 1920 there was another immigration wave, consisting chiefly of men in the Imperial Forces coming out under their free immigration scheme, and English and other wives and fiancees of New Zealand servicemen overseas. In 1921-22 approximately 10,000 people were assisted into this country, concessions being made chiefly to artisans, bricklayers, and mechanics. In 1920 a decision was arrived at to take 10,000 persons per annum from the United Kingdom. This quota was increased to 13,500 at the beginning of 1926. The next tables will show that this quota was never reached. From May, 1927, a restriction on the acceptance of immigrants was introduced. Thereafter assistance was limited to the following: — (a) Domestic servants (suspended 31st March, 1931) and single women under forty years of age : (b) Juveniles, including parties of boys, for the Church of England Immigration Society and the Salvation Army, and boys and girls for Flock House : (c) Separated families consisting of — (i) Single sons and daughters where the parent was already in New Zealand. (ii) Wives and children (where the husband had previously arrived, whether he was assisted or not.) (iii) Solitary members of families remaining in the United Kingdom. (iv) Hardship cases —i.e., individuals and families who, in anticipation of the receipt of assisted passages, had entered into commitments to that end (e.g., had sold their home or business). Due to the onset of the depression, assistance had almost ceased by the end of 1932. This post-war immigration was the result of an agreement between the New Zealand ■Government and the United Kingdom Government. As far as the latter was concerned, the authority was the Empire Settlement Act, 1922. A further agreement was entered into in 1927, which was from time to time extended till 1941. Generally the measure of assistance was such amount as was necessary to reduce the passage charge to the immigrant to the following figures : Men (nineteen years of age and over) .. .. .. .. £ll. Married women (and widows with children) .. .. .. £ll. Single women of forty years of age and over " .. .. .. £ll. Single women and widows (without children) under forty years of age .. Free. Children and juveniles under nineteen years of age .. .. .. Free. The assistance required was met in equal shares by the two Governments, who also bore their own administrative costs, though the intention throughout appears to have been to equalize costs. As the agreed charge by the shipping lines for third-class passages was £33, the practical effect was that the immigrant and the two Governments bore •one-third each (except where free passages were granted, in which case the Governments bore one-half each). Later passage charges were increased to £37, resulting in increased ■costs to the Governments. Where the immigrant was unable to finance his share of the passage-money, a loan could be obtained. Where, however, the immigrant failed to remain in New Zealand for the agreed period, he became liable to refund the amount contributed by the Governments to his passage-money. In this post-war period, therefore, assistance has been limited to United Kingdom residents, generally to British-born subjects. There have been two methods of selection — namely, as a result of nomination by New Zealand residents, or as a result of advertising, the latter being restricted to certain classes, such as family domestics, farm labourers, and

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