H—ll

organizations. The Committees are empowered to co-opt the services of all organizations and individuals interested in aiding new settlers to be absorbed into the social life of the community. (b) Number of Immigrants (1) The largest numbers of Government-assisted immigrants are in those occupations where accommodation is available either with or adjacent to their employment. These include women for hospitals (general and mental), hostels, and hotels, and men for sawmilling, coal-mining, and public-works and hydro-electric-development projects. In all these cases assisted immigrants occupy single quarters which could not be utilized for married people. To accommodate assisted immigrants in other occupational groups, special immigration hostels have been established in the main centres. These hostels were formerly Service establishments and have been reconverted for immigration purposes, and they will ultimately provide accommodation for approximately 1,100 Government-assisted immigrants, distributed as follows : Wellington— Males. Females. Fort Dorset .. .. .. ..104 192 Auckland — North Head .. .. ... ..144 Narrow Neck .. .. .. .. .. 140 Christchurch— Wigram .. .. .. .. .. 120 160 Dunedin— St. Kilda .. .. .. .. ..160 80 528 572 (2) The assisted-immigration schemes have of necessity been confined within the limits imposed by two problems, neither of which is capable of an immediate solution. The housing shortage has at all times had to be considered when formulating immigration plans, and it is apparent that this problem is likely to continue to present a barrier to the encouragement of family-group migration for some time yet. The other problem (that of passenger shipping) remains difficult, but negotiations with the Ministry of Transport to secure additional migrant-carrying vessels have met with some measure of success. The s.s. " Atlantis" (ultimate carrying-capacity 900) has been secured for a period of at least three years under charter for immigration purposes, and this ship will continue to be operated solely for bringing out assisted immigrants. In addition, an agreement has been reached with the shipping companies under which up to 50 per cent, of the berths on suitable vessels are made available for the purposes of the immigration scheme. The bulk of the berths available to the New Zealand Government have been allocated to workers coming here under the free and the assisted-immigration schemes, but out of our total quota of accommodation the Department has been able to make provision for those persons entitled to repatriation (servicemen, fiancees, &c), for returning New Zealand businessmen who proceeded to the United Kingdom on bona fide business trips, and for Government-sponsored passengers. These sponsored passengers have been in the main key technical and professional people urgently required here in the national interest. The wartime control of shipping was abandoned in September, 1946, and since that date nearly 1,000 berths have been made available from our immigration quota for sponsored passengers. The Department extends sponsorship to married people only when assured that suitable living-accommodation is available for them here. Under these circumstances, it is pleasing to record that more than 20 per cent, of the priority

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