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position in all industries to ensure that new settlers are not selected for any occupations •for which it becomes apparent that the labour requirements can be reasonably well met ■by our own people. Employment Advisory Committees throughout the country have been of great assistance in arranging matters affecting the employment of new settlers. Workers' and employers' associations within each major industry are represented on these Committees so that they are well equipped -to advise upon the opportunities for the absorption of new settlers within their particular industries. Initial placements of new settlers are arranged with the co-operation of Employment Committees, which also advise on applications for transfers to other districts or to alternative employment. (8) The Immigration Welfare Committees which have been established in the twentysix centres throughout the country in which this Department has district offices have continued to exercise an interest in the social welfare of all immigrants, whether govern-ment-assisted or not. Some of these Welfare Committees have made a particularly valuable contribution to the assimilation of new settlers into the community by arranging private board and accommodation for new settlers within their districts. (9) Steps have been taken to keep all the bodies mentioned completely informed on all matters affecting immigration by means of a regular newsletter. The general progress of the scheme, difficulties encountered in selection, the shipping position, and all other relevant matters are by this means brought to the notice of those bodies which are associated with the administration of the immigration scheme. (10) During the year the reconversion to peacetime standards of a number of vessels carrying passengers to New Zealand, and delays in completing new ships under construction, resulted in a loss of over 2,000 berths. It was decided that the " Atlantis " could suitably be further altered to increase her carrying-capacity from 600 to 900 persons, reducing the per capita operating costs without unduly decreasing the standard of comfort. By the end of the year the " Atlantis " was recommissioned, and this vessel will now be engaged continuously for a number of years bringing assisted settlers to New Zealand. The arrangement under which Government receives a proportion of berths for selected settlers in commercial vessels is also being continued. (11) During the year arrangements have been completed for the introduction of a scheme of child migration. Selected British children between the ages of five and seventeen years will be brought to New Zealand at Government expense and placed with New Zealand families who are anxious to receive them. Guardianship, which is vested in the first instance in the Superintendent of Child Welfare, may be transferred to approved foster-parents after a period of six months. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in obtaining a solution to the legal difficulties created by United Kingdom legislation restricting the emigration of British children for adoption overseas. After a lengthy period of negotiations, agreement has now been reached with the United Kingdom authorities, and it is anticipated that the first party of children will sail for New Zealand in July, 1949. A party of nominated children under the general scheme will sail from England in April. The scheme is being operated in conjunction with the Overseas League, which assists in the selection of suitable children. At the end of March the Immigration Branch in London had received 312 applications from British parents and guardians of child migrants, most of the applications received being on behalf of children within the ten-to-seventeen-year age-group. Over two hundred suitable New Zealand homes have been recommended by the Child Welfare Division for the reception of British children. (12) New Zealand has been a member State of the International Refugee Organization since its inception and has borne its share of the cost involved in the care and maintenance and resettlement of all those persons under the care of the Organization. During the year arrangements were completed for the selection and admission of some 900 displaced persons to this country.

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