Unemployed Tongans

The Tongan unemployment situ- • ation in New Zealand is shifting ; south towards Wellington, the capital. .

Many Tongans who arrived in the ; country before the new immigration i laws came into effect have been un- ■ able to get work. Under those laws < Tongans must have a guarantee of 5 employment before they go to NZ. .

The employment situation in Auck- ■ land is not as easy as it was. Wei- fare organisations have been finding? it hard to get work for unemployed!

Islanders. Although Tongans receive; the most publicity, other Pacific: Islanders, chiefly Fiji-Indians, are; moving south from Auckland on thee work trail.

More than 100 Auckland firms i were asked to take on unemployed!

Tongans but no jobs could be found..

Although sympathetic, the Ministen of Immigration, Mr Colman, was, at! the same time, critical of the Tongans..

Some statements, he said, made it! appear that the government owed! them a living. In fact, they should! have come to New Zealand withx their eyes open.

Auckland’s Mayor, Sir Dove-Myen Robinson, absolved his city from a t duty to look after the unemployed!

Tongans. That duty, he said, lay\ with the government.

“The city can’t be fairy god mother to everyone who wants toe live here, and we will only provider relief work if there is unemployment! as a result of a recession; but not! in cases like this”, he said.

Not all the applicants for jobs inr the South Island are Polynesians on Fiji-Indians. Europeans are also drift ing in from smaller country centres..

Only four Tongans obtained work} outside the Hutt Valley in under the new scheme organised by\ the NZ and Tonga governments but! it is hoped to place more in Feb ruary. The names of more than 3,800 C prospective workers have been regis tered in Tonga for NZ jobs unden the scheme.