APPENDIX 2
LETTER FROM THE ROYAL OVER-SEAS LEAGUE
TO THE CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE
CHILD MIGRANTS (CM 184)I
refer to your letter of 12 May 1998 concerning the Royal Over-Seas
League's involvement with the New Zealand government child migration
scheme.Extensive research and investigation has been carried out
to obtain the information you require and although a very thorough
search was made, there are no files on the subject in the League's
archives. The only references to the scheme which we were able
to find were those contained in the League's monthly journals
published between 1948-53.From the journals we are able to ascertain
that the New Zealand government decided in 1948 to set up "The
New Zealand Government Child Migration Scheme" and that the
Royal Over-Seas League was asked to be the recruitment agency
on behalf of the New Zealand government. At that time the stated
aim was to place 500 children with families in New Zealand at
a rate of 20 per month. (See Appendices 1 and 2).It would seem
that the Royal Over-Seas League only acted as a recruitment agency
as applications were sent to New Zealand House for final selection.
(See Appendices 2 and 3.)It would appear the scheme was never
advertised other than through the League's own journal. (See Appendix
4.)From appendix 5, it can be seen that children were placed with
foster parents by the Child Welfare Department. On appendix 5
there also appears a reproduction of a letter from the New Zealand
High Commissioner to the Chairman of the Royal Over-Seas League
dated 25 July 1952.When the objective of 500 placements was reached,
the scheme was closed down on the instructions of the New Zealand
government in August 1952. (See Appendix 6.) A total of 530 children
were sent under the scheme. (See Appendix 7.) In the minutes
of the League's Central Council meeting held on 26 April 1950,
it was reported that the High Commissioner for New Zealand had
attended all but one of the farewell parties for the nine groups
to have migrated to New Zealand under this scheme by that date.
The High Commissioner's name was H E Mr Jordan.From Appendix 4
and 8 it would seem that the children and their guardians wrote
to the League on an informal basis to report on progress, but
I can find no record of any formal monitoring taking place. I
can only assume that this was undertaken by the Child Welfare
Department and this view is supported by Appendix 8. The interests
of the boy referred to on that particular page of the September
1951 journal "are guarded by the Government Child Welfare
Officer for the district, who watches his progress and sees that
his leisure-time interests are directed into proper channels".Since
this migration scheme was conceived and operated at the behest
of the New Zealand government of the time, presumably with the
blessing of the then British government, it was the New Zealand
Child Welfare Department which monitored the children's progress.
(See Appendix 1). Hence it is, in our view, the New Zealand government,
through their Child Welfare Department, which should assume responsibility,
not the Royal Over-Seas League which acted solely as a recruitment
agency.I hope this information will be of some help to the Health
Committee and I feel confident that the New Zealand authorities,
and in particular their Child Welfare Department, will have the
files containing details of the children selected by the New Zealand
government for this migration scheme.
5 June 1998
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