THE BRITISH EMIGRANT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 162, 11 July 1910, Page 8

THE BRITISH EMIGRANT.

ECHOES OF A LOSTDON CONTEPJ-XCE. DOMDnONS CRITICISED. . (From...Our Special Correspondent.) ;.:: LONDON, June 3. For two whole days this week a conference conTe___~£y the Koyal- Colonial Institute di_*___e_- the questioii of J3rit;=h emigration.. "Nothing very new; was discovered, which, is hardly surprising; but the discussion at the showed, as one-of the delegates put it, the necessity" for "a conference. For a good deal of confusion and overlapping as regards metiiods of working were revealed among the delegates from the various societies, and the need for a eomfiaon policy was emphasised thereby. Various schemes of colonisation and oettl'j.-ner.t. were put forward by enthusiasts, and it was decided to refer these to a standing committee to be appointed ■oy the -loyal Colonial institute--- -The conference also passed a resolution sug-... "esting to the Government the. desirability' of holding a subsidiary conference as soon as possible. Representatives of 50 agencies, chiefly philanthropic, attended the conference, which was-held at the Whitehall Rooms, Hotel "Metfbpole. "*"fr" T. E." Donne; New Zealand's immigration officer in London, was present, but took no part in the disc__sion. Generally, speaking, there was a striking "absence'"of official representatives of the oversea Dominions, and open complaint was made of.this by several speakers, notably Sir Clement KinlochCooke, 51.P., chairman of the Central Emigration Board. "The Affpnts-General," said he, "are Tea_y->ri6_gh.to: appear when they can say "something in praise of their own Dominions, but when it is a question of meeting and answering criticism they are not there." WHAT THE DOMINIONS WANT. Canada was criticised on account of its present regulations prohibiting the entry of immigrants assisted by puolic or private agencies unless they are going to work on the land. Sir C. Eonloch-Cooke described these regulations as "ridiculous and "outrageous." The" Canadian point of view was put by Colonel Lamb, chief emigration officer "of the Salvation Army, who is a man of vast experience in emigration work. . '.'Surely," said Colonel *** he wants of the Dominions arc well known. They want men who aTe morally and mentally fit, the man who never touches drink, or tells a lie, or never intends to; the man who does not covet his neighbour's land, or anything belonging to his neighbour. 7He"" must have .a little agricultural knowledge, an_,-of -course, a little

capital.".. r _, .._. .:_ The conference laughed, but Colone Xamb—Was- in -earnest.- "Do you blamf the Dominions.?" he asked.. _'T don't." " ."The agencies represented here," addec Lamb, "are in a difficulty. We cannot get into Australia, Africa is a closed door. The United States do noi - want us. It is no use blinking facts. Here is the situation: This country wants to get rid of a large proportion of its surplus population; but the Dominions say, 'We don't want them at any price.' How are we to overcome the difficulty" The united intelligence of the confer- .. enee failed to find an answer to that question, which was, indeed, the crux of the whole problem. The Dominions do not want the Old Country's failures. The men they do want are the men England can least afford to lose. It was stupid, not to say impertinent, for a section of the conference, including delegates like .Sir Clement to scold the Dominions for not welcoming the S derelicts of Old England. That did not bring the conference a yard nearer a solu;l tion'of the difficulty. Equally futile was _". it to say that the Dominions did not r: know what they wanted. Colonel Lamb ■'-• and various other delegates made it clear S that they knew not only what they want- -• • ed, but also w_tat they did not want. - £10,000,000 A YEAS.AS-CEIX. "> 7? "Mr J. E. Pounds, of Melbourne," gave l| the view of-the Dominions. "They do -v not want," he said, "town.residents or; '."■" pauper people, men, or\. children;-";. "They; £ want agricultural people, who will be content to stay on the land." He stated that a delegation from "Victoria was comV in_ to England to' Took' for 40,000' farmers ''■'- a-nd agriculturists, able to buy and settle J on Victorian irrigated lands. H The practical men at the conference, " as opposed to the theorists (of whom *•" there were-enough-and to spare) •recognised that 'it was no' use 1 , upbraiding the — Dominions"for ih'eirvery __t"_r_l desire to keep out the dregs of an Old World Z civilisation. JDptiniisls and pessimists were unanimous,-however; in urging that: the Home Government should take more- -- interest in emigration. Z". Colonel Lamb, who impressed mc a3 the most practical of all the delegates, related "his experience in trying to rouse the Government. He first went, he said, to the Local Government Board, and was referred to the Board of Trade. Here ~ : he was passed on to the Colonial Office, 3 where-he was informed that this was a matter for the • Treasury.. (Laughter.) And when he spoke to the Prime jSlinisZ ter, he was told: "Oh, that is a depar.t- ---~ mental question, with which I cannot •_ deal." (Renewed, laughter.) Some peo- * pie declared that the United Kingdom r would be capable of'supporting a popula- ~ tion of 30,000,000 if society were properly organised. In the meantime, said the "■'.' Colonel, they wanted the .question settled as to whether loans could be made under the Labour-Exchanges-Act to emigrants. He suggested that instead of- £500.000 * bein« made available for loans to workv- in"- men, the Government should provide .". a °fund of £10.000,000 for emigration ;;. srcnerally. (Cheers.) "That is my idea," he said," "of the magnitude of the work "■ before us. The fund should be managed ~ by commissioners .who should .be outside "2. the sphere of party politics." * It is significant of the diversity of views at the "conference that while Colonel _ Lamb boldly "plumped" -for ten millions . -"-■ as-the -'sunt-the Government - ought tc spend every-'vear,. Sir Frederick Young i. thought:"the sunxTshould-'be•' £1,000,000 and Lord: Brassey was content to name a modest-£IO.OOO. --'■- - - .:;-". :: - : Colo-ei "Murray,""of the Labour Ex changes? said 'that".although nothing hac yef-been done in the- matteKof emigra tion. it was very much in the minds o: the officials of the Beard of Trade. . Cer tain schemes were receiving the carefu and benevolent" consideration of the au thorities..'-- ■-- The theory of the preparation of cmi grants was brought down to a practica level hy ibc suggestion of agricultura truinijig for Jjoys.of 15 and lGdesirou of i'iuigrating-. If it be true that ther is no work in England for as many -as 4. per cont of the boys leaving school, i is obvious that in_tr_et'on in' what make the successful emigrant should form a important, .part of-the .education of. a least 45 percent. ' '—"