NEW DEVELOPMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 63, 14 March 1924, Page 7

NEW DEVELOPMENTS.

I CHURCH ARMY SCHEME. i I The Church Army arc developing, on new lines, the work of overseas settlement in which they have been engaged for years. The principal feature of the new development is the formation in different Dominions of representative committees, under the auspices of the Governments, to welcome the emigrants, find them positions on the land, and look after their future. I Lieuteant-Colonel J. H. Stanley,-who has returned to London after a nine months' tour in Australia and New Zealand in the interests of the Church Army's overseas settlement, stated that he was I accredited to the Governors-General and Governors of the Dominions by the ! Duke of Devonshire, the late Secretary j of State for the Colonies, was cordially welcomed by the Governments of the I Dominions, and received every possible j assistance from them in his investiga- j, tions. I The Dominion Governments, for the , first time in the history of Australia, i have called in the aid of the Churches in the promotion of overseas settlement, and as by far the largest number of the emigrants to Australia belong to the Church of England that Church was in- ■ vited, as a beginning, to take up the ' work of organisation. Lioutenant-Col- ; onel Stanley accepted the invitation. - and before leaving Australia, he laid ' down the lines of the work in the different Dominions. I In each Dominion a committee of re- ' preventative citizens has been formed, I v ith a paid organiser and secretary. ' The duties of the committee are to re- - eeive the emigrants, to settle them on f the land, and to look after them until i f their positions are secured. Each of j 1 these committees have nominated a cer-1 tain number of emigrants, for whom they | i will be responsible in the next 12 '- months. For example, one committee! > has undertaken to bring out 1000 mdi- ' ' viduals, composed of boys from 15 to IS ' years of age, men from 18 to 30. nnd-j ■ women up to 45. Another committee \ - will be responsible for 250 boys, and still j " another for 5000 boys, men and married j " couples. Altogether, it is hoped to cmi- j : grate 10,000 individuals under the! scheme during the present year. Then comes the question as to how individuals and families are to be J selected in this country for emigration under the scheme. The Church Army are arranging a series of meetings to " be held throughout the country, with the assistance of the Bishops, the Lords , Lieutenant of counties, and the mayors and borough councils, at which the 1 scheme -ill be explained in detail by 1 speakers from London. The Church \ Army will receive locally the names of persons who desire to emigrate, and will } be in a position to settle with them .' immediately and finally, subject to the condition that they pass the medical ' test and the examination as to characj ter. _ ' ■