OUR HERITAGE—THE EMPIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 26, 1 February 1926, Page 8

OUR HERITAGE—THE EMPIRE.

COMMISSIONER LAMB'S VIEWS. ROOM FOR BRITAIN'S SURPLUS. A lecture was delivered yesterday afternoon in the Town Hall Concert Chamber, by Commissioner D. Lamb. Director of the Salvation Army British Emigration. London, on "'Our Heritage —The Empire."' There nas a large attendance, presided over by the Mayor. Mr. Georgr , Baildon. Mr.'Lamb said he was not going to speak of the geographical Empire. He liked to think of our heritage as being spiritual, as one of free peoples, free thought and speech, and free institutions. He was quite conscious of the weakness of the Empire, a? it was his business to make himelf acquainted with what went on in the lower branches of ?ociety. Having seen the worst of the Empire, he. could still, say. he had seen nothing better. '"With all her faults, I love her still." he added: , « Referring to the -'fact that Great Britain had carried tlie burden of maintaining one million and a-«juarter of unemployed fcir five years. Commissioner Lamb said people in Xew Zealand were helping to keep up that number of unemployed. ■ In 1022. the British Parliament passed the Empire Settlement Act to" provide for the distribution of the people amongst the Dominions. The Parliament also voted for that purpose £3.000.000 per annum for fifteen years. L'p to last September out of £10.000.000 only £2,000,000 had been used. Commissioner Lamb said: '"I blame you people. You have not got, the sense to see that you are helping to keep up that unemployment. Roughly, about 1000 children are born a day' in England, and to relieve that population pressure migration of 250.000 persons annually is necessary, and I claim that Xew Zealand should take her chare."