PROBLEMS OF MIGRATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 65, 19 March 1926, Page 7

PROBLEMS OF MIGRATION.

DISTRIBUTING BRITISH FOLK. WHY If IS SO SLOW. LONDON, March IS. The report of the Inter-Departmental Committee, which was appointed to consider the effect of the schemes of social, insurance upon migration includes the following recommendations:— (1) That the question of reciprocal arrangements for Empix ; p social insurance should be discussed at the next imperial Conference, especially the uniformity of the period of residence as a qualification for Old age pensions. (2) That' the attention of the Unemployment Insurance Committee should be directed to the diminution of interest in migration on the part of persons aged about 18 when they become eligible for insurance benefits. (3) That publicity should be given to the schemes of any Dominion for social insurance and to the existing facilities for the transfer of migrants' insurance. (4) That there should be an extension of the facilities for training juveniles in the elements of rural occupations. (5) That all pensioners under the contributory system who go overseas ac migrants should be credited with a lump sum equivalent to one year's pension in lieu of the pension they surrender on migrating. SOME RESTRICTIONS TOO SERIOUS. The committee says the steady rise in the standard of living in the United Kingdom has increased the reluctance to migrate. Again, the restrictions on family migration are so serious, it says, that it is doubtful whether an adequate redistribution of the population will be possible until the facilities for families and married people have been improved. "Thig, in conjunction with Britain's shortage of young farm workers and domestics, chiefly explains the lack of an increase in migration," says the report. Healing with the objection that the physical standards demanded by the Dominions are too high, the committee says the strenuousness of life overseas requires some degree of fitnes, but expresses the opinion that the height limit of migrants might reasonably be reconsidered. The report dwells on the harmful effects of stories of unemployment received from overseas, where unemployment, it says, is actually confined to the towns and to casual workers. Residence in any part of the Empire should be accepted as a qualification for the old age pension. "We believe Labour's fears that a substantial increase in migration would lower wages in the Dominions are groundless," the report proceeds. "Indeed oh the contrary it has been doubted whether the Dominions can maintain their present standards without a substantial development of their industries and agriculture, and for this the first requisite is more people." The report also refers to the high cost of ocean passages. This, it says, restricts the number of unassisted immigrants who are inclined to migrate.— (Reuter.)