WORLD-WIDE MIGRATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 107, 9 May 1927, Page 9

WORLD-WIDE MIGRATION.

18 IT AT A STAXDSTXEX.?

WHAT THE UNITED STATES

THINKS.

(From Oar Own Correspondent.

LONDON, February 1.

One of the major issues before the Imperial Conference wm migration within the Empire. Admittedly the plans made on the restoration of peace have not succeeded, and In the measure which the 1926 Imperial Conference tarns the failure to success will it he judged. '■ This of migration within the Smpire only. What of migration from thapoint of .ii#w of the whole world? A stew at first sights surprising is being ventilated in North America. In the States Very forthright post-war measures wen taken to regulate the-fioW races into ita territoty, and noWattewpta are bebjg made to discover iniijtfiw world reactions of these. Undoubtedly the United States remains fimr in its policy. According toits "Journal of Commerce," "Just now the midst of a world-wide reaction against, migration,. which is effect industrially by destroying: the nobility of labour. Grait Britain, fir ipttenice. is sengosly effected by Iter Ti^upplj STto t sit°ln! r *feMtfcTl&riSi States, 'the one-time refuge of the oppressed and adventurous of almost'ail nations,' virtually closing its doors 1 to l almost all other peoples who might be desirous of seeking to better their economic or other status in this country. And then, on the Continent of Europe, where danger has been seen to exist of transmigration of peoples across international boundary lines, suspicious nations have seen to it that bars are put up to prevent such movements.

One result is that the nmch-talked-of mobility of labour is in a large degree, at least so far as the crossing of national boundary lines is concerned, a myth. If the facte were otherwise, t good deal of the discomfort and economic depression that is to-day afflicting Europe might by now be, in part at least, removed. Great Britain happens to be one of those countries where population has outgrown economic opportunity, or at least is thought by a good many Britiab authorities to have done so, and those who shape the policies of that country would like nothing better than to find a way whereby some of its exoeas- population might be removed front the country and at the same time kept within the Empire. They, however, win hare to accept with what grace they can muster the objections «rni the restrictions that Canada and the other. Dominions prefer to raise against the people of the Mother Country.

"Population movements from the earliest dawn of history, and probably long before that time, have been a source of much conflict, a good deal of destruction, and the downfall of not a few nations. At times it has seemed to be spontaneous and irresiatible. At others it doubtless has been carefully fostered by groups for purposes of tbeir own. At still others it has taken place without bringing dire results. This latter, generally and comparatively speaking, at all events was onr own'experience with the inflow of elements which, while they caused the rise of a good many social and other problems, did supply the labour andJibr' infrequently the organising genius enabled us to rise so rapidly v as one ofthe leading Powers of the earth. During the last decade the worst phases of such movements of population nave unfortunately been fbcussed in the attention of peoples generally, and the advantages that often accrue, at least uuder proper circumstances, have been largely lost to sight.

"We, the world over, seem to be in the stage of rather extreme rebellion against migration. We shall at one time or another find it advisable, if not absolutely necessary, to progress much further."