TEN-YEAR PLAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 117, 20 May 1933, Page 10

TEN-YEAR PLAN.

EMPIRE MIGRATION.

TRAINING CF SETTLERS. ' CHARTERED COMPANY CQNTRQTj. A "ten years plan" for Empire development and migration, to be carried out by chartered companies free from Government control, was outlined to the Parliamentary Imperial Affairs Committee at the House of Commons by Mr. L. St. Clare Grondona, an Australian author and journalist. "It is obvious," ho said, "that if migration for land settlement is to be resumed it 11111,-t be according to an organised plan which will pay as much regard to the disposal of products as to the careful selection and establishment of new settlers.. "Migration for land settlement should be outside direct Government control, and it seeing that the only effective method whereby a proper distribution of the white people of the Empire can be achieved is under the auspices of chartered companies operating in partnership 011 an unprecedented scale. "Chartered companies," ne said, "would control the development or lands in various parts of the Empire, with constant regard to the necessity for maintaining that continuity and regularity of supply of standard quality, evenlygraded produce, upon which the good will of traders and consumers depends. "A company, while always striving to protect the interests of both producer and consumer," he said, "would cooperate with the existing ramifications of trade, but would not enter the retail field. Avoiding Glutted Markets. "Each overseas company would have its own vast stores and grain silos, cold storage, dehydrating and canning plants, and other methods of conservation and preservation —all tending to_ avoid the glutting of markets, especially with fresh perishable food-products." Mr. Grondona said that the final selection of immigrants would be deferred until an applicant had proved his suitability at a training centre in Great Britain. "Such a centre," he said, "would be as remote as possible from towns, and conditions would approach those 011 the settlement in prospect in (say) Australia. There would be no water, gas or electric light laid on; there would be 110 coal or coke left at the door, and 110 butcher or baker would call. Wives would be taught to keep house under these relatively primitive conditions. The training the men would undergo would be practical. "I am confident that 40,000 families annually for 10 years could he established permanently on Dominion land at an average cost 11'ot exceeding £1500 per family. Thus the annual capital invested would be £00,000,000. Britain's annual share —£30,000.000 —would lie the equivalent of less than three months payment of 'dole' moneys at the present rate of expenditure," lie added.