IMMIGRATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 297, 15 December 1936, Page 6

IMMIGRATION.

I During the years immediately succeediii"the Great War the Government of this country entered upon an immigration policy which was pursued for a number of years. The underlying principles of this policy were sound, but in practice it failed to fulfil the purpose for which it was created. Many of the immigrants congregated in the cities, thus congesting the urban population and displacing from positions men who had been living and working in this country all their lives'. In many instances the immigrants were used to a standard of living lower than that of the "native" worker. This fact alone is sufficient to condemn it even without considering its depressing effect on the wages and standard of living of the proletariat. The "Dominion" published recently an article by Scrutator, who, in dealing with the census count of population, declared thai if the present trend were continued, Xew Zealand would reach a peak of 1,600,000 in 1942, and then begin to decline. This is an alarming prediction, and many students of the situation will agree with him that the subject is serious enough to demand the close attention of our economists, and others. The innate population of Xew Zealand during the last ten years has averaged just over 10,000 a year, and in a diminishing ratio the peak will he readied in 1942. It has frequently been said that New Zealand could ir.aintain a population of 10,000,000, but now the carrying capacity of the country is in the vicinity of 2,000,000. By intensive cultivation we could probably double in 10 years the output of our primary produce, and our land could be made to carry twice the number of livestock it now feeds, but our population would diminish. If such are the conditions prevailing, it is obvious that if we are to be more self-supporting in the future than at present we should pursue a vigorous immigration policy, as one economist says, "to people our country and to develop any potential wealth." To any great extent the existence of the latter has not been proved to exist, but if what has been proved be exploited, abundant supplies of capital are required. It is doubtful if Xew Zealand will ever become an important manufacturing country, and it is still more doubtful if it is advisable to introduce a type of immigrant who is used to highly-specialised ; industrial methods and capable of working in manufacturing plants. The obvious deduction, then, to draw in formulating a policy for immigration is that special provision be made for the immigration of the type of individual who has not only capital but resourcefulness to follow in the footsteps of our forefathers, who became the pioneers of our primary industries. Other industries are open for the "right type" of'immigrant, these being ones in which the returns are somewhat delayed. G.J.D.