TO KEEP PEOPLE WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15605, 1 June 1916, Page 6

TO KEEP PEOPLE WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

. * SIR RIDER HAGGARD'S MISSION TO NEW ZEALAND. THE SETTLEMENT OF BRITISH EX ; SOLDIERS. (special to "toe press.") WELLINGTON, May 31. Sir Rider Haggard arrived from Sydney to-day on his mission for the settlement of British ex-soldiers in Briti ih Dominions. In an interview, he said he was."siting the colonies in an honorary capacity as representative of tho Royal Colonial Institute, to enquire into what facilities would be granted by the Dominions' Governments fo* the settling of British ex-soldiers on the land. In Australia he had met with great encouragement. He row had to find out what New Zealand could do. The organisation ho represented did not wish to hound people out of England;.it ww devoting its efforts to keep within tho Empire those who wished to leave England on tho conclusion of tho war, so as to ensure that they would remain under the British Flag. Ho believed that tho emigration from Great Britain to the United States in normal times was ICO,COO lo 200,000 people a year. Well, if thoie people must go away, it was hoped that they would go to the British Dominions. Whatever the cost, whatever tho sacrifice, we ought to keep theso men and women. Of course, there would be difficulties, but none was entirely hisuperable. When he set out ho ui 1 not receive much encouragement from his friends who might be supposed to know something about the matter, oit Queensland had promised a million acres suitable for dairying and agriculture farming; New South Wales had promised to nut 1000 men on the Yanco irrigation lands in the next two years, giving preferenco to British subjects who had been engaged in the war. aitd would put all time-expired Imperial sol- - on the same footing as the State's own soldiers with respect to preference for Government employment; We*t Australia would give British ex-sol-diers the name advantages as to any special land settlement or Government employment as to Australian returned soldiers; South Australia was willing to extend the same privileges to British soldiers as to Australian soldiers in regard to land settlement and Government employment; Tasmania wonUI provide land and orgrnise settlement for at least- three hundred British ■!- j dies in orchard nnd ocrriculturn] areas; f>nd the Chartered Cnmranv of British South Africa had offered 500.000 aeres | free to all approved British soldiers I from ovet-sei. also to provide expert j advice and supervision.

Fvoni New ZeaHnd Sir RicW Jacgard will go to Canada 0:1 the r.aine guest.