MIGRATION IN THE EMPIRE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17430, 15 April 1922, Page 12

MIGRATION IN THE EMPIRE.

BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S BILL IMPORTANT FINANCIAL PROVISIONS. (By Cable—Pre» Association—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)! LONDON, April 12. The text of the Empire Settlement Bill provides for co-operation with the Governments of tho Dominions or approved private organisations in agreed, schemes in jointly assisting suitable persons to settle in the Dominions. The State contribution to any scheme is not to exceed half the expenses of the scheme. The expenditure under the Act is not to exceed £1,600,000 for the first year, and £3,000,000 in any subsequent year.

CO-OPERATION WITH DOMINIONS LABGE EXPENDITURES PROPOSED. ■ , r~, (Received Anril 14th, 10.10 p.m.) " LONDON, April 12., Sir Mitchell, Premier of Western Australia, interviewed, by the Australian Press Association, commenced the British Emigration Bill, the text of which has been issued. He said it would enable the Dominions to secure a bigger inflow of emigrants than would otherwise be financially possible. Referring to the clause providing that tie aggregate expenditure by Britain shall not exceed £1,500.000 for the first year, and then £3,000,000 a he expressed the opinion that the teams were not rberely geheirous, but of the greatest importance apart from the amount of financial ' assistance, because if Parliament approved the Bill it would establish for the first time in British history the principle of British financial co-operation in migration. Ha pointed out that the Bill committed the Government to fifteen yMirs' payments, aggregating over £40,000,000, which was much greater than the most optimistic could have anticipated. The parts of tho Bill which appealed most to Sir James Mitchell were: Firstly, the provision for Imperial financial assistance in the development of land settlement schemes, and for ei&igrants' passages, initial assistant© to emigrants, and special for intending emigrants; secondly, the authorisation of financial co-operation with approved private organisations, either in the United Kingdom or the Dominions, for promoting settlement overseas. Mr Percy HuntSr, Director of Immigration for the Commonwealth, said tie Bill marked'a dramatic change in. the British attitude towards settlement in the Dominions. It meant that Britain became a partner with the Dominions in schemes for moving people from over-populated ;Britain. to th© under-populated Dominions. The Bill differed from all previous proposals by the fact that whereas they were postwar settlement projects, the BiU proposed to establish a permanent principle (Equally applicable to ex-service men and to civilians. "It is a. complete revolution of ideas, and ; probably destined to change the future of th© British. Empire."