MIGRATION IN THE EMPIRE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17624, 29 November 1922, Page 9

MIGRATION IN THE EMPIRE.

BRITAIN'S SURPLUS POPULATION PROBLEM OF DISPOSAL. ?/ A«*oci»tion-<;oprr,i*ht.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Aawciation.) (Received November 28th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 27. Mr Harold Cox, on the Imperial aspect of the population problem under the auspices of the Women's Guild of Empire, pointed out that Britain's population only began to become excessive after the industrial era of the nineteenth century produced a demand for factory labour. Between 1901 and 1911 the increase was greater than throughout the eighteenth century. The increase continued during the next decade, despite the heavy war losses. Allowing for a small part of Arctic Canada' and large parts of Australia which were uninhabitable, immense tracts of those countries awaited cultivation. If the Dominions could absorb a few millions of British people it would add immensely to the happiness of the human race, but the Dominions did not want, and would not have, our excess urban population. The Australian Labour Party was bitterly opposed to all immigration. All the present immigration schemes throughout the Empire would not absorb even Britain's yearly increase of population. Some of the Australian schemes estimated that each settler would coßt £IOOO. Britain's surplus millions could not be settled in the Dominions at such a price. He doubted the wisdom of all State-aided immigration. When a man emigrated at his own risk and cost, he generally made good, but hundreds of State-aided exservice men had recently drifted back to England. Looking .at all the facts, Empire migration could do very little in the direction of relieving Britain of her excess population. He believed the latter was partly due to the social legislation of the last twenty yqars sapping the people's sense of self-re-liance and responsibility regarding their offspring.