OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EMPIRE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18242, 28 November 1924, Page 14

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EMPIRE.

EMPTY LANDS FOR SETTLERS. (TBOlf OUB OW!J COBBESPONMSXT.) . LONDON, October 24. Sir James Allen and Major-General Sir A. H. Russell were' among the numerous guests of the British Passenger Agents' Association at their annual luncheon this week. Mr B. Jordan Smith (president) was in the chair, and occasion was taken to present Mr Charles "Wright (hon. secretary) with an address and a silver tea service in recognition of his services. In acknowledging tlio gift, Mr Wright declared that the Association gave' the travelling public a certain guarantee that in dealing with them they would have a "square deal." Proposing "Our Overseas. Dominions," the chairman said that they welcomed new schemes of taking families overseas in large numbers and settling them, on the magnificent and potential agricultural lands, because in the family there was a unit that tended to anchor in its new surroundings. Travel for health and pleasure would also help to foster the inter-communi-cation between the different parts of tho Empire which was so essential. Sponsors to the toast were MajorGeneral Sir A. H. Russell and Sir L. Groom (Attorney-General of Australia). The latter spoke of a new spirit of patriotism that was growing in the Empire, which meant not merely waving the flag, but service. One realised that the British Passenger Agents' Association kept in mind all the time the question as to'how they could render more efficient service to the Empire.

The Rule in New Zealand. Sir Andrew Russell said that one of the deterrents to emigration was the feeling of exile, but actually the emigrant wns not an exile, for every man of British race was made welcome. There was no dole in New Zealand;, it was "work or starve." He wanted people in the Old Country to help to create such a condition in New /sea,and thai made the demand for labour so intense that the emigrants would be bound to come. New Zealand had not got the money; that was at this end of the world, where they were proposing loans in every direction. (Laughter.) He knew they had sufficient common-sense to turn some of them down —(renewed laughter)—but Sew Zealand wanted Great Britain to Keep some of the money for their end of the worlrl. (Cheers.) Money spent in Chile, Peru, or Anatolia would undoubtedly provide plenty of employment for tnose nationals, but it would not in the rirst instance, provide employment for Britons, except in so far • lS there were large sums put down for machinery. On the other hand, if they invested in the "British Empire under the Union Jack, they were providing' employment for Anglo-Saxon men and women and homes for their wives and children. S : r Hugh Deniscn (Australia) said that a mere handful of people were holding Australia, not for but as a heritage for the Old Country, for the people' who sooner or later would have tc seek fresh pastures. No greater work, and none of more Imperial value, eould be done than that of peopling these empty lands Australia and New Zealand, whero there were greater opportunities thai! there were in the United btates, -which was now closed o emigrants. But in the British Empire thore were hinds equal in every way tu thi United States in size and opportunities; and they were British throughout. In the British Islands the j was I'eccming a. greater

and greater burden cn the community, and the only outlet was the Dominions, where not only would they fill those empty lands, but they would help to provide the foodstuffs and other commodities, which were the raw materials of the people over here, and at the same time strengthen the British Empire,.