MIGRATION FROM BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21907, 7 October 1936, Page 8

MIGRATION FROM BRITAIN

vital importance TO DOMINIONS

early reinforcement OF POPULATIONS

RESOLUTION OF COMMERCE CONGRESS

(P&SSB ASSOCIATION TXLKO-&AH.)

WELLINGTON, October 6. 1 The congress of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire today dealt with a resolution on migration. The resolution was a compromise of resolutions whidi were originally to have been submitted by Britain, Australia. . and New Zealand. It affirmed the vital importance of an early reinforcement of the populations of the overseas Dominions by organised substantial migration from Great Britain, made recommendations to that end, and recommended that the Governments concerned should cooperate in arranging schemes to ensure that any surplus population leaving Great Britain should settle within the Empire. The motion was carried unanimously and by acclamation. , , -- The resolution was moved by Bur j. E. Emlyn-Jones (South Wales). His speech was vigorous, and was a strong advocacy of filling up the vacant spaces of oversea Dominions with British people. He said he thought the truth about the Dominions’ failure to increase their popt* lation was that there had developed an ill-balanced economy. There was far too much concentration on industrial activities, and too little on agrarian. There was only one way to increase the wealth of the Dominions and of the whole world the application of idle labour to fertile land. By so creating wealth they would be able to absorb unemployed in their own countries and the Homeland. It was not a problem of over-production, but was, in reality, a crisis of under-consump-tion and maldistribution of primary products throughout the world. - Large Scale Migration

Mr R. M. Clark (Sydney), seconding the resolution, said he was in hearty agreement with the object in view, though he was not in agreement with all of Mr Emlyn-Jones’s statements. Mr Clark said a migrant from Britain might put someone out of work overseas. What was wanted was migration on a large scale. A large population overseas world enable Britain" to carry a much larger population than she did, and with large populations abroad and at Home would make Britain invincible.

Mr Russell (Brisbane) said they could not accept the view that the Dominions should merely be Britain’s supplier of primary products.' What they were aiming at in Australia' was a balanced economy. Mr J. T. Martin (Wellington) said New Zealand’s carrying capacity was a population variously estimated at from 5,000,000 to 10,000,000. He said New Zealand's population was not increasing satisfactorily, that her birth-rate was declining, that in the four last years departures exceeded arrivals by 28 i 3 annually, and that, before the stoppage of migration, we were actually receiving 10,041 more people over departures every year. The population increase to-day was estimated at 12,000 annually, which admittedly would mean only 100,000 more in 10 years.

Mr Martin said there was a shortage of labour in New Zealand, particularly for farms and domestic service. If New Zealand were given time to formulate a comprehensive scheme, he thought something could be done.

Sir Montague Burton (London) said it was estimated that every person additional to population gave employment to another person. Mr E. Stanley Leatherby (Plymouth) spoke on behalf of the fishermen of England. If the Empire could find room for some of these magnificent people, it would render a service that would pay. They were hard up against it now. National Security Mr Fee (Auckland) expressed the view that there was underlying the debate, the idea that New Zealand must be a primary producing country. He felt that an increase in the population of New Zealand was vitally necessary, if only for national security. If New Zealand was to remain a primary producing country, she could not have a large population and must remain a target for an enemy. If she was to become a safe country, she must do as others had done—increase her population*— and to do that she must increase and develop secondary industries. The reception, of any large influx of migrants must bd accompanied by secondary industry development. Mr G. D. Virtue (Perth) said that, taking the long view, the Dominions must open the door to selected migrants from European races. Mr Mansfield (London) said it was no use sending out people unless they were voluntary migrants. There would be no voluntary migrants unless they saw an opportunity abroad. That opportunity must be provided. There were any amount of people with guts who would come out if they saw opportunity. If Britain had not such people, then any resolution was vain. He condemned the kind of migration that only resulted in weeping and returning to London to parade posters in front of the Dominions’ houses there. Lord Elibank’s Views Lord Elibank, speaking as a delegate (Sir Thomas wilford being in the chair) said he found himself in entire agreement with Mr Emlyn-Jones. in g>ite of Mr Emlyn-Jones’s eloquence, e knew that he was speaking the truth. He said there was what might be called a land hunger in the world, which was finding expression in different ways. The Italians had gone out and taken what they wanted. In Germany every few weeks we heard demands for colonies to be returned and mandated territories handed back, and in both countries the people were going on increasing the population by command of the dictators and building up huge armies and armaments, as far as one could see, with only one object Was it extraordinary that these people, determined to expand and overflow, should turn their eyes, to the vast unpooulated fertile spaces in the British Dominions, capable of containing many millions of white inhabitants? He said we should not only consider migration from the point of view of building up our own Empire and giving an outlet to our own people; but also

we had to consider it from SbjWßßs i point of view. It was esaetttiMflH ■ migration should be tackled I comprehensive manner. He agtoiMHjL I cerely with Mr Clark (Sydney). | he said he did not want stogie Wjml who only created more ment What was needed wasmipHHß-M on a large scale, and continuous ■ ment of large areas.. , * Lord Elibank said it might tuft® ■ that they should export mors capital with their migrants; but ■ gested that the Dominions should dWIB the way easy by making land ■ able on favourable tamos. ■ there was no prospect of capita* Wj I tog invested to any DnmtoiMi to SS I vate enterprise unless It zeeendSHß ■ per consideration when ft ■ it were taxed out of existence, CKjIRP| ■ thing was done to make trade —ME ■ sible, very little capital would coadqß ■ from the Old Country. • "jrHB ' The blood of Britain was not to HE ■ mixed. Lord Elibank said, and hMjjjKfl the point that the Dominions WB|»» find it in their interest, as Aagliflß bad done, to ope* their doors ■ tain proportion of foreign ■ blood. 11