IMMIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24389, 16 October 1944, Page 4

IMMIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA

ACTIVE INTEREST IN COMMONWEALTH

NEGOTIATIONS BEING MADE

(PA.) WELLINGTON, October 15. . “Australia’s realistic approach to the K" lem presented by its declining -rate might well serve, as. an oDject lesson to New Zealand," said Mr J M. A. Ilott, when interviewed in Wellington on Saturday. Mr Ilott, wAo is second vice-president of Rotary International, recently returned from a visit to Australia. An apt comment on the subject had been made by membei% of the British Parliamentary delegation, he said. Mr W. H. Butcher had declared that that problem would have to be faced quickly if Australia was to have both peace and prosperity. The Earl of Listowel had-urged that Australia should make up its mind and form a definite immigration pphcy. Their remarks could be applied with equal force to New Zealand, said Mr Ilott. There was in Australia an awakened public consciousness of. the dangers ahead, a general adknowledgement that natural increase alone could not be expected to provide the solution,and a realisation that suitable immigrants would have to be sought “with the keenness with which our forefathers prospected for gold.” ■ As one writer put it. speaking- in February, 1943, Mr Churchill said: “The falling birth-rate threatens in 30 years to make Britain a country where a smaller working and* fighting population will have to support and protect nearly twice as many old people.” For that reason it was not expected there would Jbe any great enthusiasm in official or business quarters in Britain* for mass transfer of Britons to Australia or anywhere else. / Nevertheless, private investigations revealed that many British people, mainly single young men and women and married folk with young families, did hope and plan to seek their fortunes overseas' after the war. There would be keen competition for them from Canada, South Africa, and Rhodesia, as well as from Australia and New Zealand. However, there were also hundreds of. thousands of suitable migants in Europe—Norwegian, Slovak, ungarian, and Jugoslav peasants—all hard-working, modest, and naturallyintelligent people. The difficulty in their case was lack of money. It had been suggested that to secure them Australia should abolish landing money and establish Government farms to take care of the new-comers for the first few months, where they could learn basic English, customs; and the conditions of their .new' country. They should then be given advice and help to start farming or directed to a trade where they were needed. . To advertise Australia to-both tourists and prospective' immigrants, the Australian , Government was already sending experts overseas tp lecture on the picturesque and attractive aspects of the life of the nation. That example could well be followed by New Zealland, said Mr Ilott. It was significant that a Labour member of the Australian House of Representatives (Mr Wil-liams)-had recently declared that Australian trade unions would have to revise their attitude toward immigration, describing as “unfortunate" their former view that bringing more people into the country would cause unemployment and affect the rate of wages. Mr Williams advocated ah immediate overhaul of the Commonwealth immigration policy. t Incidentally, said Mr Ilott, Australia was appointing a.‘new ehief immigration officer at a salary of £784. rising to £856. Australia had a’so shown keen interest in the proposal that it should offer a permanent home to British war orphans, though it had been reported that Britain would not allow orphans who had lost both parents to leave home till they were otf age to make the choice for themselves. Negotiations were still 'continuin'?, according to an announcement made by the Prime Minister (Mr J. Curtin) of the possibilities of securing some - of the 27,000 Greek orphans in the Middle East, and some of the many orphans of Malta.

“It appears obvious that unless New Zealand acts quickly It will be outstripped in the race to secure what immigrants are available in the early period of oost-war recorctouction,” said Mr Ilott.