Appeal For Migrants To New Zealand

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27434, 21 August 1954, Page 7

Appeal For Migrants To New Zealand

(Rec. 930 p.m.) LONDON, August 20. A suggestion that a joint conference should be held, between New Zealand and Britain to discuss an increase in the flow of British migrants to New Zealand is made by Mr A. Leigh Hunt, president of the Dominion Settlement and Population Association, of New Zealand, in an article in the “Daily Telegraph.” Mr Hunt emphasises the necessity to” the Dominion to have more people in’order to be able to defend herself adequately as well as the advantage an influx of population would have on New Zealand’s industrial capacity. “New Zealand’s loyalty to the Commonwealth and her readmess to fight tor it are common knowledge; but no country can hope to play a full part in that Commonwealth if her numbers are inadequate,” he says. - . Mr Hunt says that at the beginning of this year the New Zealand Government decided that 4000 Governmentassisted British migrants was enough for this year’s quota.

Deputation to Minister He recalled that the "largest and most representative deputation ever to be formed in New Zealand” last May waited on the New Zealand Minister of Immigration (Mr W. Sullivan) to urge an increase in the then annual target of 7500 assisted British migrants. He says that three months later the quota was reduced to 5000 at a time when registered vacant jobs in industry were more than 20,000. Mr Hunt says: “With her sparse population, her isolation, and her 2400

miles of coastline, New Zealand is in a vulnerable strategic position. * z ‘The destinies of Australia and New Zealand are necessarily interwoven and, Australia with only 8,500,000 inhabitants in vast territories, faces to the north of her 1,200,000,000 landhungry Asians. “Thanks to the kindly Japanese warship which entered the Sydney Harbour during the war and fired a few shells, Australia has awakened to the necessity of increasing her population vyith the greatest possible speed if she is to remain mistress of her island continent. No “Note of Alarm” “Unfortunately no Japanese warship sounded a note of alarm for New Zealanders. “The overcrowded, underfed world will not wait New Zealand’s convenience to populate her empty spaces . . z Australia and New Zealand could be the twin of the European races in the South Pacific. “New Zealand could live in peace, prosperity, strength, and spacious comfort with a population according to various estimates by experts of seven, 10, 16, or even more millions. “With no more than eight or 10 millions. New Zealand could largely control her destiny. She would tnen have at hand a home market for her secondary industries and could play her full part as a key member of the Commonwealth. “Britain, herself, is unhealthily dvercrowded. It would be both to her advantage and to New Zealand’s that there should be some transfer of British industry to our southern islands,” Mr Hunt says.