"EMPTY ORADLES."

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12, 15 August 1911, Page 7

"EMPTY ORADLES."

MR BURNS' WARNINC. "CROWDED EfIttGRANT SHEPS." At the sitting of the Imperial Conference on June 9 Mr Fisher (Australia) formally movedV "That it is desirable to encourage British, emigrants to proceed to British colones rather than foreign countries; that the Imperial Government be requested to co-operate with any colonies desiring immigrants in assisting suitable persons to emirate ; and that the Secretary of State for the Colonies be requested to nominate representatives of the Dominions to the committee of the Emigrants' Inforfflation Office." Mr Batchelor (Australia) asked what course had been taken to carry out the resolution of the last Conference on the object. As to the last paragraph of the resolution, while no complaint was made with regard to "the information supplied, there sometimes appeared to be a lack of precise information in the Emigrants' Information Office. Mr Malan, who explained that General Botha was not well enough to attend the sitting, said that South Africa had no objection to the proposal. Mr Burns (President of the Local Government Board) said that since the last Conference the-object of the resolution had been to a great extent secured. In 1906 the total number of emigrants from the Mother Country vras 194,671, of whom the different parts of the Empire took 105,178, or 54 per cent. In 1910 the numbers were 233,944 and 159,000 respectively, showing 68 per cent, to the Empire. For the first four months of the present vear there was an increase over the corresponding period of 1910 of 23,000, or 29 per cent., and the Empire had taken the whole of that increase. Australia and New Zealand had received 10,000 more in the first four months of 1911 than in the similar period of 1910 or 133 per cent, increase. If the rate'of increase for the first four months were continued for the whole of 1911 the total emigrants from Great Britain to all countries would amount to 300,000, of whom it was estimated 230,000, or nearly 80 per cent., would go to different parts of the Empire. "With a diminishing birth-rate the Mother Country could not safely go beyond 300,000 a year. The Dominions were entitled to have the surplus, but they must not diminish the seed plot. They could absorb the overflow, but they must not empty the tank. He would advise the Conference to let well alone. They might trust the Mother Country in this matter. She would hold the balance fairly between the different portions of the Empire. Crowded emigrant ships were no compensation for empty cradles in any part of the British Empire. Mr Harcourt suggested that the resolution should take the following form: "That the present policy of encouraging British emigrants to proceed to British dominions rather than foreign countries be continued and that full co-operation be accorded to any dominion desiring emigrants." The resolution in its amended form was unanimously carried.