TO ATTRACT IMMIGRANTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 186, 1 May 1908, Page 8

TO ATTRACT IMMIGRANTS.

WHAT VICTORIA IS DOING. ; . Mr. Bent, ,the Victorian Premier, stated tho other flay-that lie intended to send Mr. Deakin a specific reply ,to tho.questions l .as to, what inducement his State was prepared to offer to immigrants by making Crown lands available; for them. Mr.' 1 Bent went on to say .that in the memorandum recently sent to Mr. D.eakin it was stated that tho.Stato was to. be , well-advertised ' at the FrancoBritish Exhibition by -exhibits, maps, publications, and photographs. Then the memorandum —after making suggestions as to what a central Australian office in London might do respecting the collection and distribution to '.the States of 1 information collocted—touched'on land settlement and immigration, .'in' tho following terms:— . . Tho demand for land for somo time -to come, both of its own people—who niust first rcceive consideration —arid of those who; desire to sottle amongst us, will bo met by the Victorian Government in providing largo sums of money, for tho resumption of privato estates, the improvement of Crown lands, and the provision of water to areas now co'"nnratively,.waterless. This action should increase tho demand for agricultural liiooiiitis and others. So far as actually attracting immigrants, there is, no doubt, a prospect that tho tariff propared by tho Commonwealth Government will result in,a large expansion of tho Commonwealth industries, and a corresponding demand for a largo number of operatives of various kinds. Moro public attention in Great Britain would undoubtedly be drawn to.Australia, and a great fillip givon to immigration to our slvyca wero tho'Commonwealth itself to arrrango, a scheme to give assistance to the extent ct, say, £8 or £10 per. adult towards tho passages of those persons who intend to settle on tho soil, or to engage in any form of rural or other- industry after arriving here. By this means a healthy rivalry between tho respective States would bo developed, and a much-desired accession to tho population would bo encouraged "I intend to toll Mr.-Deakin," added Mr. Bent, ''that thero are at present more local applicants than thero is land available, but that wo ore about to open up in the mallee and elsewhere over 1,000,000.! acres of land, which v.-iU !>n avp'lablo for not only our own people, but dosirablo settlers from Great Britain."