NEW EMIGRATION SCHEME.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 774, 24 March 1910, Page 8

NEW EMIGRATION SCHEME.

HOME LADS FOR THE COLONIES. ARRIVAL OF MR. SEDGWICK. Among the passengers, who arrived from London by the lonic yesterday evening, was Mr. T. E. Sedgwick, who has come to the Dominion for the pur-, pose of making inquiries in connection with an emigration scheme now being organised in London, by which it is proposed that trial parties of about 50 or 60 representative lads from different Home conditions and various institutions in the large centres in England should be sent out to work on farms in the Oversea Dominions. Mr. Sedgwick is' a son of Dr. Sedgwick, of Lon- X don, and formerly held a position in London for the South African Government. From a study of the unemployed question, he was led to look into the conditions under which the population of the East End live, and he waa soon struck with the extent of the poverty that prevails. It was very apparent to Mr.,Sedgwick that thousands of lads in London, having no brightness in the home to gladden them, easily drift _on to the. streets when school, is finished, and even should they steer clear of mischief, have no chance of bettering themselves. : .

. According to Mr. Sedgwick, the cry. of the poor,in England is nothing more than the. want of work. A great portion of the population exists on casual labour, wages are poor, and the employment offering.'is'often of brief duration. . As an instance of the number of lads that annually swell the unem* ployed, it is stated' that last year, no fewer than 4000. telegraph messengers were dispensed with because they had reached the age of 16, and no promotion was offering for them. Numbers of these lads are strong and healthy enough, and willing enough to work, but are unable te find employment. It is contended that as time goes on the worker deteriorates through being unemployed, and in time is fit for nothing but the poorhouse, and so becomes a burden op. the country. The emigration scheme is designed te better the prospects of the youths from 16 t0.21, and to obtain for them employment in-the colonies before they become unfit for hard work. Selections would be made , from the young casual labourers who are anxious to work, the ex-telegraph, district,.or other messenger boys, van and errand boys, railway porters, and, in some cases, counter and office employees. Selected' boys from Poor Law schools; Working Boys' Homes, and other institutions would also' be welcomed. .

It ie not intended to. send out..boys with the' : idea of "cheapening labour .or ■anything of the kind. The promoter of the scheme ' believes, from what he. has : read of the colonies that there is plenty of room for young firm , labourers, especially 'in the dairying districts of New Zealand, and if the outlook seems satisfactory the committee of the scheme intend to send a trial party, out. The main objections of the lads themselves to emigration are that they fear the parting with home and family, or that they care not to go alone to distant lauds, or that they have no money. ■ This last objection will be. overcome by the raising of.funds and when the lads realise that they are going abroad to make a better home in the colonies, the parting with rela- : tions will not bo-so painful. .-...- In order to make sure that the boys are really willing and fit to work hard on the land, it may be advisable in i-sonie cases to , put the candidates 1 through a preliminary course of farm work; at Home before incurring the expense of emigrating them. Such probationary, period would not only reject cases which, if sent out, would do great harm to the working of the scheme, but will also give the individuals in question a general' insigTvt into farm work which will render them more acceptable to colonial agriculturists. It is proposed to invite the co-operation of the Central (Unemployed) Body and the Church and the Salvation Armies in this eliminating process, as they already have the necessary machinery of farms and staffs.in work at the pre-' sent time. Younger boys, especially those from homes and institutions in the provinces, who have not been accustomed, at all events for long, to the meretricious attractions of town life, and those lads who are willing and anxious to give up everything at'home so as to exchange a town employment and its attractions for colonial rural life and its prospects, would not, in the majority of cases, require to undergo suoh training. . ,

A superintendent will be sent out with each party of emigrants to organise- amusements, etc., on the voyage and to see the boys settled in their new homes and under proper supervision. In addition, the superintendent would make arrangements for the care of such as may fall out of employment, or become incapacitated through illness. ' That the scheme will work out favourably, Mr. Sedgwick has very little doubt, for it has been: approved by many experienced men, including the Archbishop of Westminster, Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Milner, Lord Tennyson, Lord Northcote, and others. .