EMPIRE LAND SETTLEMENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2955, 15 December 1916, Page 21

EMPIRE LAND SETTLEMENT

WASTE PLACES, OF THE EMPIRE

A QUESTION OF POPULATION SUGGESTIONS TO MEET AFTER-WAR CONDITIONS

■ Thousands,, nay, millions, of men who have been used to an open-air life during warfare are hot likely to- take readily to the shop and office life to which they were previously accustomed. Their settlement upon'the land has already been provided for to some extent by the Government of New Zealand, and even the Native race of this country has set aside. thousands of acres of land for settlement by returned soldiers. But the need for "concerted and organised effort in this direction is being urged by men of light and leading in various parts of the Empire. A little whilo ago the Empire Land Settlement Committee of the Koyal Colonial Institute, led by Earl Grey, brought the matter before the Right Hon. A. Bonar Law, Secretary of. State for the Colonies, and the Earl Crawford, President of the Board of Agri-: culture, at the Colonial Office, London. Among those present forming the_ deputation were two. New Zealand representatives, viz., Mr. David J?ell : and: Mr.' R. D. Douglas M'Lean. ;> "

Briefly" did Earl Grey the " deputation, and reachai: its object in; 'these"'words:. "We have "asked you to; receive us in order that we' may press upon the Government the importance of establishing without delay an Imperial Migration and Land Settlement Board, which shall be administered in full co-operation with the Dominion Governments so that service men may , be able to ascertain what lands may be available for them on their discharge and the conditions of settlement both at home and overseas. We oxe happy to believe that in pressing'this request upon you we shall be leaning against an open door. We are encouraged in that belief by speeches made recently by your colleagues in the Government." POPULATION WANTED. . Later in bis speech. Earl Giey pointed out that there will be a Very large proportion of sorvice men. "who will wish to settle on the land who cannot he accommodated at home, and while we are . anxious not to overlook this question of Home 'settlement, we must, as I have said, look the fact in'the face that there will be a large surplus of men who will, wish to settle on the land overseas, and that being so we think it is the duty of the .Government in tho Imperial interests to direct this flow of surplus population to land under the British Mag. One of the dangers menacing the future of the Empire is that to-day the British' Empire contains a white population of only 60,000,000, while America has a population of 100,000,000, Russia 180,000.000 and China 450,000,000. If the growth of our population diminishes, as compared with that of those other countries, the prospeot increases of tho world becom-. ing not British, but American; or Bus-' sian, or Chinese. It cannot be disputed that the interests of the Empire require that we should take every step in our power to secure the filling uj> of the vaoant spaces of the Empire in order that we may be able to keep our foremost placg in the woild." ' THE PROPOSALS OF THE DEPUTATION. ; . The deputation submitted following/recommendations to: the Government as embaying the views of the institute upon the subject:— "1. That an Imperial-Migration Board be organised in London, representing the British Government, the Governments of tho Dominions J and such provinces and States in I the Dominions as desire to be repre- • " sented on the board—the cost to be ■borne jointly by all Governments concerned. •. "2. That the board he responsible for the distribution of complete, , impartial, and up-to-date informa-' tion regaining opportunities in the Dominions,, the demand for labour in. the different pursuits," occupations, and industries, and the facilities and cost of transport. . "8. That the co-operation of the Labour Exchanges ; m the United i Kingdom, ■ and of the public em- ' ployment bureaux and immigration authorities in the Dominions, be secured with this in view. "4. That the Imperial Migration Board bo given power to require returns and • suoh other information as it thinks necessary from agencies' and individuals in.the United Kingdom and' the Dominions dealing with immigrants." ; "5. That the Imperial Migration Board consider the whole question of inspection, and' report the best system to be adopted in the interests of the United Kingdom, ,tho Dominions, and the "emigrants themselves." OF PRESSING IMPORTANCE. Sir Rider Haggard spoke in support of the proposals, which he said involved t[uestions of pressing, even immediate, importance. Continuing, Sir Rider said: —"When this accursed war comes to an end, as I hope it will some day soon, wo shall. have to convoy the overseas troops back to the various Dominions. That will fill all our available shipping for months, perhaps for a year or more, to come.' Now my fear is that we shall be discharging men.by the 10,000, 'perhaps even by the 100,000 '—men wishing to get out of this country for one reason or another— and that other countries with ships to spare will enter into the business of taking them away—for instance; tho American shipping linos. Onco they depart, to eomo. other land and settle there, what guarantee "have we that they will percolate back to the, Empire? That is why I think that some preconceived arrangement is so absolutely necessary. I laioiv that there are people in this country who are much disturbed at the idea of men leaving the country, for they writo me -1 violent letters. As I have said everywhere throughout the Empire. I do not wish, and the Royal Colonial Institute does not wish, to encourage a single man to leave Britain'. ■n e would rather that they stopped here; but if they will go, we do not want thcia to beyond our own Dominions—indeed, we think it vital that they should not do so. Have not tho Dominions lost thousands of men already in tho common cause? Why, liien, should population bo grudged to them, while it. is allowed to flow away to the United States without protest ? 'As one who, to the beat of his poor ability, has made an intimate study of every side of this great question, as one who, in connection with it, has come jjl touch with the peoples and almost every statesman in the Dominions, I do most sarnestly imploro tho 1 Government got to thrurt this matter aside, but to dial with it as soon as possible and in fyj.nz iffsctivo manner. The Dominions

hare promised much; it remains for us to play our part in. their interest, in our own, and in that of the Empire at large." Commissioner Lamb, of the Salvation Army, supported the previous speaker, and desired that' the Imperial Government should make it known at once to the Governments of the King's#Dominions Overseas that it is propared to consider the finance approved sohemes. for settlement and-develop-ment, and -thus immediately "harness" all the resources of the Dominions in the work of reconstruction. He reminded the Government that General Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, had suggested a Central Emigration Board in 1906 for the purpose of assisting. the better peananent .distribution or'the people of Great Britain. .If the need existed then for sucli a board, It is even more imperative to-day. AN AUSTRALIAN'S SUCCESTIONS. The Hon. _ John W. Taverner embodied his views in a letter addressed to Mr. Bonar Law, in the course of which he said: —As an Australian now domiciled in this country, 1 venture to say that the Overseas Dominions have risen to the anil have taken, practical steps to deal not only with thoir ■ own ex-Service men; but to do their part in assisting the Mother _ Country in dealing witn her responsibilities in . connection with exService men after the war. I have always advocated Imperial co-operation in dealing with, the question of peopling the Empire. Let there be no misunderstanding, a,s far as I am concerned, as to the. functions of the proposed. Board, which should bo purely advisory to the Colonial Office!

There should be established without delay, under the Secretary*of State for the Colonies, a live Department to deal with the question of .Empire Land Settlement, in conjunction with the Overseas Governments. - >

This Department's first consideration should be devoted to the food supply for the Mother Country.

To utilise to the fullest extent eligible ex-Service men for land settlement within the Mother Country. ' To co-operate with thp Overseas Governments under an agreed policy for the settlement on land of the surplus of the ex-SerVice-men -from time to time, within tho Dominions. • _ Tb prevent, us far as. possible, the Erflgire leakage by keeping British people within the Empire. The proposed 'Board to advise the Secretary of State for the Colonies on these questions, and others incidental to Empire Jjand<-iiettlement. Tho War has struck home the helpless position in which the Mother Country would liave been placed regarding her food supply, had the German Navy been loose on the High Seas. Thank God, tho Dominions can feed their owii' people. Tho weak link in tho Empire's chain is the Mother Country having to depend Upon foreign countries for her food supply. The Mother Country possesses the land, the soil, and the people. What Denmark lias done, the Mother Country can accomplish. The'development 'of tho Mother Country's agricultural resources means 6alvation to the' Dominions, if we are to people the Empire lands with our, own peoplo.' ■ " For the glory aiid safety of our great Empire the Dominions are doing their duty. For God's sake let the Mother Country do her^part. MINISTERIAL UTTERANCES ' SYMPATHETIC. After several others speakers had supported these proposals at considerable length, Mr.' Sonar Law said:' VI can assure members of 'the deputation that; they have not at all trespassed unduly on our time and patience, as they seem to fear, Jiecauss every speaker knew what he was talking about, and that makes even a considerable number of speeches bearable. I hope you will not take the brevity of my reply as indicating the extent of my . interest in the BUbject. On the contrary, you may rather take it that the brevity of my speech is in inverse proportion to the interest we take in the subject. I assure you that everything you have .said we' appreciate fully: The only question is as to the best way of giving effeot to the wishes you have expressed. In my opinion, as indeed in the opinions of those representing the Overseas Dominions, our first duty, if -we can, is to make it possible to keep as many of our men as we can at home. As regards emigration, we all agree that if men go awity—and I think many will, for I think tie attractions which, may be offered by the colonics will be very formidable competitors—it is clearly the duty of the Government to see that those who do emigrate are by one me&ns or another induced to emigrate to places under the British Flag and bo add to the strength of the British Empire. Of course the danger of some sudden throwing free of thousands of men -whom you will have no opportunity of reaching and who may be attracted to other countries is one which, if it happen, or is to happen, would show some want of organisation, which ought to be prevented. With regard to the proposed Emigration Board. Something of the kind has got to be done, but I am sure no one who has looked into the matter will question tho difficulty as to the best way of setting about it. We aro trying to. solve that problem, and I hope it will not be long before we have done something to set machinery "to work to carry out the wishes of the deputation." The Earl of Crawford endorsed these, views.