The Dominion THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1919. POPULATION & SETTLEMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 215, 5 June 1919, Page 4

The Dominion THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1919. POPULATION & SETTLEMENT

A distinctly hopeful view _of the possibility of attracting British immigrants to this country is taken by Dr. W. A. Chapple, a former member of the New Zealand Parliament, and more recently of the British House of Commons, who arrived a day or two ago by _ the Niagara. In view of his experience in both countries, his opinions in regard to immigration carry some weight. When he was interviewed at Auckland he declared that New Zealand never ranked so high in the estimation of people at Home as at present, and further that the eyes of prospective emigrants—a category which now includes n people who but for the war would never have dreamt of emigrating—were being turned towards this country. Üb. Chapple points out that a number of'factors make for a considerable exodus from Great Britain of people who in normal times and circumstances would, bo stationary. As a result of the high wages earned by families during the war period, the number of _ small capitalists has been greatly increased, and the. proportion of people having capital to invest is, larger than before in comparison with the number of wage-earners. At the same time unsettled labour conditions and burdensome taxation alike tend to induce people who own some capital to look abroad for new homes and a new field of investment. These are conditions that can hardly be described as satisfactory from the point of view of Great Britain, but a tide of emigration seems to be in any\ case inevitable, and New Zealand can ill afford to neglect any measure that is calculated to attract a part of the stream to its shores. It is, of course, obvious that the most serious problems to be solved' in working out an immigration policy arise within the borders of the; Dominion. It is not more evident that we need additional population than that it is a matter of extraordinary difficulty to create suitable openings for immigrants. As truly now as at any earlier stage of its history, the future welfare and prosperity of this country are dependent upon closer settlement and increased production from the land. Generally speaking, comparatively little is to be hoped from building up the population of our cities and towns, by immigration or in' other ways. The essential thing is ; that ths rural lands of the Dominion should be cut up and settled to the very best advantage,.-and everything that impedes progress in this direction, including the high land values now ruling, is very definitely an obstacle to prosperous national development, The manifest need of giving first place in public policy to the extension of settlement is not the outcome of a passing phase in the history of the Dominion. _ It is true that such an extension stands out meantime as the only means of securing that great increase in primary production which is essential if the Dominion is ' to bear its war burdens comfortably. But,in doing all that is possible to ensure the full occupation and development of rural lands we shall at the same time avoid the all but fatal mistake of those older countries, including Great Britain, which heedlessly-packed their population into cities and manufacturing areas and arc now, very late in the day, endeavouring to re-estab- ■ lish the conditions of a balanced national life in which production from the land will take its clue place. The vital needs of the Dominion being what they are, it is little better than calamitous that the extension of settlement should be hedged about with difficulties. The otherwise open prospect which now appears of attracting suitable/ immigrants at once accentuates these difficulties and emphasises the .necessity of in some way surmounting them.

It is unfortunately true that there is no easy or ready means of making openings for immigrants of the type, to which DR. Chapple directs, attention. Probably a considerable proportion of the small' capitalists he mentions are city folks, finite unversed in rural pursuits. Even if a proportion arc well qualified to take up farming this country can offer them little, for the next year or two at. all events, unless they are in a position, singly, or in groups, to acquire land on their own account, relying on their own resources. So far as State-as-sisted settlement is concerned, the demands of our own soldiers must take precedence, probably for several years to come. This, of course, need not hinder the Government organising measures to bring prospective settlers of the right type into touch with private owners of land. There is at present a marked disposition on tile part of those who hold large areas to cut thorn up, ami it goes without saying that every-' thing practicable ought to be dono to forward closer settlement on these lines as well as by State acquisition. Much as we need population there certainly ought to be no encouragement of . immigrants who are qualified only to take up casual trade or wage-earning occupations in the towns. Indeed, the only possibility seriously worth considering in this connection seems to be that of introducing new manufacturing industries. The state of affairs existing in Great Britain majr raise the possibility of introducing capital and skilled workers to combine in producing some classes of goods now imported, and whatever prospects there are of this kind ought,to be methodically examined. Admittedly the total scope now open in which to develop an immigration policy is limited, but' this certainly does not mean that New Zealand must be content lo pursue indefinitely a- narrowly restricted policy whoro immigration is concerned. On the contrary it is I imperatively necessary that organised and sustained efforts should be made to overcome as speedily as possible the serious limitations and difficulties now in evidence. There is no escape from the fact that the Dominion is badly placed to secure what otherwise would be its share of the initial .title of emigration from •.treat Britain. It is on that account so much the more necessary to work energetically to establish conditions which will mako it possible to encourage immigration more freely at/a somewhat later date. The Government ought first of all to determine by systematic inquiry the lines on which immediate immigration may legitimately be encouraged. In this connection .considera-

tion ought to be given to the possibility ot introducing farm labourers, and possibly domestic servants, as v,-ell as settlers possessed of adequate capital and persons of special industrial qualifications. With an eye to coming years it is essential that a national development policy should be boldly planned anci prosecuted on such lines as will facilitate the widest extension of settlement in a given time. Accounr, must be taken not only of the ordinary agricultural and pastoral industries whicharc and will be the mainstay of this country, but of the possibilities of developing with greater profit slich national assets as forests and fisheries. Hydro-elec-tric development also must receive a full share of attention. The harnessing of water-power has an important bearing on industries of all kinds, primary and secondary, and promises to facilitate the establishment of industries which have yet to' gain a footing in the Dominion. Unfavourable as our existing position is in regard to immigration, a sound policy ought within a few years to very materially reduce the handicap under which 'New Zealand labours in competing for the additional population it so greatly needs.