BRITISH MIGRATION

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 219, 16 June 1925, Page 5

BRITISH MIGRATION

AGREEMENT WITH DOMINIONS NEW ZEALAND, LOWEST FARES COLONIAL SECRETARY PLEASED Of all the Dominions, New Zealand has now the cheapest passenger rates for families of British migrants. Announcing the terms of the new agreements with the Commonwealth and the Dominion, the Under-Secretary for the Colonies commended New Zealand, whose rates were immeasurably lower than anything in operation since before the war. During a debate in the House of Commons, Sir V. Warrender (Grantham, U.) moved-.—'‘That this House, having regard to the serious economic conditions prevailing in this country, urges the Government to consider every mqaus of increasing the economic prosperity of the Empire, and in particular to facilitate emigration in co-operation with the Dominions and to encourage the development of the natural resources of the Crown colonies and other dependencies.” He said that the subject of emigration had figured prominently in recent pronouncements of the Unionist Parly, and it was toward that party that this country and the Empire looked for a. more rapid development of Imperial policy. In view of certain divisions that took place in the last Parliament, it was only natural that the Dominions should consider that they must look to the Unionist Party for Imperial development on a wider basis. Not only that, but the young Unionist element in the country which, by reason of its great enthusiasm and sincerity, was no mean factor in presentday political thought, was very desirous that this subject should be pursued more vigorously than had been the case up to the present. (Ministerial cheers.) It was most deplorable that the number of migrants who had left this country since the war was so low, and that the amount of money which had been expended in the encouragement and facilitation of migration was far too little. In 1913, 285,000 people left this country to settle in various parts of the Dominions. Last year the total was only 132.000, or less than one-half, and the greatest decline was shown in regard to the continent ot British North America, whe.ro in 1913 190.000’migrants went from this country, and in 1924, only. 63,000, or, roughly, one-third. Something must be done to encourage ge.neral migration from this country to the Dominions. This country needed' a greater outlet for its surplus population and fot Its manufactured goods. The demands of the Dominions might be summarised in three words: Men, money; and markets. In this country there was a greater percentage of population to the square mile than in almost ,<iny other in the world, while in the Dominions there were large tracts of wholly unpopulated land capablj of pood cultivation and of yielding a profitable return. If they could marry those two conditions, they would have a sound basis on which to develop an efficient scheme of migration. In Great Britain there were about 1.250.000 people unemployed arid over 2,000.000 people living under conditions of which every one must be ashamed. If they could enable at least 200,000 people living under such distressed conditions to settle in the Dominions they would do something to improve social conditions in this country. Nothing substantial could be done by following the present lines they had ■mi to review the whole question afresh and to build o.i a different foundation. Empire Settlement. Mr. Ormsby-Gore. Under-Secretary. Colonies (Stafford), said that with regard to emigration, he agreed that they must do everything they-could to hasten progress. There was no question of forcing anybody to go. The number of people anxious to emigrate far exceeded the number who at present could go. It was really a question of cost, in the first instance,‘and, secondly, of the necessary works and arrangements for the reception and training of people who went, The policy of the Empire Settlement Act —namely,' that the emigration problem was essentially one of partnership between this country and the self-govern-ing Dominions—was absolutely sound. It would be quite impossible to set up a Committee in London to inquire into the working of the Act unless they could get full representation of the selfgoverning Dominions. His own view was that the tim? was not yet ripe. Sc’nce the war the volume of migration. from this country had been very much lower than before. The principal cause was that emigration was good when trade was good and bad when trade was bad. Another cause was the increase in cost, of sea. passages and of the various things which were necessary for carrying out any settlement scheme. As a result of a conference between the Commonwealth Government and the various States held in February, a scheme of immigration on far bi geer lines than had ever been attempted before was submitted to His Majesty’s Government. The final negotiations in regard to the. scheme were still going through. , but he could say that it would involve a joint expenditure on the part of His Majesty’s Government, the Commonwealth Government, and the Australian States of £20.009.009, spread over a period of years. (Hear, hear.) Renlying to an interjection. Mr. Orms-by-Gore said it would be fatal to the movement were the Government to give out that any men from any rural area were to lw> prohibited. (Hear, hear.) The farmers must realise that. (Hear, hear.) Such e restriction would be most unfavourably received in this country as in the Dominions. In regard tc training, it was agreed that the best place for it was the land overseas where the settlers had to I’ve and work. This scheme of migration was not designed to take a man unemployed in this country and put him down in some othei - country. If was intended to prevent people from being unemployed, and, still worse, from becoming unemployable. For that reason, the Government attached the greatest importance to juvenile migration—saving boys and girls from blind-alley occupations in an overcrowded country by sending them, well safeguarded, to the Dominions, where, on the land or otherwise, they would have the opportunity of making good. Terms of Agreement. Mr. Ormsby-Gore was glad to announce that the Government had just completed a new agreement in regard to passage rates with Australia and New Zealand which effected very considerable reductions. Under this scheme, which would come into operation on June 1, a person accepted as a suitable settler by the Australian authorities could obtain a passage at less than half the ordinary fare—that was to say. .£l6 10s., the whole of which could be advanced ne a loan. (Hear, hear.) In addition, free passages would be granted to children under 12 to Australia, and under 19 to New Zealand. The effect of these new rate;; was that a family with three children could now tie brought to Australia for £55, which might bg loaned, and to New Zealand for as low as £22. (Hear, iear.) The minimum rate for a pingle man to Now Zealand was brought down to £l3 15s. Those rates were immeasurably lower than anything in operation since 1 before the war. I The T’resident of the Board of lion welcomed flic idea of an Empire tour by schoolboys, and tho co-operation of education authorities and voluntary associations would be sought. The boys should be selected, preferably from the secondary schools, and be given financial assistance for the tour as part of their school life —boys who would spread the light on their return home as to the great opportunities afforded by the Empire. The Government, also looked for

help from the churches. Everyone knew of the splendid work done by the Salvation Army and other churches, and an organisation like the Church of England, spread over tho Empire, could assist immigrants under ideal conditions and see that the migrant got a lair chance. The longer ho worked at the Colonial Office the more he became convinced of the importance of scientific research in colonial development, and realised the leewav that had still to be made up. The Chancellor of the Exchequer would have to bo pressed very hard next year to grant, money for expenditure on research. Tho amount spent by this country on research of nil kinds, including the Imperial Institute, was about £T9.000, and about £24,900 in ,addition was advanced by the colonies and protiUtoratcs. The Colonial Office was expanding, inasmuch as a largo number of voluntary workers was co-operating with it in the more technical aspects of its work. He felt strongly that no opportunitv should be lost not only by hon. members, but by the Permanent Civil Service at the Colonial Office, to travel in the Empire, and, although the present staff had been appointed on the understanding that it should not be sent on service overseas, ho would take into consideration the suggestion regarding recruits.