TOO SCOTCH

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 100, 22 January 1926, Page 12

TOO SCOTCH

“KICKING ENGLISHMEN” WANTED

DOMINION’S PART IN EMPIRE PROBLEM

“New Zealand is ti.c best country going. The only kick I have against, it is that there arc too many easygoing Scotchmen here. What is wanted are more Bnglisbmen with a kick in them.''

The above views were expressed by Commissioner D. C. Lamb, immigration officer ol the Salvation Army headquarters staff, London, in an address at tl;e conference hall of the Dominion T’armers' Institute yesterday afternoon. Mr. A. L. Hunt presided over, an attendance ol some thirty persons. Commissioner Lamb said that the, class of British migrant which the Salvation Army was desirous to send out to the Dominion was not the remittance men, but the very best stamp of Britisher. In the tens of thousands of immigrants which the Army had sent overseas the amount of failures did not amount to one per cent. The Army did not send people out until they had work waiting for them. There were no forebodings as to what the migrants were going to do when (hey landed. New Zealand was the best country fjoing; the only “kick” he had against it was that there were too many Scotchmen here. They wanted some Englishmen with a kick in them. John Calvin had left his imprint deep on the Scottish race, and had made them the patient people they were. One and a quarter million people in the Old Country for five long years had been drawing the unemployment dole. People said that the people did not want work. 'That was untrue; if work could be found for the people of England the dole would cease. If the people of New Zealand wished to help the Motherland they should make up their mind that they would do what was right, no matter what the cost. Once thev liad decided to do this, they could sit down and count the cost. The people of New Zealand had to remember that they had to help to keep this million and’ a quarter who were idle in England. The Salvation Army had shifted 60,01*1 British people overseas. They had found-work for .them, cared for them, married them, and buried them. Of 10,000 girls who had booked out through the armv, only 15 per cent, were Salvation Army girls; 80 per cent, belonged to the Cliurcli of England. Tie was going to ask the New Zealand Government to pay * the Salvation Army upon results. The Empire problem was a throbbing tiling. The population of Britain was increasing at the rate of a thousand a dav, and in order to offset this they should send out 250,000 a year. The Dominion had natural resources beyond the dreams of avarice, and she could very easily take 25,000 a year of England’s surplus for five years, and 15,000 a year after that. They wanted a ten years’ immigratipn .programme. Iliey had sp?nt £400,000,000 upon unemployment doles, and the Empire should make up its mind to spend this amount on an immigration policy. During the war the Empire had a War Council sitting in continuous session; they should do the same thing until the Empire problem was settled. The speaker asked each and all to do what they could to bring about a solution of the dire troubles which were at present afflicting the Motherland. . In reply to a question, Commissioner Lamb said that the majority of the one and a-quarter million unemployed in Britain belonged to the shipbuilding and steel trades. There was no question but that the solution lay in btinging England back to agriculture. A financial prop had been placed under British agriculture during the war. WJ ien “”, S had been withdrawn the edifice col--13 vote of thanks was carried to Commissioner Lamb for his address.