LARGER POPULATION

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 223, 17 June 1936, Page 12

LARGER POPULATION

Chamber of Commerce View of N.Z. Needs

IMMIGRATION FAVOURED

A. decision to set up a special committee to prepare a report on immigration with a view to making representations to the Government was made last night by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce at a meeting at which several speakers urged that a bigger population was needed for the advantageous development of the resources of the Dominion.

Mr. M. G. C. McCaul, who described population as vital to the country, referred to tlte comparative stagnation in population growth revealed by the census figures and declared that the population was not growing at a rate nearly approximating that which could be expected considering the climate and potential! ties of the country. Recent European experience should cause all citizens to consider whether a country so attractive and yet so sparsely populated was not Hying in the face of providence in not filling its empty spaces with people whom present residents would like to have associated with them before those spaces were filled brothers who might not wait to be asked, he said, in declaring that the need for greater population was linked to the question of national safety. New Zealand had facilities, provided largely with borrowed money, for a population two or three times that supported at present, all this representing overhead costs which had to be borne by taxation, Mr. McCaul said. The problem of population was thus linked to that of national prosperity, because the standard of living was not nearly so high as it would be if there were a larger population to share the burdens. There was also a shortage of skilled artificers in every trade. It would be'wise to go to Great Britain to secure skilled men. not only because they would help to develop industry, but also because they would teach the young men in trades in New Zealand. New Zealand needed guides to its young tradesmen, but was short of them.

“New Zealand cannot prosper, for no progress is possible, if we do not follow one of the earliest of diviite mandates, to multiply and populate the earth,” he said. If New Zealand was not populating-its own lands it should at least open those lands to the best class of kinsmen from overseas. Too much silly nonsense, however, was talked about immigrants "of the right kind.” Good British stock was the best that could lie secured for New Zealand. "Certainly those who came out may not do things just our way," he said, “but their children will. They will be taught in our schools and grow up good New Zealanders. Is it not our duty to open our doors fo our fellow mon? Can we not say, ‘Here is a tine land. Come and share it with us.’”

Mr. A. R. Hislop said the subject was so important that ' the nation should give it the closest and sincerest attention. "We must have increase of population.” be said. “IVe are not filling this land at the rate we should. We have a duty unto ourselves and a duty unto this country to increase our population.” He advocated encouragement of the birth-rate. Whereas marriages increased from just over 8000 in 1931 to 12.200 in 1935, births fell from 26,622 to 23.975, There w.ere reasons for this development. A young man who married began by paying for a licqnce and was taxed from then onward. He advocated abolition of the marriage licence fee and contributions to maternity costs by the Government.

Mr. R. H. Nimmo said that the suggestion of a subsidy toward maternity costs was one of the best he had heard for increasing the birth-rate. Tlte real problem was to tiesign a scheme to nut to Great Britain which would show that migrants could he accommodated to their own advantage in New Zealand.

Mr. IV. M, Wright pointed out that the National Provident Fund provided a maternity benefit, and he honed that similar provision would be included in the national health insurance fund. Mr. C. J. B. Norwood, the president, declared that it was not right that some countries should have open spaces while in other countries people did nof know where to lay their heads. To Great Britain no form of import would be more acceptable than readiness on the part of New Zealand to accommodate some of her surplus population. He considered ample finance for an immigration' scheme would be available in Great Britain. He was sure there was no need to have the past system if that was not liked by the Government. Messrs. McCaul. Hislop. Nimmo. Wright. F. IV. Millar and Captain S. Holm were appointed a committee to bring down a special report to the next meeting of the chamber.