IMMIGRATION

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 111, 7 November 1923, Page 5

IMMIGRATION

NEW SOUTH WALES'S BIG

SCHEME

HEATED CONTROVERSY.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Th • SYDNEY, Ist November. .The principle interest in political circles at the present time in Ne^South Wales centres in the immigration a^W raent with the Imperial and Federal Governments under which the New South Wales Government aims at settling 6000 migrants either on farms or in, rural employment, within five years. Vhen the agreement was before the* State House before the Premier (Sir George Fuller) went to. London to conclude it the sums mentioned as being the whole amount; involved for all parties aggregated rune millions. Recently, however • an advisory committee whichvwent into the matter-.placed the probable ultimate cost of the scheme, which includes .the construction of roads and railways etc in opening up new lands, advances to the settlers, training those who require 14 i^vl^ wo* on: eoiaJ fa™ to be established for the purpose,'at nineteen millions to New South Wales alone This has created a great stir in political circles, as nobody contemplated the State being committed to an expenditure of more than six millions. It appears that the committee has included in the cost the ralue-of land to be made over to the settlers. The general impression was that Crown lands unaliennted would be used, but it vow appears that large areas of resumed lands within workable" disstance of railways will be required to make.the scheme practicable. The capital cost, of course, will be repayable on Jong- terms, but expert' critics point dubiously to the chances of a sufficient ijumber "making good" to "eliminate a problematical element in this. direction. It appears also that the committee estimated for a'maximum advance to the 600 settlers of £9,000.000 This the spokesmen of the Government declare to be beyond all probabilities. They a? mit,ri£ at t0 "make good" a capital of £1500 per farm thus contemplated may be necessary, but they point out that the agreement only' mentions an advance of £500 per settler, half of which is tp be provided by the Imperial Government. As for the balance, of the money required they point out that as far as possible prospective settlers who have some spall capital of their own wJH be chosen, it beinir desirable that their own savinprs as well as the Government advances should be at stake. The potency of this arjrument is conceded by the critics,- but they point out that a scheme contemplatinij settlers with capital of something between, five and ten hundred of their own assumes a different aspect from that first propounded, and the scope for enlistment under it in Great Britain is greatly narrowed, making it surely less attractive to the British Government which is more desirous of finding outlet for the "workless willins;" who are severally without any capital'at all and constitute the main emharassment there. It is pointed nvt. ' also, that the prospect of settling 6000 such persons in five years,which under the agreement, must be accomplished in order to obtain a substantial • concession oeffred by the Imperial Government in the matter of interest on the loans involved is rendered much more uncertain if the nugrants are all expected to pps-. sess the amount of capital indicated. Ine Government announces to-day thrt by way test of the scheme! 200 specially selected migrants will br sought, to arrive early next year.