PEOPLING THE LAND

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 82, 16 October 1928, Page 10

PEOPLING THE LAND

EMPIRE MIGRATION SCHEMES FOR NEW ZEALAND Immigration questions affecting New Zealand were discussed at a meeting held this morning in the Dominion Mariners' Institute, when representatives of between, forty and fifty societies who approached Mr. Amery on the subject some months ago met Mr. IP. Skevington, C.8.E., of the British Treasury Office, who took the place of Lord Lovat, who is indisposed. Disappointment was expressed by Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, who presided, at the enforced, absence of Lord Lovat; but he was pleased that the Hon. A. D. M'Leod, Minister of Lands, was present. After the visit of Mr. Amery they had expected some headway to have been made with New Zealand's immigration policy, but it was a matter for regret that the question had been allowed to lapse. The security of the country depended upon its peopling; what was needed was an organised immigration policy and an organised influx of capital. He would challenge the statement that immigration was the cause of unemployment; the reverse was the case if immigration waa organised and supported by capital. As Mr. Amery had said, the policy of the Government should be the pooling of the resources of the Empire. The potential possibilities of New Zealand were wonderful, but development needed people and capital. He could conceive of no better outlet for British capital than the development of this country. British companies might' take up large areas of undeveloped land, breaking them in for the purpose of farming. Companies with adequate capital could do this profitably, whereas the individual could not. In the work the companies could utilise the raw British migrant who would thereby be trained as a producer. The Government might and should give some land free for the project which was a commercial and not a philanthropic scheme. If such a scheme was favourably received-' in England, New Zealand would do its part. Mr. Skovington said that he had boon asked to convey Lord Lovat's regrets at not being able to be present. Later on Lord Lovat hoped to be able to meet those interested in immigration. "What the opinion of the meeting was would be conveyed to him, so that he would be conversant with the ideas on the subject. The Hon. A. D. M'Leod said that ho had collected much data on the subject of the land available for intensive cultivation. Successive Governments had set their faces steadily against the holding of big areas either by companies or individuals, but he would express no opinion at present on that aspect. It should be easy to remit the land tax for a few years on any areas taken up, but there again he was not committing himself or anyone else. History showed that.any land settlement scheme had a failure here and there, but that was no reason why something should not be done. He would listen with interest to any proposals that were definitely made. Unemployment in New Zealand was not as bad as it was elsewhere; it might be more than they cared about, but he personally thought it was a passing phase and would vanish with returning j»«#pority.