DOMINION'S NEED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 41, 18 February 1937, Page 10

DOMINION'S NEED

IMMIGRATION URGED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, This Day.

The council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce this morning carried a motion that in the opinion of the council the time was opportune for the Government to reconsider the question of immigration a/>0 recommending the Government to institute an urgent inquiry into the matter.

Proposing the motion, Mr. F. N. Ambler said he felt the Government should be informed that responsible sections of the community favoured immigration. With the approach of better times it was necessary to face the fact that New Zealand's population was too small. England had 2,000,000 unemployed, many of whom would make desirable citizens. It would not be too much to expect England to pay some of the cost of settling some of these people in sparsely populated areas of the Dominion. Population was the first line of defence for New Zealand,,and also a protection against slumps. The fear that immigration would cause greater unemployment was a fallacy, provided immigration was carried out on planned lines.

Mr. J. A. C. Allum advocated a wellorganised land settlement scheme. From his knowledge it would be impossible to get farm workers in the future unless they were also landholders. He suggested that orphanages should not-be established in England but in the Dominions, where the orphans could be trained to take their places in the younger community where they would have a better chance in lifs.