ASSISTED IMMIGRATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 17, 21 January 1938, Page 8

ASSISTED IMMIGRATION

AUSTRALIAN REVIVAL

OBJECTIVE OF 7000 BRITONS A YEAR

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, January 14.

Plans for reviving assisted migration of suitable -persons from Britain have been prepared for early consideration by a sub-committee of ■ the Federal Cabinet, which is thus talcing early action to fulfil its election pledge to stimulate migration from Britain. The loss of British migration and the inflow of aliens is causing serious concern. ;, In the seven years and nine months to the end of last September, the excess of permanent departures over arrivals of British * people has been' 25,588. Figures for the nine months to the end of September—the latest available—show a net loss of 4142 persons, a greater total than in any one year since 1931. It is estimated that unless some action is taken to stimulate immigration Australia's population will start to decline in twenty years. Because of this rapid outflow of British people from Australia, the Commonwealth Government has decided to encourage immigration without waiting any longer for State co-operation. The main principles of the scheme will be (1) migration categories to be restricted to boys for training in farm schools; domestic servants; persons | nominated by Australian • residents, able to provide jobs for them and guarantee that they will not become a charge on the public; and skilled workers who can be absorbed; (2) the cost of assisted passages to be shared equally by the Commonwealth and British Governments; (3) assisted migration to be adjusted so that AUstra- ; lians shall not suffer in employment.

The figure mentioned as the Ministry's tentative objective is 7000 Britons a year. Most of the migrants will be domestics, youths for the land (who will come to Australia {hrough organised movements), and skilled artisans, of whom there is a shortage in Australia. Precautions will be taken to see that no Australian workman is displaced from his job. In the meantime, officers^ of the Department of the Interior continue to keep a check on aliens, and a survey of the alien population and its activities in Australia has been submitted for the consideration of the Cabinet.

The Big Brother movement, under which reputable citizens guarantee to adopt British youths and safeguard their welfare until they are established, is the first organisation to respond to the immigration plans. The State Government has arranged to accommodate and train for farming a number of boys, who are to be brought to Australia by the movement at the rate of about twenty boys a month. The Department of Labour and Industry has received a large number of requests from farmers for youths, and little difficulty will be experienced in settling the boys in suitable positions on the land. The London officer of the Big Brother movement has already received a considerable number of applications from youths eager to come to Australia, but only the most suitable types are being selected for assistance.