POPULATION NEED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 44, 20 August 1938, Page 10

POPULATION NEED

ROOM IN DOMINION

SUITABLE IMMIGRANTS

'GROWING FEELING"

"Passage money for immigrants, £780," was an item on the Estimates of the Department of Labour which provoked- some comment from Opposition members in the House of Representatives yesterday. *Tfe the Government beginning to extend its immigration policy?" asked Mr. J. Hargest (National, Awarua). "Perhaps these are the ten carpenters I brought to Auckland some time ago, or were they brought out privately? Is it going to be the policy of the Government to bring out more tradesmen and on what terms do they receive their passage money? There is a growing feeling that in view of our almost static population this vote might be expanded and encouragement given to immigrants of a suitable type." Mr. Hargest said that many members of the House supported the Five Million Club and he knew that the Government had received many applications from German nationals, German Jews, who wished to make their-home in New Zealand. He knew that the northern European people, next to those from the United Kingdom, were New Zealand's best settlers. EMPIRE DEVELOPMENT. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (National, Waitomo) said. he thought that the remarks: of the previous speaker were timely. New Zealand was at the peak of prosperity, a country with almost unlimited natural resources, and its main lack was people. It was primarily a question of Empire development. "We want a larger market for our own manufactures and that can only happen in the main by more people," said Mr. Broadfoot. "We want a larger market for British goods that we do' not manufacture and our best method of inducing that is to get more people, especially from Great Britain." He agreed that in the past New Zealand had had excellent settlers from the northern parts of Europe, and if the Mother Country could not spare the type ■of ■ people New Zealand wanted to fill its spaces the Government should make the opportunity of immigration . available for people of those other nations. ; After referring to the operation of i the Fairbridge scheme in Australia, Mr. Broadfoot said that immigration was . of extreme importance at the present ; time and he thought the Government ; should, set up a Royal Commission to ' go into all phases of it. There were natural resources in plenty in New Zealand which could provide not only \ for the people on the land but for those in industry. "We have to look to the Old Country for defence," Mr. Broadfoot added. "If she has a problem of surplus population and we suffer from the lack of it we should do that which is in our best interests." NO CHANGE IN POLICY. Replying, the Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) said there had been no change in immigration policy since last year. The vote on the Estimates was in respect only of members of the families of immigrants who had been left behind and it was i only reasonable that some assistance 1 should be given to them. The item 1 covered the gross payment of passage t money to shipping companies, of which i approximately two-thirds was recoverable from the immigrants and the t Imperial Government in equal shares, i