MIGRATION SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 95, 19 October 1938, Page 9

MIGRATION SCHEME

OFFER TO CO-OPERATE

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH

ARCHBISHOP'S VIEWS

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, October 18,

A statement that he had informed the British and New Zealand Governments of the Anglican Church's willingness to co-operate again with an Empire settlement scheme as it had done so successfully before in the settlement and after-care of carefully-select-ed immigrant boys for work in the country, was made by the Primate of New Zealand, Archbishop Averill, during his' charge to members of the Auckland Diocesan Synod. The whole question of immigration, he said, was to him far above the range of any party politics, and could never be solved satisfactorily if the people put their own selfish interests before their duty to God and their* Empire. "England, at the risk of misrepresentation," said the Archbishop, "has played a noble part on behalf of world peace, and is probably the greatest bulwark today against a devastating world war, but she can never retain that splendid position in isolation and apart from the co-operation of constituent parts of the Empire. England naturally expects the British Dominions overseas to face up to their own defence in view of the possible outcome of the feverish preparations for war and much-advertised exhibitions of military strength. WORLD DOMINATION. "Without having any desire to be an alarmist or to assume the role of a prophet and prophesy the approaching end of the domination of the world by the white races, I do venture to ask thinking men and women to try to visualise what this country, and even the Empire, may be in fifty years or less if population becomes stationary and so begins to decline. "Too long have we ignored the seriousness of the position and consoled ourselves with the thought that no great change is likely to happen in our time. Is such a thought worthy of men and women who have inherited a great trust —a trust committed tG them on behalf of the world? "When we have weighed carefully all the reasons or excuses put forward as extenuating circumstances we are still face to face with a serious problem—not so much of Britain's supremacy in the world as of Britain's continued ability to render service to the world and contribute to the world's sanity. "England," continued Archbishop Averill, "has her own difficulties to face in the near future as far as population is concerned, and it will be well-nigh impossible for her to safeguard her overseas Dominions and dependencies or to fill their empty spaces. The time will probably come when emigration from the Old Country will, to a large extent, cease and the Dominions will be unable to look to that source for additional population. The Dominions must depend more and more upon the natural increase of their own populations, and less and less upon immigrants from the Mother Country. / ■ MATTER OF URGENCY. "We are apt to view this question from every point of view but the highest—that is, the will and purpose of God. If we believe that the British race has a definite service to render the world we shall fail God and fall the world if we put our trust in horses and chariots and are lacking in the necessary man-power to use them.

"It is not my purpose or province] to challenge the commonly-expressed opinion that an increase of population by means of immigration would tendi to increase unemployment and increase I the burdens of this already over-bur-dened country. Indiscriminate immi-i j gration would undoubtedly be a disaster—but why should it be indiscriminate? Surely, with the wisdom gained from the experience of the past, this country could safeguard itself from an influx of undesirable immigrants. "The real danger consists 'in wasting so much time in discussing the pros and cons of immigration that any subsequent action may be too late as the supply of our own kith and kin may be cut off. With a comparative handful of people, this country would be incapable of really defending itself against a possible enemy and incapable of rendering its proper measure of service to the Empire."