The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1922. EMPIRE MIGRATION SCHEME.

Evening Star, Issue 18030, 26 July 1922, Page 4

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1922. EMPIRE MIGRATION SCHEME.

The solidarity of Labor throughout the world lias often been preached. At times there seem to bo grounds lor this claim. If a strike breaks out in one country it is no uncommon thing for the workers in similar industries in another country to send messages of sympathy and encouragement. Common cause may even bo made to the extent of boycotting anything declared “black” in connection with the strike. Fpr what may be termed destructive purposes the claim to solidarity has undoubtedly some grounds. But when it comes to constructive proposals, it seems as if the claim is without real foundation. On June 6 Mr Amery’s Bill for furthering settlement in the overseas dominions received the Royal assent, after having been introduced into Parliament only as recently as the second week in April. This was a remarkably expeditious passage for a measure of such root significance. It proposes a radical and extensive redistribution of population within the Empire by means of State-aided emigration on a huge scale, if carried to finality. In congratulating Mr Amery on the conception and its swift translation into legislative action, the London ‘Times’ declares that “on all points the United Kingdom and the dominions are in agreement, and it only remains now to set on foot the various schemes with the same commendable promptitude as was shown in the passing of the .Act.”

Within the past' few days it was cabled from London that Sir James Allen had practically concluded the migration, agreement for New Zealand, and was only awaiting Mr Amery’s signature ,on behalf of the Overseas Settlement Committee. The maximum expenditure was limited to £400,000, to be shared equally between Britain and New Zealand. This division of cost is in conformity with tie Empire Settlement Act, lately passed by tho British Parliament, which contains a proviso that the British Treasury’s contributions —£1,500,000 this year, rising ultimately to £3,000,000 a year—are in no case to exceed half tho expenses of the scheme. From what Mr Massey said in the House yesterday, it is proposed to go to about half the maximum mentioned in the agreement between Sir James Allen and Mr Amery for the present. Even that, however, appears to bo unpalatable to the spokesmen of (ho Labor Party in Parliament.- It was Mr Holland who brought up the matter in the House, and it was evidently no sympathetic feeling towards the scheme which caused him to do it. The interjection he made to Mr Massey’s declaration that immigration in conformity with the number the country can absorb is the policy of the New Zealand Government indicates that Labor disapproves such a policy, at least while unemployment exists in New Zealand. It is extremely doubtful if, even when work is plentiful here. Labor looks With a friendly eye on the immigrant or on the scheme under which his arrival is. made possible. Among philanthropic workers it has always been stated that it is the poor who are' always most ready to help the poor. The worker as a rule is the speediest and, relatively, the most generous giver when he encounters cases of distress in his own district. Under the present circumstances the attitude taken up by the spokesmen of tho workers is the negation of that splendid instinct and of the solidarity of Labor. The unemployment in- New Zealand is a mere bagatelle to that which exists in Britain. If Mr Massey is not too optimistic, it is being reduced here to something approaching the usual seasonal dimensions, and should soon disappear. New Zealand, as has just been shown locally,, is in' a position to put in hand various reproductive works which will gradually absorb the unemployed. Britain is in no such position, being an, old, and highly developed country and suffering from extreme tightness of purse. ' Such relief works and other palliatives as have been put in hand in Britain are practically negligible. On the authority of ‘The Times,’ “ the unemployment problem dominates the minds of all thoughtful people. Financial experts from America, in'their

discussions with British business men, in- | variably dwell upon this subject.” British ■ politicians and traders have found that export credits and similar schemes will, not restore outlets for the greatest international trading nation in the world, as Britain has been, and provide a remedy, for unemployment. She is perforce com-pollcd-to look to her Empire for co-opera-tion in a comprehensive programme of Imperial economic development, and of this "the migration, scheme is an integral part. : It is the expressed belief in Britain that the need of the dominions for fresh population is even greater than Britain’s need for the transfer of her surplus population, and that need has been shown acute enough. Mr Massey declares that New' Zealand could double her present population without any difficulty. Surely enough urgent and genuine reasons have been given for this migration scheme to dissipate the objection that the motive actuating it is to bring down wages in Now Zealand by introducing a supply of labor in excess of the demand. The motive of the scheme was quite the reverse. It originated in Britain, and its object was to provide an outlet for surplus labor, and give constant employment to the workers who remained behind. If Labor in New Zealand would only put on its “ solidarity” spectacles and view the proposal from the world-wide point of view, its attitude to immigration would alter from hostility to warm support.