“WHITE SOUTH AFRICA"

Evening Star, Issue 18628, 8 May 1924, Page 3

“WHITE SOUTH AFRICA"

BLOW TO THE MOVEMENT. South Africa is still, iu the main, an undeveloped country (writes the Cape Town correspondent of the Auckland ‘Herald’). There is need for a greater and increasing population which will help to till the vast spaces awaiting the farmer and prospector. In order to balance the growing native population which increases so rapidly, South Africa must be supplied with a continuous stream of immigrants. Vet, during the last year, South Africa lias actually suffered a net loss iu population amounting to 2,599. This serious and remarkable fact is revealed in the official statistics of migration.. A closer examination of those figures reveals that there was a relatively large emigration of Indians from South Africa during the year. Constant restrictive legislation and "the general antipathy towards Indians in this country has helped considerably in reducing the population of Asiatics. But this net loss of 2,599 in the population represents a loss chiefly of Europeans, and is a big blow to those who advocate the necessity of a white South Africa. Tho point is strikingly emphasised by the ngures for new arrivals and permanent departures, which, broadly speaking, reflect tho extent to which there has been a real gain or loss of population. European new arrivals during the year numbered 12,027, and European permanent departures 12,054. Of the former, 4,011 were visitors or iutninsit passengers, and uf the permanent departures 3,889 belonged to tho same categories. In tho result, therefore, tho actual balance of permanent departures from the Union over new arrivals amounted to 149. This loss of white population is numerically insignificant, but the fact that the entry of newcomers was more than offset by the departure of old rcsiednts, who left with the avowed intention of not returning, is disquieting in the extreme.

An analysis of these crucial figures discloses some interesting features. The question of nationality is of first importance us an index to the constitution of the newer elements in the Union’s population. The figures show that while there were 9,200 British nationals among tho new arrivals, a still greater number, 9,810, permanently left the country.

A similar position obtained in tho case of Americans, Hollanders, and Scandinavians, though the figures in thesu groups were naturally much smaller and less significant. On the other hand, the group of Eastern, European nationalities showed a net gain through migration of 242 persons, and in the case of the Germans, tho ne warrivals numbered 315, against ninety-throe permanent departures. The Belgian new arrivals also exceeded (he departures. But, while tho German immigrants for the most part proceed to South-west Africa, and the Belgians to tho Congo, tho Eastern European nationals tend to remain in the Union. On the whole there was a fairly considerable influx of skilled industrial workers into South Africa, owing, no doubt, to the acute unemployment overseas. But the fact that there was also a comparatively large number of this class who left the Union is an index to the state of tho local labor market. An interesting point in the migration figures is the evidence they afford of the progress made with repatriation of Asiatics. During tho year no fewer than 2,963 British Indians left the country permanently. Of these 1,945 were males and 1,018 females. >