EMPIRE MIGRATION

Evening Star, Issue 22261, 12 February 1936, Page 11

EMPIRE MIGRATION

CONDITIONS IN NEW ZEALAND MRS JOHES-HEILSON’S ENTERPRISE Seeking to establish and foster a spirit of co-operation between the British and New Zealand Governments in the matter of organising a suitable scheme for encouraging to the Dominion, Mrs Orpah Jones-Neil-son, the indefatigable and enterprising president of the British Immigrants’ Club and Empire Settlement League of Dunedin, embarked for England eight months ago. Her chief mission there was to place before the House of Commons a petition advocating, among other things, a system of reciprocity between the two Governments in the payment of pensions. A similar petition was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives last year. Mrs Jones-Neilsou. who returned to New Zealand by the Ruahine recently, maintains that the way has yet to be paved for an efficient migration scheme. In conversation with a ‘ Star ’ reporter she stated that in her mission she had the support of the friendly societies and the Church of England Empire Settlement Association, and had been coopted on to the Empire Migration Settlement Group in the Home Country—a voluntary organisation. In September last she attended a voluntary Empire migration conference held at New-cast!e-on-Tyne. In the cqurse of this conference a permanent migration committee was set up. Everywhere she went she was received with the greatest courtesy, among those with whom she had had interviews being Sir Henry Page Croft (who introduced her to Mr J. H. Thomas, then Secretary of State), Sir James Parr, and Mr Malcolm MacDonald. The petition was left in the hands of Mr MacDonald, who gave his assurance that its subject matter would be given every consideration. THE PETITION. The petition reads: —■ (1) That the old age pensions should be paid by Great Britain to the British immigrant up to a 10 years’ residence in New Zealand. . (2) That the widows’ pension should be paid by Great Britain to the British immigrant the first five years’ residence in New Zealand from British national insurance funds. (3) That the Dominion contributory pension scheme how in operation in Great Britain should be collected weekly in New Zealand, if necessary through friendly societies. (4) That the ex-imperial soldier, wife, and family should be repatriated when recommended by the British Medical Association and the New Zealand Government, and so avoid becoming voluntary patients in the mental asylums of New Zealand. To obtain the economic pension for wife and dependents from the New Zealand Government, AT NEWCASTLE. At the Newcastlc-on-Tyne conference, Mrs Jones-Neilson said : You must populate New Zealand or we shall lose it. But there must be no more dumping of migrants, but an efficient transplanting machine which would ll l®° transfer social services now available to the unemployed in this country. 1 have been watching your relief system in Newcastle, and have come to tne conclusion that you do not degiade

.your working men seeking relief so much as the unemployed man in New Zealand is degraded. LORD BLEDISLOE’S SYMPATHY. The Dunedin visitor’s mission was viewed sympathetically by many influential people in the Home Country. Lord Bledsloe having written her several interesting letters. In one letter he said: “ I am much interested in your letter, and am entirely in sympathy with the, suggestions contained in your proposed petition to the British House of Commons.” Another letter from Lord Bledisloe contained the following;—“I. entirely agree with you that some far more effective immigration machinery is necessary than that which already exists, but I entirely differ from you as to the undesirability of fresh settlers from the Old Country at the present time. My view is (and the leading economists all agree with me) that the burning need of New Zealand to-day is more population of the right type and more British capital, jf_ the existing unemployed are to obtain employment. My letters to ‘ The Times ’ have been devoted to that end. The type of settler that I have been advocating will bring money and purchasing power into the country, benefit the trade of the towns, and increase employment there. Unless your country is more populated, not only will foreigners (whose countries are desperately overcrowded) invade it, but also it will become bankrupt.”