POPULATION PROBLEM

Evening Star, Issue 23092, 19 October 1938, Page 15

POPULATION PROBLEM

THE CHURCH'S CHALLENGE ANGLICANS WOULD ASSIST SETTLEMENT SCHEME [Pee United Pbkss Association,] AUCKLAND, Oct. 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 cerefully selected 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 to-day. 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,” the Archbishop said, ‘•has played a noble on behalf of world peace, and is probably the greatest bulwark to-day against a devastating world war, but she can never retain that splendid position in isolation and apart from the cooperation of the 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 tne feverish preparations for war and much advertised exhibitions of military strength.

“ 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 50 years or less, if the population becomes stationary and so begins to decline.” Archbishop Averill continued. “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 the men and women, who have inherited a great trust—a trust committed to 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 het own difficulties to face in the near future as far as population is concerned, and it will be wellnigh 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. jcease 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. “We are apt to view 'his question from every point of view but the highest, that is the will and purpose of God,” the archbishop added. “If we believe that, the British race has a definite service to render to the world, we shall fail God and fail 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-ex-pressed opinion that an increase of population by means of immigration would tend to increase unemployment. and increase the burdens of this already overburdened country. Indiscriminate immigration 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,” the a archbishop concluded. “ 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.”