IMMIGRATION

Evening Star, Issue 23208, 6 March 1939, Page 14

IMMIGRATION

LOST OPPORTUNITIES AND UNSOUND BELIEFS [By Clutha Mackenzie.] In his efforts to arouse New Zea<snders to an urgent interest in the compelling necessity of immediate immigration, the Hon. W. E. Barnard merits the utmost support. In the absence of extended immigration and an improved birth rate, our tenancy of this country cannot possibly endure, perhaps not even beyond ihe end of the present century. While many people know that this is so, they are so absorbed in their immediate affairs that their interest is lukewarm. Since the war half-heartedness, too, has been the attitude of successive Governments—so absorbed in innumerable parochial questions that this one. so truly fundamental to our long-distance we.fare and security, has been deferred and deferred and deferred.

Splendid chances have been lost. At the close of the war, for instance, the Imperial Government was ready tn finance the migration and settlement of 'a large body of ex-servicemen. What could have been better—splendid picked men in the prime of early manhood, bringing their young wives, and soon rearing families of youthful New Zealanders? But our Government said it already had its hands full enough with the problem of settling its own returned men. Lord Bledisloc, with his wide expenence and his misgivings ns to the Dominion’s future, maintained throughout his stay with us an earnest advocacy of immigration, and made a practical offer to the Government to interest leading people and financial circles in England in the carrying out of a land settlement scheme in New Zealand, but the Government of the dav felt that the difficulties were too treat to be overcome. Again. Lord . Nuffield made a generous offer to finance the settlement of a certain number of British migrants, but it was not received with warmth. Had it been taken up with enthusiasm, and had the early results been satisfactory, his assistanee by now might conceivably have run beyond a million pounds, and many families been happily settled. The Overseas Settlement Committee of the House fo'Commons has for years had large sums at its disposal for the promotion of emigration to and land settlement in the dominions, but New Zealand has taken almost no, if any, advantage of it. The finest type of migrant, the most beneficial of all to New Zealand, has been completely neglected—the retired British military or naval officer. Civil servant. Anglo-In-dian, colonial officer, and_ business man—educated, sound _ physique, fine traditions, ample capital, and with children who would. make ! the best of New Zealanders/ But with complete lack of imagination we have nreferred to concentrate bur limited on more or less penniless and sometimes quite unsuitable city dwellers. Not onlv have there been these lost opportunities, but at some periods the Government, because of _ false deductions and imaginary difficulties, has beery actively opposed to immigration. 'Ever since the war there has never .been, in... fact, a period .when. Hhe Government lias been really active. This attitude rose from certain superficial beliefs, but no serious attempt was made to analyse them. They may be summarised thus:— Objection 1. That immigration means additional unemployment. That Is not so. A flowing tide of population invariably means brisk business, life, action, expansion. Fifty thousand new arrivals annually mean 50.000 new customers for the butcher, the baker, the grocer, the clothing factory—it means 10,000 new houses, new shops, new furniture, and more consumers for our primary produce here on the spot. They will themselves create as much work as they can themselves render. The net gain is that we are 50,000 people nearer the point at which we shall no longer be an object of allurement to land-hungry European or Asiatic nations. Undoubtedly the'sudden cancellation: of all migration in the early stages of the depression greatly accentuated .unemployment and made the depression more pronounced than it need have been. That period could, indeed, have been 'made one of great expansion, and not of stagnation. 2. That all New Zealanders must he in employment before migration could be considered. Alas, vain hope; ' In all countries there is, an unemployable nucleus—drifters, inefficients, and misfits. They may be pensioned, put on nominal relief works, or shelved in other „ Ways, ■ but they will continue to exist for ail that. 'Suppose the irreducible minimum to be 10.000. and suppose the usual immigration to be 50.000, there is little doubt that year after year, economic conditions remaining approximately the same, reducible unemployment will stand more or less at the ten thousand mark, except for a possible increase in proportion to the total population. At any rate, if New Zealand is to’ Wait umtil unemployment reaches; zero before attempting real migration, then we are doomed never to do it. . ,

,‘3i. During the depression the Government maintained that increased land settlement was unwise as a satisfactory, market for additional primary produce, was not assured. It is, of course, not even assured to-day. Indeed. world conditions are such, and the deamnd of the British farmer for increased protection such, that we may actually lose part, at least, of our long-established market. Nevertheless, the present Government calls for more production, and is building much of its social structure on the assumption that more produce can and should be giown, and that it can find a market for it overseas at stable prices. Whether this is so or not. it is certain that a growing population means an everincreasing consumption within the Dominion, not only of primary produce, but also of local manufacture. In fact, should our overseas market begin to fail

us, it is probably greatly to our interests to build up a bigger population and, therefore, a bigger home market. If people overseas cannot or will not buy our primary products the alternative is to bring people here to consume them within the Dominion. 4. That there must be increased opportunity for employment in secondary industry' before immigration is resorted to. Another vain hope. The present Government is certainly doing its best, though by somewhat artificial methods, to expand secondary industries, but real and permanent expansion can only come from a wider home market; that iss a larger population. Establish a flow of migrants and local factories must soon add to their premises and take on more hands. Wait for secondary industries to expand before initialing immigration and we shall wait a long time. Indeed, to one Government after an-

other no time lias seemed opportune. t la good times and bad alike a

fog of objections blankets all action. Was there am- time when no difficulties existed? Had the spirit of the early pioneers been the same, had they been daunted by the far more realistic difficulties of hardships for wives and families for six months on tiny sailing vessels, the clearing of heavy" forests, hostile Natives, inadequate transport, and lack of money, migration would never have begun, aiid New Zealand would have been someone else’s. We have now come to the point when, if it is not resumed, it may still become someone else’s.