The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1921. A GOOD LEAD FOR NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6274, 30 December 1921, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1921. A GOOD LEAD FOR NEW ZEALAND.

There is a striking difference in the immigration ideals of the various overseas governments. On her part, Canada is specialising temporarily in attracting women immigrants, and only a few classes of male new settlers, particularly cooks. Farm hands are warned against emigrating to Canada meantime, on account of the fact that there is so much unemployment. As for- clerks, they are at the top ot the list of “not wanteds ” Australia, again, whilst welcoming new settlers who want, to go on the land, and farm hands generally, Is most anxious to secure as many boys as possible for farm work. But New Zealand seems bent on increasing her population by encouraging, for the main part, married immigrants with, if possible, some capital. It would appear that Australia, at any rate, can claim 4;o be working on safe lines. By concentrating their attention ‘ on youthful immigrants, the various States do not need to worry about housing for new settlers of this character, nor is slackness in the secondary industries likely to be a handicap to the scheme. The difficulty in regard to adult immigrants must always be that they carry with them no guarantee that they will prove successful. It is no doubt true that really skilled artisans have just as good a chance of commanding employment a,t reasonable wages in this Dominion as in any other country. But at the present time what is the gain if an imported artisan merely takes the job now held by a resident worker? We believe, ' too, that it is quite a mistake to encourage new settlors who arc past their prime. The various Australian States cannot go very far wrong if they confine their offers, in great measure, to youthful immigrants of both sexes. All that is required to make any such scheme a great success is proper supervision. Already some thousands c.f lads have arrived in Australia from the Barnardo Homes, the Church Army institutions, the Child Emigration Society, and various other institutions of a similar character.. Hundreds of lads, it seems, will early this year he transferred from the Barnardo Homes to a farm in Hertford, where they will receive a course of instruction in agriculture to prepare them for emigration tu Australia. The Church Army has already trained some hundreds of lads on a farm at Hampstead and they are coming out to Australia m hatches under guarantee “that they are competent to fill any situation on a farm with the prospect of themselves taking over land by the tiling 'they attain manhood. As showing liow anxious the various Australian States are to secure youthful immigrants, we may mention that . the South Australian Government alone is offering attractive terms to 6000 suitable lads from the United Kingdom, between the ages of 15 and 18, who are anxious and physically capable to become farm apprentices for a minimum period of cue year and a maximum period of three years. The Commissioner of Immigration is to undertake the position of guardian, and the State will take care of their earnings, allowing them, meantime, 4s. per week for pocket money. If the scheme be properly handled it should be a huge success. Why doesn’t this Dominion follow suit? A section of immigrants up in years is Pound to include a proportion of at least partial failures; they will have dropped into the fatal error of expecting too much, and will be disappointed. If strict physical tests are applied ancl boys have had a good smattering of farm knowledge, and the girls have had a reasonable amount of training in domestic work, the failures in the case of youthful immigrants, provided only those of good character are brought- out, should bo few and far between. We certainly think that the Government should give the matter its earnest at- , tention, because what lias been attempted in this direction hitherto has been on far too small a scale.