ENGLAND’S WORKLESS.

Grey River Argus, 26 June 1922, Page 8

ENGLAND’S WORKLESS.

.LABOUR GOODWILL TOWARDS EMIGRATION.

£3,000,QU0 A YEAR.

LONDON, May 2. The second reading of the Empire Settlement Bill—wlin it gives power to the Colonial Secretary to co-operate with Dominion Govern num. in carrying cut schemes for assisting the migration of suitable persons to the Overseas Dominions—was moved in the House of Commons by Mr Anicry. The facilities for overseas settlement offered to ex-Service men, he said, were subject to two important conditions: — They must have assured employment in prospect; and They must be desirable persons, having regard to the economical situation. By the time the applications still pending bad been dealt with the number emigrated would be about 50,000 ■ ex-Service men, making, with their families, a total of 100,000 persons. Fully 80 or 90 per cent of those who went over were unemployed here, or would have come on the unemployment fund. As a result of the scheme the saving to the nation in various forms of relief by the end of the year would be about £3,000,000. Lt was not proposed to spend in. the present year more than 1| millions; normally the expenditure would be i three millions. ‘ J. R. Clynes thought Mr Amery was stretching expectation 100 far it he believed there was within this small measure, a solution of the great ultimate problems of imperial defence and the economic problems pressing on us to-day. He feared Mr Amery would be disappointed with the ultimate consequences of its general working. He could not follow Air Amery’s general conclusions as to the future economic and trade benefits to the population of this kingdom from the neglect of opportunities to trade with various parts of Europe in order that wo might cultivate closer economic and tra<lc relations with the Dominions. Clynes wanted to know to what extent. Labour organisations in the Dominions had been consulted on the general question of the distribution of the population. NO SOLUTION OF PROBLEM. Much of lhe success of the measure, ho pointed out, must depend upon securing the goodwill ol Labour in the Dominions. The Bit! was one they might all agree with in principle, but important points would have to be threshed out in committee. Colonel Wedgwood declared that the scheme would prove no solution of the unemployment problem here. They had been repeatedly told that- there, was no more money for increased unemployment benefit, or for more housing accommodation and yet the Government was proposing to spend alter this ▼ear, throe millions annually ou Empire settlement. There was plenty of land m this country, to which people ought to have access. AVhy should they be s-ent to Australia at the. expense of the taxpayer, when they could be put on the land at home more cheaply? They would prefer to be settled at home. He hoped that the expenditure on the scheme would be kept to a million and a half next year. The second reading was agreed to.