MIGRATION PROBLEM

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 September 1925, Page 9

MIGRATION PROBLEM

LAGGARD DOMINION.

PROGRESSIVE POLICY. WANTED FOR NEW ZEALAND. (by TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Sep. 24. A conference convened by the Empire Development Committee of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and representatives of th© various organisations interested in migration opened to-day, the object being to urge a progressive nolicy to secure a sufficient number of suitable immigrants from the United Kingdom each year. Mr A. L. Hunt, who presided, described the conference as most important, as indicating that the laggard dominion was moving at last. Defence and migration were bound up together, and the defence of Australia and New Zealand were similarly one problem. Australia had already taken up migration, but New Zealand had been content to jog along. The amounts expended in Britain in doles was sufficient to transport the whole of the unemployed population round the globe. New Zealand had not done its duty to the Mother Country _in regard _ tc migration, though Britain, by offering her the best of emigrants and otherwise had done everything possible. Thorough organisation was needed. Mr Hunt said that history had shown that private enterprise had played a nart iii the building of the Empire, and he believed it could do it again. Under a scientific svstem New Zealand could absorb 50,000 people per annum, and before long thev could work up to 100.000. In the past eight to ten years neither Parliament nor press had adeauately dealt with migration. He said New Zealand might suggest to Britain to buy second-class land and send out grants to regenerate the land. He also suggested making an inventory of the needs of the various trades in the Dominion.