IMMIGRATION SCHEME

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 4 September 1935, Page 9

IMMIGRATION SCHEME

LORD BLEDISLOE’S PROPOSAL LITTLE-HOPE Of N.Z, SUPPORT ’■V " ' ; : • ;■ ' COUNTRY’S PRESENT DIFFICULTIES There appears to be no prospect at alt of any Government support for the scheme suggested by Lord Bledisloe, "who, in a letter to “The Times’' (London), advocated tho formation of a statutory company comparable with Edward Gibbon Wakefield’s New Zeayland Company with a capital of £S,COO,OCX) to establish British emigrants on farms in New Zealand. As far as can be learned, Ministerial opinion is definitely against it, not on principle, of course, but because ol the fact that land settlement in the Dominion at the present time is virtually arrested by the limitations of overseas markets. It is understood that Lord Blechslec’s proposal was submitted .to members of the New Zealand delegation in London recently by representatives of English banks, particularly Lloyd’s, and on that occasion a reply was giveu practically on the lines already mentioned. As one Minister pointed out yesterday in reply to question

on the subject: “it goes without saving that the Government* would welcome any practicable scheme which

would encourage an extensive develop ment of industry in New Zealand, and the very fact that an enthusiast like Lord Bledisloe with knowledge of Now Zealand conditions has suggested the possibility of a private company pro viding capital of £5,C00,000 would in itself stimulate eagorness to support it, but the economic conditions arc such that it’ is virtually impossible to give it serious consideration. A great deal more enthusiasm is required. It is necessary that New Zealand should be given complete assurance as to an unlimited market in Great Britain for our primary products. The great problem to-day is the threat, not only of a severe limitation on our supplies to the British market, but the worse menace of an imposition of a levy. If New Zealand could be certain of unrestricted markets in the Old Country at a reasonable price level there would be no difficulty in bringing about an extension of land mentSCOPE FOR SETTLEMENT In the course of further Ministerial talk on the question it was explained that there still was a wide scope for new settlement in different parts ot the Dominion. There are large areas of country classified as marginal land which are being left in that category just now because of the comparatively high cost of development, and even the Government cannot afford to undertake the preparation of such areas for close settlement

“In many districts,” said one Min ister, “there are more or less neglected lands which could be brought into economic service afc a price, but il such land were to be loaded with capital cost beyond the reach of settlers with limited means the results in present circumstances would not be pro litable to anyone concerned. Even large areas of what might be termed warm second-class country have been thrust into the marginal class because of the lack of money to develop them on anything like a profitable basis. As the whole country knows, the Government and Parliament have been engag. ed for several abnormal sessions in dealing with problems affecting primary production. A great deal of capital has already been written off, and it is probable that a fair amount more will have to be similarly dealt with. For these reasons alone it is impossible to give immediate consideration to any large schemes either of State or private land settlement.”

It is understood that while the Ministers representing New Zealand were iit London recently representative Englishmen raised the question of emigration to New Zealand, and here again the answer had to be in the negative, largely for the same reasons applicable to land settlement. LABOUR LEADER’S VIEW “We want .people in New Zealand, but we don’t want them to be a charge on the unemployment fund,” remarked the Leader of the Opposition, Mr M. J. Savage. “Further, I think New Zealand is capable of settling a lot of people without going overseas to borrow money for the purpose.”

Mr Savage said jthafc it was difficult to comment on the scheme in the absence of details, but it seemed that the proposal meant that New Zealand would be repeating the mistakes of the past. To-day New Zealand and mostother countries were suffering, in the first place through borrowing large sums of money at high rates of interest, and in the second place in not making it possible for the people to buy the result of their production. In the House of Representatives last night, Mr O. A. Wilkinson (Ind., Egmont) gave notice to ask the Minister of Agriculture whether he had noticed the report of the statement made by Lord Bledisloe in which New Zealand was described in exaggerated terms of value. He asked whether the Government was in any way responsible for the statement, which was calculated to mislead people in England. APPROVAL OF PROPOSAL COMMISSION SUGGESTED LONDON, Sept. 3. “The Times,” in a loader, approves Lord Bledisloe’s proposal for tho establishment of a Royal Commission of scientific and exploratory scope and urges the establishment of a permanent organisation to collect and analyse information as to resources, production, trade and markets for the guidance of Empire Governments.