British Emigration

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1922, Page 2

British Emigration

UNCERTAINTY ABOUT SCHEMES

CAPITALIST GOVERNMENTS WANTED. ,I’S’IKALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. C LONDON, March 24. The Australian l'ress Association has interviewed various British Governmen authorities in reference to the forthcoming British Emigration Bill, providing for financial co-operation from the Dominions under new schemes of emigration and land settlement. The interviewer found a general concurrence of opinion that the principal difference affecting Australia was a lack of unanimity amongst the. political parties regarding immigration. Whatever one party proposed, the other opposed. This particularly applied to the Australian State Pr - liaments, who controlled the land, with which land settlement is impracticable. The Canadian Federal ana Provincial Parliament had favoured immigration for the past 20 years. New Zealand it was stated, has been favourable to more immigration in recent years. Australia was stated to be a conspicuous exception. The. first essential to Imperial co-operation in emigration was stated to he continuity of policy. This would he impossible unless all the Parties in the Australian Parliaments agreed to co-operate with the Imperial Government, and are able to guarantee a policy of continuity, because emigration should be a. non-party question. If the Australian state and Federal Parliaments treated immigration as a non-party, but as a national question, thereby enlisting the support of all parties, and also ensuring a continuity policy independent of probable changes of Government, it would enable the Imperial authorities to. formulae a permanent emigrating policy, both politically and financially.