BRITAIN’S NEED

Hokitika Guardian, 7 October 1936, Page 5

BRITAIN’S NEED

MORE POPULATION NO SURPLUS FOR MIGRATION. (Australian’ Press Association). LONDON, October 6. The “Morning Post/' in a leader on migration, says: “Hitherto it has been customary to speak of the necessity of filling the Dominions’ empty spaces from our own surplus, but the moment is approaching when the Umpire will be compelled to review the whole problem in a new light, because £ in a very few years, so' far from hav--s. ing a surplus, we shall ourselves be suffering a decline in population. “Can Britain therefore afford to suffer additional diminution through migration, lest man power and resources becoiiie dangerously weak? In other words, ought wo to- encourage renewed migration until our birthrate shows a sustained and substantial rise? “You can only fill up the Empire out of a continuing surplus, and now that no surplus is being produced, either in Britain or the Dominions, the problem has begun to wear an entirely different aspect. Clearly the solution is more babies, and that subject ought X to engage the anxious attention of any future Imperial conference.” COMMERCE CHAMBERS’ DEBATE: IMPORTANCE OF IMMIGRATION. WELLINGTON, October (3. At the Chambers of Commerce Congress, when the subject of migration came up, Lord Elibank ■ vacated the chair in favour of Sir Thos. Wilford. Sir Thomas then called on Mr Em-lyn-Jones, of Cardiff, to move a resolution. This resolution was a compromise of a number of resolutions which originally were submitted, as remits, by Britain,; Australia- and New Zealand. It affirmed the vital importance of an early reinforcement of the population of the overseas Dominions by organised, and substantial, migration from Great Britain.

The debate was continued by Mi Martin, of Wellington, who admitted that the population of New Zealand is now practically at a standstill. He pointed out, however, that New Zealand was coming out of the depression which had. hit her severely, and said the migration question was becoming a live subject again. He said that the matter was largely one ot publicity, and that three hooks already had appeared on the subje t this year Mr Martin also declared that there was a shortage of labour in New Zealand, particularly for farnr< and for domestic service. If they were given time to formulate a comprehensive scheme, he thought that something could lie done.

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Lord Elibank, speaking as a delegate (sir Thomas Wiiiord being in the chair), said be strongly .supported uUt: ■views of Mr Lin lyn-Jones, mover of the motion. He said that’ the matter had to be looked at from the point of jview of building up the Empire Commonwealth. Hut it had to be looked at also from a world point ol view.

Continuing, ho pointed out that there was a laud hunger among nations. He specifically referred to the trend of events in Italy and Germany. He said that it was no wonder that they were looking at open spaces in the British Dominions.

Lord Eli bank said that he thought that British capital should be sent to the Dominions as well as British migrants; but that the capital must receive proper consideration, if it were taxed out of existence, ur if anything were done to make trade impossible, very little British capital would come„ out.

Lord Elibank also suggested that there was need to open the way for a proportion of European Continental migration to the Dominions, a s America had done. He pointed out that Britain’s own blood was by no means unmixed.

The motion was carried unanimously amid