MIGRATION QUESTION

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 4810, 18 February 1936, Page 8

MIGRATION QUESTION

REVIVAL IN AUSTRALIA. Sydney, January 30. Having 1 lain dormant during the depression, the question of Empire migration is being revived in Australia. The Commonwealth and some of the State Governments are strongly in favour of formulating an immigration scheme to operate in the near future, contingent on practical assistance from the British Government, which has intimated its willingness to enter into discussions. Migration will probably be considered at the next Federal Cabinet meeting. Apart from the Western Australia Prime Minister (Mr. Collier) and the Tasmanian Labour Prime Minister (Mr. Ogilvie) there has been no marked political opposition to the proposal. However, there is likely to be a sharp division of opinion throughout Australia as soon as a controversy is raised. Manufacturers who are behind the movement are alive to the economic advantages of a wider scope for secondary industries. Labour interests see in it a, threat to glut the labour market, increased unemployment, ; and a lowering of the living standard. Another section of the community takes a national view. The state of foreign affairs and the dissatisfaction of land-hungry countries claiming a more equitable distribu-. tion of colonies has aroused a feeling of insecurity in many when they think of Australia's great empty spaces and the meagre population to hold it against invasion. The last-mentioned point of view was advanced by Mr. J. P. Abbott, president of the New South Wales Graziers' Association. "We witness to-day the dynamic urge for expansion in confined and closely-populat-

ed areas," he said. "We have seer Japan establish herself in China, anc we are watching Italy's endeavours to do the same thing in Abyssinia. 11 is anticipated, furthermore, that in the very near future Germany will make a demand for the recovery of territories which, before the Great War, formed part of her oversea empire. A too tardy development of our industrial resources is an invitation to trouble. But the full exploitation of those resources and the settlement of our areas to something more closely approximating their economic capacity will withdraw the invitation." Mr. Abott suggested that the Federal Government should convene a

conference representative of air interests, including State and Federal Governments, primary producers, secondary industries, labour and financial institutions, to decide on a sound immigration policy, preferably one requiring immigrants to have sufficient capital to establish' and mantain themselves in Australia. That internal economic conditions would not be adversely affected was stated by Mr. F. P. Kneeshaw, president of the New South Wales Chamber of Manufacturers. In the prewar years from 1909 to 1913, he said, Australia absorbed 295,978 immigrants—nearly 60,000 a year—as well as providing for her own increasing population. During that period Commonwealth and State taxation ranged between £3 7s 2d and £4 9s 3d per capita and oversea borrowing averaged slightly under £5,000,000 per annum. For the 10 years ended June, 1929, immigrants numbered 327,268 —an average of 32,000, or just over half that of the pre-war years. Oversea borrowing—much of it undertaken for public works with the purpose of stimulating immigration —averaged £22,000,000 a year, without achieving the desired effect. During the post-war years mentioned, Commonwealth and State taxation increased from £lO lis 9d per capita to £l4 0s Id —practically the whole of the rise being attributable to the growth of interest payments on the public debt. The consequences of the steady increase in taxation were higher costs of production, restriction of the field of profitable enterprise and diminishing capacity of industry and commerce to provide employment. Such circumstances could not fail to restrict the flow, of immigrants.

"At the present rate of diminish : ing unemployment," he said, "by the end of 1936 there will be an actual shortage of labour and from then on the capacity of Australia' to absorb immigrants will be at least equal to that of the pre-depression period."

The Western Australian Premier (Mr. Collier) described any plan of migration at the present time as sheer madness. "I will have no more spoon-fed migration, especially while things are as they are," he said. "It has cost far too much during the past years repatriating many of those who came out to Australia under previous schemes. There is no objection to persons coming to Australia who can afford to do. so of their own accord, and who are willing to take their chances in establishing themselves, but for a long time this class of people has not shown any inclination to come, and it would be cruel to bring out migrants without resources to fend for themselves.