PLEA FOR MIGRATION

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4952, 6 February 1937, Page 5

PLEA FOR MIGRATION

ADDRESS BY MR. BROADFOOT. SHOULD BE TACKLED RIGHT I AWAY. “Nearly every Dominion is lacking in population. New Zealand wants more people and wants them quickly and continuously,” stated Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., in an adress delivered to a large gathering of Women’s Institute and W.D.F.U. members, in the Municipal Hall yesterday afternoon. Mr. Broadfoot strongly advocated a vigorous migration policy. Though this question was, he admitted, a complex one, he contended it should be tackled right away. Mrs. P. Cullen was in the chair.

The British Empire comprised a quarter of the habitable area of the globe, he stated. Most of this was in the temperate zone, giving to the British people a wonderfully high standard of living. It was well for us to study the density of population per square mile in the various parts of the Empire. The United Kingdom and Northern Ireland have 468 people to the square mile, the Irish Free State 112, Australia 2, Canada 3, New Zealand 15, South Africa 10, India 195, Ceylon 208, Newfoundland 2, Southern Rhodesia 6, Northern Rhodesia 4, and Malaya 86. Though the pressure of population in the United Kingdom and Ireland is terrific it is no more acute than the pressure in such countries as Japan, Germany and Italy.

Other nations resent our possession of the most favourable portions of the globe—and we had to realise that although the science of war had progressed amazingly, the ultimate and deciding factor in conflict was manpower., Of the 493,000,000 people of the Empire, only about 70,000,000 were Europeans, who we v e scattered in every corner of the globe. Japan had 14,000,000 more people than our European population, Germany had a population of between 60,000,000 and 70,000,000, and Italy had 46,000,000. “They are all envious of us. They covet our wealth, they desire our countries. They will take them if they can. For proof of this think of Abyssinia and Manchuria,” said Mr. Broadfoot. He went on to give, figures of migration movements. Migration before 1840 was of small moment, but from 1840 to 1800 14,100,000 people left Great Britain. In the 10 years prior to the war 250,000 to 400,000 left Great Britain for overseas. In 1913 the number rose to 706,000, of which 321,000 went to Empire countries. After the war the doors of every country were closed to migrants. The spirit of nationalism prevented migration and created many economic and social difficulties. Every country wanted to sell its surplus foodstuffs and goods, and at the same time refused to buy. It was impossible. Great Britain wisely endeavoured to keep trade flowing freely, but in the end she had to bow to world trends. She did this only after becoming the dumping market for the rest of the world. It had to be remembered that Britain has 1,500,000 engaged in farming pursuits and her primary industries, with an annual production of about £250,000,000, are important.

The economy and prosperity of this Dominion has been built up on the basis of the free entry of our produce to the British market. Now that there is regulation of that market in some products and likely to be limitation or protection for others, we find ourselves in a difficult trade position. New Zealand was essentially an agrarian country, and the more people entering meant greater production. There were people of the right type, who, if agreements were made with the Imperial authorities, could be assimilated into our life, and as a quid pro quo, we should receive a greater share of the Home market. Also, if they were given proper facilities and treated reasonably, there were thousands of people available who could supply their own capital. If the Government of the day did not want to foster the movement, then we should resuscitate the old charted company method. Not only farmers, but industrialists with money and capital, should be encouraged to migrate, continued Mr. Broadfoot, stating that a larger population meant a bigger domestic market for our own produce and manufactures. It was our greatest safeguard from attack by foreign Powers; and we must take a larger share of responsibility for our own defence. There may be an attack on the Empire by a group of Powers who would keep the Navy and Air Force occupied in the North Sea and the Mediterranean. We would then have to look to ourselves to a much greater degree. The settlement of the Dominion could not be done satisfactorily unless we have more people and could provide the present and future settlers with the amenities of civilisation. These could be provided if we attacked development on regional lines and allowed no vacant lands to stand in the way.