British Blood for White Empire

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3489, 27 October 1926, Page 7

British Blood for White Empire

How War Reduces

Overseas Migrants

CONFERENCE DISCUSSES INTERESTING PROBLEMS

[By Electric Cable —Copyright.] [Aust. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received Tuesday, 7.50 p.m.)

LONDON, Oct. -5.

The official report of the Imperial Conference says that at the morning session the discussion was completed on Sir Austen Chamberlain's review of foreign affairs.

Mr. MacKcnzie King (Canada). Mr. Bruce (Australia), Mr. Coates (Now Zealand). General Hertzog (South Africa), and Mr. O’Higgins (Ireland), taking part in the debate. As in the case of Sir Austen Chamberlain’s statement, the completes! secrecy was maintained; no communique issued and members were sworn to silence. After the Foreign Affair discussion, the Conference got down to the practical step of apportioning work among the committees, including eC' special committee of Prime Ministers with Mr. Balfour as chairman to examine in detail questions affecting inter-im-perial relations arising from the agenda of the present conference. Another special committee with Mr. Amery as chairman will consider imperial communications other than air. Other committees appointed are as follows:—On Nationality (including the Nationality of Women question) and passports, chairman Sir Joynson Hicks;; British policy in the Antarctic (this is understood to concern Adele Land, having regard to its proximity to Empire territories, their sphere of influence and the extent to which they are affected by French claims), chairman not named: AngloFrench condominium in the New Hebrides, chairman, Mn Amery; General Economic Sub-Committee, chairman, Sir Sydney Chapman; Special Overseas Settlement Committee, chairman. Lord Clarendon; Workmen’s Compensation, chairman, Sir Joynson Hicks; Special Sub-Commit-tee on air communications, chairman, Sir Samuel Hoare; research sub-com-mittee, chairman, Mr. Balfour: forestry, chairman, Lord Lovat.

Benefits of .Empire Migration.. The Economic and Overseas Settlement Committees met in the afternoon. The former specially discussed the possibilities of Empire-wide industrial 'standardisation of materials and specifications. The suggestion was thrown out that it would be invaluable to appoint bodies in every Dominion and Colony to present the extension of standardisation. The most notable contribution to the first meeting of the Overseas Settlement Committee was Lord Clarendon’s review of the difficulties at both ends in carrying out the settlement scheme during the past three years. Lord Clarendon insisted that the question must be considered from the standpoint of the benefit to the whole Empire to be derived from a re-distribution of the white population. He emphasised that the Government did not regard migration in the light of a possible cure for unemployment in Britain. It was upon the development of Dominion resources with the attraction of capital and labour thereto, ultimately resulting in extended Empire markets for British manufacturers that there could be a relation between migration and prosperity in Britain. Lord Clarendon argued in favour of an agreed long-term migration plan not affected by politics and other changes. He stressed important new facts bearing upon Britain’s capacity to supply large streams of migrants and pointed out that in the past this had been carried on without draining the Motherland’s resources, because the annual increase in population had been greater than the needs of ho.me industries. Looking forward, however, it was almost certain that this position would be altered by 1D33 owing to the continuing effects of •wartime reduction in the birth rate. The most careful calculation showed that there would be 350,000 to 400,000 fewer boys and girls aged fourteen to eighteen available for employment then than at presnt. It was true that many young people were at present unemployed, but their proportion was far smaller than in the case of adults

Lord Clarendon said assuming’ a normally increasing demand for labour there would be an actual shortage for home industrial needs amounting to nearly 300,000 within a deacado_ Both Dominions and home industries wanted young people as workers. The Dominions in the present circumstances had only agricultural employment to offer migrants. In view of the above forecast it would bo very helpful if the Dominions could gradually build up a balanced scheme of absorbing migrants for both industrial and agricultural operations.