EMPIRE CITIZENS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 18 January 1928, Page 5

EMPIRE CITIZENS

BADLY DISTRIBUTED

PROBLEM MUST BE SOLVED' !!

VIEWS OF SIR ROBERT HORNE

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) • (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association)

(Received 18th January, 10.30..a.m.).:;.. PERTH, This Dsty. • •

A passenger by the. steamer Narkunda is Sir Robert Home, who, after a-month'.' in Australia, is returning to England vian .<•_. New Zealand and Canada. .:;:;.;;:";: In an interview Sir Robert said:-/'As*, far as one can see, two things;ngedjul..-' in Australia are the addition of theright ' kind of people and a certain amount 0f...... capital. If you think of the Empire-Sas; a unity you must be startled by!,the!irre-;' gular and unscientific distribution of its ■-.■■' citizens throughout the available area,» and the situation to-day ismoreianqma-- .''. lous than ever. We have .too ni»hy!,y people Where they are notjwanted,.and;; too few where they are vitally necessary. • - • to the process of development. Adis-J . tinguished American once asked r me. why we coujd not'shift our population to a • '; place v/liere it could render the;most, valuable service, but the problem is n0t,... so easy as it looks, and if one desires .to- .- learn how hard it is one has only to.j'e-..; member how many schemes there are .in existence, promulgated both by the. > Home and by the Dominion . Governs nients, and individual States, involving ..... a considerable expenditure of public ;;,' money. Nevertheless the problem mustbe solved, not merely because of the.iuu... , economical distribution of rour popula- -; tion, bub for reasons involved in,the se r --i cond consideration. The welfare of any ,;! community and its progress; depend upon - utilising the full productive elements:.,, \ which exist within its shores. If the raw r resources of the earth are neglected, the , . market within which the manufactures ; • of the country can be sold is' to that*, ex-',.:. tent limited. The more you increase the- ... number of people on the land the. grea't : .!,.-. f er is the market which you create for the sale of the.products,of the towns.'