EMPIRE MIGRATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 13 February 1933, Page 10

EMPIRE MIGRATION

THE FUNDAMENTAL FACT Admitting that there would he nothing more ridiculous than to send people now to the Dominions, Mr J. 11. Thomas, Secretary of State for the Dominions, in a speech in the House of Commons, said that, given a fair chance, there were people who would like to go. Hence, they should have their machinery ready, so that when the time canto they could not only tackle the problem, but profit from their experience of the past. Ho whole-heartedly favoured family migration above any other form. It maintained the home spirit and the family tradition. The Government would go very closely into the whole question of the future of the various migration schemes. But if any migration scheme were to made a success two things must be kept in mind—first, the voluntary spirit, the spirit of adventure, the spirit of the man who said : “1 am going out to do my best and take a risk”; and secondly, the Dominion itself must bo ready to welcome and help those who might go to it. Whatever schemes they discussed, and whatever arguments there might he for any particular migration scheme, they came back lo the fundamental fact that unless the Dominions were prosperous Britain could not hope that they would take any of her people.