EMIGRATION FIGURES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14747, 1 August 1911, Page 6

EMIGRATION FIGURES.

In the course of the Governor's Speech the Government found cause for congratulation in the results of the census, claiming that during the past five years " the arrivals in the Dominion have been largely in excess of the departures." Considering the steady prosperity created by good seasons and good produce prices it might have been expected that the gain by immigration during the quinquennial period would be more than 36,712. This gives an average of something less than 7350 per annum, but even this small ( gain is growing smaller by degrees and steadily less under the administration of Sir Joseph Ward and his lieutenant Sir James Carroll. As far as Auckland is concerned the departures during the seven months.

of 1911 have ' exceeded arrivals by over 3000 - That this is not whollydue to tourists, but is largely made up of New Zealanders who having failed to find land or opportunity in the North Island ■ have followed fortune to Australia, is proved by the fact that the emigration continues after the tourist movement has ceased for the season. The latest Dominion returns available are ■ for the month of May, and during this month the entire Dominion lost 91 persons by excess of emigration over immigration. During preceding months the loss was to be counted in thousands. During June the South Island railway system did not pay its working expenses, from which it is plain that the tourists in the Dominion had become a negligible number. Yet in July alone the excess of emigration over immigration at the port of Auckland was 225 —indicating a serious national problem which surely deserves the attention of Parliament.