OUR EMPTY SPACES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14867, 19 December 1911, Page 8

OUR EMPTY SPACES.

. . / < : CRY FOR MORE IMMIGRATION!,

"GIVE US t BOYS AND GIRLS.' I

The question of immigration was referred to by the Mayot of Auckland (Mr. C. J/.;", 'i Parr) at the meeting held last evening for the purpose of welcoming Sir John Kirk," the well-known philanthropist. In referr- I ing to the present work heir g done ■ amongst the poor children of London, he'f said ho did not see why some of these'.' children should not be secured as an addition to New Zealand's population.' -* "Her© we are," he said, "with barely 1,000,000 of white people, whereas oar country is capable of supporting 10,000,000 "- or even 12,000,000. I often wonder why? 1 J wo are so slow in filling up our empty ' spaces." We could not, he went- on 'to - say, hope to hold our country against ; Asiatic hordes for ever if we did not fill it ourselves. Tho yellow peril, ho said, was a very serious one under present cir- , cumstances. Ho thought an attempt should be made to divert a portion of the ' large stream of immigration that was now- - flowing to Canada to the lands beneath tho 'Southern Cross. Years ago there had been some talk about getting adult agri« cultural labourers from Home, but he heldt || that they were in many ways unsuitable [ ; J for colonial life. What would be better would bo to got some of the cute, pre- ( j cocious youngsters in London. If the* -5 caught them young ho was convinced : they would mako tho best possible ." colonists. (Applause.) , , WW Mr. Arthur M. Myers, in referring to r '\' tho same subject, said that in Australia the demand for boys from Homo was : •. greater than the supply. > Dr. T. Hope Lewis, in expressing his ' j approval of the Mayor's remarks, said: ' " If you can get the young ' Londoners, the little nippers, and catch them young, you ■ 1 will finer that they will walk round a great V : many other "youngsters, even in this part > . 1 of the world." (Applause.) Sir John Kirk, in his reply, said that the question brought up by the Mayor was" - worthy of consideration, and that it would not bo his fault if a large number of boys and girls were not sent to New Zealand; in tho future. (Applause.)