A YOUNG IMPERIALIST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15075, 19 August 1912, Page 9

A YOUNG IMPERIALIST.

MR. J- H. ALLEN'S OUTLOOK

VIEWS ON IMMIGRATION

Mr. J. H. Au.kn', son of the Hon. James \llcn, at present in Auckland with his father, is regarded as one of Now Zealand's bright young graduates in law, having qualified for the Cambridge degree, and later called to tlio Bar. Like his father, lie is regarded as an ardent Imperialist, and for 18 months was connected with a world-wide Imperial publication, published in London. Ilia greatest interest is immigration, a topic which lie discussed with a Herald representative yesterday. ,;'Tho New Zealand census of 1911," said Sir. Allen, " was not particularly good reading. From that we learn that tho birth-rate is decreasing, that the averago size of the New Zealand family has fallen from a little over four to almost three, and that for the first time in the history of Now Zealand the people in*the towns outnumber tho dwellers in tho coun-try-side. It is Into that tho birth-rate is falling in more than one European country, and that tho German rnto has decreased for tho first time Ihis year, though it is still well above, both that of England and that of New Zealand.

" Bui New Zealand's position is by no means that of England or of any other European country, "which, because of their great numbers, can afford to lose a, percentage of their population. Indeed, there are throughout Great Britain some 60 or 70 societies,. whoso object is to persuade their fellow-countrymen (for their own welfare), to leave" the country of their parentage for Britain's Dominions beyond the seas. I On tho other hand, the papulation hero is relatively so small that wo have no emigration policy at all, just as wo havo _ no foreign policy, although parenthetically speaking, it is to be hoped wo shall soon take our proportionate share in helping Britain, both by council and by money, in deciding tho foreign policy of tho whole of tho British Empire. "To continue, wo havo no emigration policy, but wo have, or should have, an immigration policy. As Mr. Deakin said at the Conference of 1907, 'Britain's policy of emigration is tho Dominions' policy of immigration.' "That New Zealand is under-populated, is tho first observation made by tho traveller, unless, indeed, ho be of that modern order of voyager who observes nothing, save tho quality of golf links or the quantity of gamo throughout the land. Better evidence than this is what the people of New-Zealand themselves are saying about the question. Anyono who has taken tho trouble to read the evidence given before tho Cost of Living Commission realises that farmers have left crops uncut, six-horse teams unemployed, because they were unable to get help to cut their crops or to drive their ploughs. "As to tho position in the towns, Mr. Tregear, until recently secretary of the Labour Department, declared in tho report he wrote before he left his office, that orders were being turned away in factories throughout tho Dominion becausemen could not be got to do the work. There is no purpose in multiplying evidence on this point. It is enough to look down tho "wanted" columns in any New Zealand newspaper to bo convinced of tho seriousness of the shortage. : "Of course there is no virtue in numbers, simply as numbers. It is not heads, but ■what is inside the heads that determines 'the character of a people. It would be foolish to bring people into New Zealand in the indiscriminate way in which they •were emptied into Canada. And New Zealand has derived advantages from the smallness of her numbers.

"It is possible to experiment here in legislation, and to amend, and even to go back on experiments in a way impossible for a country with a great population. The people being well educated, can grasp political complexities quickly, and they can move as one whole in a most effective •way. The giving of the Dreadnought by the nation to the Admiralty in 1909, is an example. Further, the ' elbow-room' in New Zealand gives that ' freedom' which 90 out of 100 New Zealanders will, on being asked, declare to bo the supreme advantage of life in this land. "Such advantages the small population does give, but in view of three facts, they must bo resolutely dismissed from our minds. Tho first is that wo are like a foolish landlord, who will not keep a staff large enough to work his'estate with success and profit. We are retarding our wealth bv neglecting to provide enough labour. The result is that grass is laid down instead of wheat, that crops remain uncut, that factories refuse orders, and that our imports become greater in valuo than our exports. The last thing we should do is to dissipate our natural resources by a feverish anxiety for wealth (as has been done in America), but this is a -very- different thine from a wholesome development;, which will contribute to the wealth, not only of this generation, but to those that will succeed it

"The second necessity for increase to our .population comes from tho still surviving and intense rivalry among the nations of the world. Germany has reduced her emigration to 10,000 a year, because she requires both men who can fight and taxpayers who can pay for her soldiers. In our own ease, we w,a,nt soldiers, but we want settlers even more, For>. the' invader with a weapon in his hand, wo must be prepared, and for the invader with the tools of his trade in his hand, doubly prepared," ho concluded with. emphasis.