THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1920. IMMIGRATION POLICY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17471, 15 May 1920, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1920. IMMIGRATION POLICY.

: Tbe revival of immigration to New Zealand, if only on a small scale, is . one of the most interesting and pro- ! mising signs of a return to some•k thing like normal conditions. With >t, the,.' present ( J distribution of ~ the ''• world's population, migration is a ' symptom , of- an economic readjustment which is hardly less valuable to the old countries than to the new. 1 At times it has been discredited in B them all. ?he preference occasion- , ally manifested by the United Kingdom ", for .'sending 'j overseas her '. paupers, criminals and derelicts has „, caused anxiety in the colonies, and iy' in Britain there has been a school '* of thought which regarded emigra[i tion as a process of . bleeding the : Mother Country in favour of her ■ daughter States. .; Happily the , growth of the Empire spirit has removed misunderstandings i: on \ both i sides. ■'■■ The ?| Imperial authorities frankly recognise that the Dominions require the best, and hot the worst, of British ; stock, and ; that under '' proper control emigration may not only-'strengthen;: the structure of L Empire but may ; even nourish the United Kingdom itself. By reducing ' overcrowding, elevating the standard of ; living and increasing the-birth rate, emigration may actually enrich ' the country at whose expense it takes place. If, in addition to this, it enlarges the markets for British _- export trade and creates a continu- "- ous supply of foodstuffs and raw ', ' materials, the British Government , | can afford to regard it with equani- : ' mity and even encourage it '***% '. This being the <:aae, the question : arises whether fuller co-operation ' | is not possible between the Oomin- ' ions, which '.require population, ' . and the' British Isles, which have a ' surplus.' Something is already being ■ done, tho British Government hay- 1 ing decided to encourage ex-service • emigrants to remain within the Em- ' '. pire by granting them free passages ' to -the Dominions. As far as New .1 Zealand .is concerned, , the value of \ • this concession is likely to be greatly ] reduced by,the shortage of shipping, •' , but this shortage is not in itself irre- ' -mediable. The tonnage position has ] . so eased that the Imperial Govern- ( merit might now fairly be asked to , ' co-operate -with, the ; Dominion Gov- , ernment in facilitating the transfer ' of ex-service men and women "who wish to come to New Zealand. When

it is remembered that the British authorities would still be responsible for the normal cost of the emigrants' passages, it appears probable that the special charges arising from charter would not bo burdensome, the more especially as the extra ships would ' help ,to clear away the accumulations -of produce. Another matter to which Mr. Nosworthy, who is now Minister for Iramigration, might well turn his attention, is the possibility of interesting the Imperial Government in the public works programme of New Zealand. Tho Oversea Settlement Committee, which was recently set up to create emigration machinery, has recommended that " if any Dominion should see fit to submit schemes for development which would afford employment and settlement for ex-service men from the United Kingdom equally with those of the Dominion in question, His Majesty's Government should favourably consider the possibility, of advancing reasonable sums for giving effect to such schemes." The British Government has not signified its acceptance of this recommendation, but the fact that it was made by a responsible committee should encourage the, Dominions to revive it. Obviously such a scheme might be made an instrument for providing both labour and capital for public works and thus satisfying the prime economic need of New Zealand. Two things are certain, that an unequalled opportunity is now offered for reinforcing the scanty population of the Dominion with the best, type of British emigrant, and that the opportunity will quickly pass. War always stimulates emigration for a time, in fact, the modern history of overseas colonisation- dates from the close of the Napoleonic wars. The other Dominions arc nore alert to this opportunity than New Zealand has yet shown herself a be. Yet our need of population is it least as pressing as theirs, and mr need is expressed in terms which he United Kingdom can well fill. Some life in New Zealand is sufferng because of the shortage of lomestic help, and because of lack )f factory labour the markets are jare of goods which could be, and to »mc extent are being, raanufacured here. Yet the excess of women )etween the ages of 15 and 45 in the Jnited Kingdom, numbered at 166,000 in 1911, now stands at ,266,000. There should be no serious lifficulty, under a well-planned imnigration policy, in obtaining all the fomen and girls required for home ,nd factory, nor should there be any bstacle to finding a supply of ableiodied male labour at least equal to he needs of the next few years. An ffer of land under fair conditions rould bring to our shores many housands of demobilised soldiers of he best type. We cannot offer them he financial assistance given to our 1 v

.own men, but we can guarantee to [• every man with a little capital or a 'i pair of strong arms access,to the \ land within a reasonable time. By | recruiting immigrants for-public ' works withtheassurahcetbatportion | of the land they open up will be | allocated to | them the Government l' : would \go far to solve the '-•'•most' pressing economic - problems - of; the !. Dominion. The State still has land to offer at a low price, but communif cations ' must first be ; constructed : into it. | What more reasonable than 1 that the men who * build the.roads and J railways, i whether New ' Zealanders;: or immigrants, J should have preference ? i at the ballots after the ' needs of soldiers are satisfied. There is, a large opportunity before the \ Immigration Department in investigating. these ' 4 and similar proposals. t So far the Department has not been j conspicuous for it:* initiative, but now that it has a permanent Minis- ; terial head ■) the public hopes for j . better things from it. 'V'