PEOPLING THE EMPIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18104, 31 May 1922, Page 9

PEOPLING THE EMPIRE.

SCOPE OF BRITISH SCHEME.

SETTLERS FOR THE LAND.

BILL'S PROGRESS IN LORDS. By Telegraph—Association—Copyrisht. (Received 6.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Mar 29. The- Empire Settlement Bill was read a second time in the House of Lords. The ~arl of Crawford emphasised that, 'die Bill would not mean emigration but migration within the Empire, 1 and would tend to reduce the number of undesirable migrants. Mr. L. C. M. S. Amery, expounding t'ao Empire Settlement Bill, at a meeting tonight, expressed his obligation to the Parliamentary Labour Party's generous and sympathetic reception of the Bill, which was now only awaiting the concurrence of the House of Lorrcls. Referring to the future administration of the scheme, Mr. Amery said that he did not favour free passages. He preferred advances which migrants would repay, thus encouraging self-reliance. He hoped tint the British Government would be able to ca-opera'te with tho Dominions in the promotion of land settlement schemes. Ihe peopling of the land was the first essential of all migration schemes. It was no good sending industrial workers to swell tho number of unemployed that was already r/verswollen in Sydney and Melbourne. Australia and Now Zealand muift have more farmers, not industrialists. He therefore attached importance principally to land settlement schemes, like tho proposals of the Premier of Western Australia, to open up new areas. Ho welcomed schemes to encourage individual settlement by providing separate holdings. Mr. Amery urged preliminary agricultural training for young migrants before fchev left Britain, and advocated the migration of boys and girls at formative ages when 'they were most capable of becoming good settlers overseas. Ho would gladly foster the migration of boys and girls as far as the Bill permitted.

EX - SERVICEMEN WANTED.

BRITISH TROOPS CANVASSED.

Auetralian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 6.5 p.m.) LONDON. May 29.

Mr. J. McWhae, Agent-General for Victoria. on his Ccmtinental tour visited Silesia as the guest of Sir Harold Stuart, British member of the Inter-Allied. Commission, for the purpose of conducting an emigration campaign among officers and men of British regiments stationed there, 8000 of whcrm aro being demobilised shortly. Many officers J/Ossces capital and the soldiers also have money, having largely saved on exchanges during the occupation. Mr. McWhae held several meetings, and large numbers notified thfeir intention of emigrating when the Victorian scheme is ready.

Mr. McWhae, in a lecture to the British Women's Patriotic Association, on " Whit© Australia," pointed out t.hat Japan was determined to become mistress of the Pacific. It would be impossible for Australians to retain their continent unless it> was adequately populated, and immigration was the only possible solution.

MURRAY LANDS SCHEMES.

PARLIAMENTARY TOUR. A. and N-Z. SYDNEY. May 30. A Parliamentary party, embracing Nationalists and Progressives, is underlining a 12 days' tour of the Murray lands, where the Government proposers carrying out a colonising plan. Labour members so far have refrained from joining the party on the grounds that fchey are unable to afford the expense, especially in view of the recent decrease in Parliamentary salaries.