THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, APRIL 21, 1924. EMPIRE MIGRATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18689, 21 April 1924, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, APRIL 21, 1924. EMPIRE MIGRATION.

Publication of the report of the Overseas Settlement Committee affords an appropriate opportunity to consider Empire migration comprehensively. It may be surveyed as an integral subject. Britain's . excess of population being balanced against the need of the Dominions and Colonies for more people. At one end of the chain there are more hands than can find work to do. At the other are countries requiring men and women to fill their empty spaces, develop latent assets, and provide the only justification for holding these countries full utilisation of their wonderful possi- , bilities. Properly conceived and ' executed, a migration scheme should bo mutually beneficial. To the receiving country there is promise of the required additions to population sooner than the natural increase can provide. To the incoming migrants of the right type, with the proper view-point there should be a wider horizon and greater opportunity than would be achieved by! remaining in the land of their birth. To co-ordinate effort and direct the moving stream is the function of the Overseas Settlement Committee. The Empire Settlement Act, 1922, allows the appropriation of 413,000,000 annually for 15 years, from British revenue for the furtherance of Empire settlement. That indicates sufficient earnestness at the starting point. The answer to it should obviously be an equal manifestation of sincerity in the Dominions by the organisation of effort for the reception and proper absorption of the migrating people. It has been authoritatively stated on more occasions than need be recapitulated that the safety of the Empire depends upon a better distribution of population. Satisfactory results cannot be expected from allowing people to drift aimlessly to new countries, ignorant of conditions, and without any definite plans made. Careful organisation is the first essential to successful results.

The figures quoted in the report show an increase in migration for 1923 compared with the previous year. Yet even an exodus of 201,000 in 12 months makes small impression on the 48,000,000 inhabitants of Great Britain. More important still, 86,034 of the total cannot be classed as Empire migrants. Their destination was the United States. It has been remarked with apprehension of recent months that the lure of high wages, in America is steadily taking toll of the skilled workers of industrial Britain. This also has to be remembered. Those who cross the Atlantic and gain access to the United States are likely in most instances to be lost to the Empire permanently. Every effort will be made to have them embrace American citizenship. No language difficulty stands in the way. However much goodwill be felt toward the United States it is possible still to deplore the spectacle of that country taking over 42 per cent, of a year's migrants when so many parts of the Empire need population. This- has happened, it mJust be remembered, under a system of restricted admission. The American immigration law which is just being superseded, allowed 77,342 people from the United Kingdom to enter in one year. The figures quoted in the report show 86,034 actually to have gone in the period under review. The apparent discrepancy may be explained by the fact that the Committee's year and the American immigration year do not coincide. The new law will increase the British quota relatively, if not absolutely. American social legislation is no concern of the Empire, however. The duty of the British people throughout the world is so to organise their own social systems and development schemes that intending migrants naturally turn their eyes to an Empire land when desiring to seek their fortunes abroad.

ifext to the United States comes Canada, with 75,866 British migrants for a year. Canada is the oldest of the Dominions, and is tho most contiguous to the shores of Britain. For very many years the lower fare across the Atlantio gave Canada a commanding advantage over such oountneß as Australia and New Zea- ; more recent arrange-

meats for assisted passages tend to equalise this difference. It has been claimed, for instance, that by the agreement New Zealand has made with the British authorities under the Empire Settlement Act, it costs no more to transport a family to this i Dominion than to Canada. It cannot Ibe suggested that New Zealand could have absorbed the 75,866 people who entered Canada in 1923. Even so, there is a discrepancy between that number and the 7188 who did embark for New Zealand. Canada received fewer under the Empire Settlement Act than New Zealand did. That, however, is a condition not likely to be duplicated. The definite adoption by Canada of a policy of co-operation with the British Government is noted. The new scheme of sending out public school boys has awakened much interest in Canada. She is certain to be a competitor for this most desirable type of settler. South Africa, menaced by the colour problem, is awakening to the need for more white setters. Australia has already taken considerable advantage of the Settlement Act. The conclusion to be drawn from all this is that New Zealand requires to apply more energy, more vision, and more organisation to the problem of obtaining population from the great source on the other side of the world. The opportunity lies patent. The need requires no demonstration. Competitors for the best offering are in the field ; their efforts tend to in tensify rather than to relax. So much remains to be done in making for New Zealand a real immigration policy, that emphasis on the need for it is the main conclusion to draw after considering the report of the Overseas Settlement Committee.