EMPIRE SETTLEMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18950, 23 February 1925, Page 9

EMPIRE SETTLEMENT

OPERATION OF THE ACT. | ■ i ADVANTAGE NOT TAKEN. SCHEMES FAIL TO MATURE. By Telegraph-—Press Association—Copyright, j (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. aud N.Z. LONDON. Feb. 20. 1 The annual statement of accounts for the Civil Service for the year ended March 31, 1924, reveals the indifferent ; use which has been made of the Empire ; Settlement Act. Under that measure I £1.206,000 was provided, but only i £456,000 was spent. No use was made of the £403,000 \ which was available for land settlement, , and only £I4OO was utilised out of £28,000 which was earmarked for the j training of migrants. The largest outlay during the year was j £415,500 on assisted passages. For j these £700,000 was available. A departmental memorandum explains j that Victoria's original arrangement to settle 2000 migrants at a cost of £240,000 was modified at the request j of that State, which, however, did not claim a penny. Also, Western Australia : failed to utilise a grant of £37,000. All the other Australian land schemes | failed lo mature. The migrants who went to Australia during the year totalled 25,789. Ihe cost was £309,000, against an estimate j of £420,000. A total of 6479 migrated to New Zea- j land, compared with an estimate of 8740. The actual cost was £60,193, j against an estimate of £125,000.