EMPIRE MIGRATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19254, 17 February 1926, Page 12

EMPIRE MIGRATION.

MEW ZEALAND'S POSITION, HELPING THE HOMELAND. SIR ANDREW RUSSELL'S VIEWS. [3V TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. Sir Andrew Russell, wno recently returned to New Zealand from a trip to England, gave an address to-day before the conference culled by the Empire Settlement Association to discus:) all aspects of the question of Empire migration. Sir Andrew referred to the state of affairs in the United Kingdom as regards unemployment, The position was extremely gravo and although Great Britain still had her fair share of the world's export trade that trade was diminishing as a whole. . Side by side with that there wa3 nn increased population in the L'nited Kingdom. The different forms of relief paid out in Great Britain amounted to nearly £200,000,000 per annum if everything were counted up. The danger was that such a system would have an unfortunato effect on the general character of the youth which was growing up under those conditions. . Similar Aspirations. _ .. It was shortly before he left England that he received a cablegram asking him if ha would become president of the Dominion Settlement Association, which' was then in course of formation. He had already gone into the question of setting up a migration board for. the whole Empire. He had asked the Empire Service League, of- which Earl, Haig was the head, and which had branches in all parts of the Empire, to take the question 'up and he had' done so because the British Legion : with.2ooo branches and one and a-lialf million members in England, was yitally ! interested in the matter. When he heard of the move which had been made in New Zealand he found that the aspirations of the New Zealand body were very much the same as those of the body which he had proposed to set up. The New Zealand body would form the basis of the organisation which he proposed—the lower storeys of the house of immigration which they had in mind to build. Three Main Factors. New Zealand's prosperity was absolutely bound up with that of the United Kingdom, said Sir Andrew. The problem of migration seemed to him to resolve itself into the job, the money for the job, and the man to do the job. It might be wondered why the people at Home were not ready to come out to New Zealand and seize the wonderful opportunities that were offering. He had met one business man from a seaport on the west coast of England, a man of some substance, and he had told him that he could get very little information from the various High Commissioners in London. Personally he thought it quite right that officials should not commit themselves too much. " We must have jobs to offer out here," said Sir Andrew. " I cannot believe that this country has reached its maximum development. We have still areas of unoccupied land and I have been careful to explain to them at' Home that these areas ;ire not suitable for what they call group settlements. I cannot call to mind any large block of land which would be suitable for group settlement." Overseas Capital Essential.

Sir Andrew said it seemed to him that capital from overseas was essential. It was. little' use putting people on blocks of land whore they struggled for a year or two. New Zealand's- own experience with soldier settlements showed that, and the soldier' settlers knew more about their job than some of the people who would come out from England. The unoccupied blocks of land could only be dealt with by capitalists, but the proposition would have to be made as favourable as possible to the capitalists. The Government would have to waive certain conditions which applied at present. The terms would have to be made attractive. His own conclusion was that the pioneer work and work of development could not be done through Government departments. The Empire was not built in that way and he did not believe they could, do it to-day. Private enterprise always did things mora cheaply and had its back to the wall. He doubted whether the Government would give its endorsement to development work, but it was possible that they might be. able to set up such a body as the South African 1820 settlers' organisation., ... . - ' Only the Best Immigrants.

Sir Andrew advised his hearers not to get mixed up with politics and not to attack the Government's policy 1 They could point out that there was Something wrong with -the; policy arid could educate the public on the point. They should work with and not against the Government. Men had told him in England that New Zealand was selfish in its attitude to migration in that it wanted only the best men, but. if , New Zealand's migration policy . was to succeed it was essential that they should have the best. " You, want young men," said Sir Andrew. "If you get a young man you cannot only turn him into a good workman, but also into what I might term a good. New Zealander. If you get middlo-aged mm they will fall into their place, but they will never become 'one of us,' as it were." CONFERENCE DECISIONS. PRAISE FOR DEPARTMENT. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The Migration Conferenco carried the following resolutions: — "That this conference places on record its gratitude and indebtedness to the Motiierland and desires to be of service in assisting to solve lier population problems. It believes that New Zealand's interests are linked up with those of the British Empire and that its defence, prosperity and progress cannot be maintained unless a steadily increasing flow of migration is maintained from among our own kith and kin."

"That the Government be requested to invite Mr. W. Bankes-Amery, financial secretary of the Overseas Settlement Committee, and at present British Government representative for migration in Australia, to visit New Zealand.". "That the conference places on record its confidence in the immigration department and its appreciation of the services rendered to the Dominion by its undersecretary.'' • , - Oflicers were appointed as under:— Patrons, Earl Jeliicoe, Earl Haig, Viscount Bnrnham, Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates. President, General Sir Andrew Russell j vicepresidents, Hon. G. Fowl (Is, Messrs. P. R. Sargood, A. H. Mackrell, T. C. List, .E. H. Wyles; provisional Messrs. E. *H. Wyles, A. Leigh Hunt, P. R. Climie, T. C. List, D. A, Ewen, H. D. Thompson, S. J. Harrison, P. E. Warner, G. H. Scott; W. Mackin and Rev. E. R. Weeks.