DOMINION MIGRATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19762, 8 October 1927, Page 11

DOMINION MIGRATION

CONFERENCE IN LONDON. ASSISTANCE TO SETTLERS. -ATTITUDE OF GOVERNMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. A. and N.Z. LONDON, Oct. 6. A conference of voluntary Migration Societies, which the Royal Colonial Institute convened, has been opened in London, under the presidency of Lord Stanley of Alderley. The Salvation Army representative, Commissioner D. -C. Lamb, who is director of the Army's Emigration Department; proposed a resolution to the effect that Britain should support the dependants of men in training for migration. He said that although £14,000,(XX) coald be spent under the Overseas Settlement Act, only £3,000,000 had so far been spent. The Government, which he estimated was paying £2 10s a head a week for the maintenance of the men in the training centres, but which only paid to voluntary societies 15s a week, ought entirely to recoup the societies. He did not believe that the dole was preventing migration. Question of Finance. A British Legion delegate, Mr. Parker, advocated the extension of the age of trainees from 35 to 40. Sir George MacMuijn, referring to the various expenses which handicapped the Western Australian group settlement scheme, said Britain ought to finance the families that migrated until they were self-supporting. Major Cohen, of the British Legion. said he thought the Western Australian scheme was failing because the settlers were placed on unsuitable, patchy land. The Agent-General for Western Australia, Mr. W. C. Angwin, replied that such criticism might be applied to land in any part of the world. People were placed on the poorer land because they had arrived before the preparations were complete. The Government was now linking up the poorer with the better land. He said settlers should be trained to use an axe. Sir Alfred Pickford said boys should be trained overseas after a careful test of their qualifications in Britain. Problem of Women. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of the Dominions Office, Lord Lovat, in replying, said the Government was unable to support the dependants of trainees because of the limitations imposed by legislation. He denied that the Government was spending £2 10s a week on their maintenance; it was nearer £2 Is. The Government could not hand over the whole cost of their maintenance to the voluntary societies, because that would be the negation of Government. He stated that the Dominions were entirely sympathetic with Britain's problems, and it was hoped to eliminate the difficulties. Miss Gladys Pott referred to the difficulties of placing women overseas, and urged the societies to aim at the extension of the nomination system, and also the education of both girls and their parents regarding the possibilities in the Dominions, which would greatly benefit by the migration of well-educated people who could help in the development .of the Empire Canon Pugh, of Queensland, suggested that girls should be sent ont. in small groups, which should be established in suitable districts, where they could supply eggs, poultry, and garden produce to the cities. Good women migrants would help to raise the whole tone of Australia.