NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20071, 8 October 1928, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

FARMERS OF THE EMPIRE. Discussing tho recent tour of Britain by representative farmers of the Empire, Mr. P. C. Van B. Stewart-Bam, chairman of the British National Union, said that in organising an Empire, as distinct from a Dominion, tour the British National Union has embarked upon a much wider field of activity than has previously been attempted. It has been decided next year to organise a farmers' tour of Australia and New Zealand, consisting of about 100 fanners from Great Britain, Canada, South Africa, and other parts of the Empire. Tho following year Canada, Newfoundland, and the est Indies will receive attention, and in 1931 it is hoped to arrange for a return visit to South Africa. Tours on a smaller scalo to and from Great Britain are in conlemplation, and a business man's tour to South Africa in January and February of next year will in all probability bo carried out. "We claim that in this way the union is carrying on a bit of good, practical, Imperial work," hq added. " While we afford unusual facilities to the tourists to see tho best that each part of the Empiro has to offer, we do our utmost to make these visits serve the best interests of our Empire, and by ' personal touch' and ' personal intercourse' we reanimato a* well as create that sentiment of loyalty and good feeling which makes for the highest form of citizenship. This is no new idea. Somo of us have had it for many years. It was the idea of Cecil Rhodes, Lord Strathconn, Joseph Chamberlain, and others, with many of whom I had the honour of working in days gone by. These great men of the past realised, as (he British National Union does to-day, (hat the moro wo know of each other as a people, members of tho same Commonwealth, and recognising one Sovereign, the better it will be for all concerned. The moro intimate our relations with each other tho easier it will bo to settle our trado and other problems, and in organising theso tours tho British National Union claims, and I am sure will receive, the hearty support of every patriotic individual in tho Empire." MIGRATION FROM BRITAIN. A substantial decrcaso in emigration from tho United Kingdom is recorded in a special article in the Board of Trado Journal dealing with the statistics of passenger movement from and to (he United Kingdom. Tho excess of British emigrants over immigrants was 114,177 in tho 12 months ended June, 1927, and 81,959 for the 12 months ended June, 1928; tho number of emigrants in tho latter year declining by about 30,000 and tho number of immigrants increasing bv about 2000. For the purpose of ibis classification, residence for a year or more has been treated as permanent residence. In neither of these years has the amount of emigration to the United States reached the British quota. Tho emigrants of British nationality to (he United States numbered 22.773 during the year ended June, 1928, as compared with in the earlier year, whereas the British quota (for Great Britain and North Ireland only) for each of these periods was 34,007. Comparing the movement of British emigrants to all parts of the Empire during tho same two yours. a decrease of 25,632 is shown for the later period. During the first half only of this year the British subjects recorded as leaving permanent residence in tho United Kingdom to tako up permanent residence in non-European countries numbered 66,925, as compared with 83,740 in the corresponding period of 1927. These passengers arriving in tho first half of 1928 who wore recorded as leaving permanent residence in nonEuropean countries to take up permanent residence in tho United Kingdom numbered 28,051, as against 29,835 in the corresponding period of 1927. Tho number of British emigrants to the British Empire during the first half of 1928 was about 14,000 less than in the first six months of 1927; (he movement (o Britis'h North America was smaller by 6248, while decreases of 5396 and 2043 respectively were recorded for Australia and New Zealand.