BRITISH MIGRATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 14

BRITISH MIGRATION.

MEN AND BOYS FOR FARMS.

NEW ZEALAND CONDITIONS.

ENGLISH VISITOR PERPLEXED.

Engaged in tho important work of helping in tho migration of the typo of English, Scottish and Irish men end . boys most suitable to become farmers- in tho Dominions, Mr. W. J. Korr, who cams to New Zealand in charge of tho last, party of Flock House boys, has now completed a, touv of. tho Dominion, and is visiting Auckland prior to his departure for Sydney. Yesterday he gave some of his impressidns, tho outstanding featuro of which was his surprise at finding that although unemployment had caused a pause in assisted immigration to New Zealand, farmers were unable to obtain sufficient labour for their operations. "J am inclined to .regard your unemployment mainly as pqpor unemployment,", he said. "The State relief system appears to Ihave become a permanent obligation and not a moans of tiding men over their difficulty temporarily. The relief wage is higher than farmers can afford to pay, arid the result is that the ranks of the unemployed are swelled by men and youths who otherwise could find work and fairly comfortable conditions 011 farms. Early Offers From Farmers. "On the ship on which our party travelled there were several farmers who asked me if they could engage a boy before we had reached New Zealand. I now know the reasons. One is the permanency of relief employment, and tho other is ona with which 1 became familiar in Canada, find that is the drifting population ■ whichi is constantly yielding to tho allurements of the cities. It is a serious thing when men, and particularly young men who have been bred to the soil, are so educated away from what is their natural life that the farm has/ little appeal. • "I have met Canadian farmers, nono of whose sons has remained to carry on the tradition so worthily established by tho pioneer. You may hear of one who would rather live in a New York, garret on a pittance and hope, than work at home and prepare for his own future as.a, farmer, and of another who is in a city office somewhere. New Zealand seems to be experiencing the same sort of drift, and there is no question that unemployment relief at the wages paid is one of the factors that will add to its volume," Y.M,C,.A. Migration.

Mr. Kerr is the representative for Northern Ireland in the migration department of the Young Men's Christian Associations of Great Britain and Ireland. The general secretary of this department is Major Cyril Bavin, a New Zealander, and a brother ot the Prime Minister of New' South Wales, Mr. Bavin is also secretary of the Overseas League, which is also closeJy associated with migration work, and will visit New Zealand shortly.

The purpose is first to select the type most suitable to became in the Dominions, and to guide, counsel and befriend them, providing tho organisation with opportunity to serve the Empire by filling. 111 empty spaces with men who will bo good citizens. In Canada the organisation has the co-operation of the United Cliuich of Canada. It has inspectors who frequently visit tho boys placed 011 farms, and who safeguard them against exploitation, Well-founded complaints are rare. "And from what I have observed of New Zealand rural conditions," said Mr. Kerr, "I do not think that there are many farmers who would not do their duty by an immigrant boy." Canada's Sygt6m.

"Formerly the fare to Canada was only £2," said Mr. Kerr. "To-day it is £lO. but there are means of assisting the right type of youth up to 19 years. They must abide by the conditions and remain with their employers until they are' 21, when, With their savings and the assistance of the Stata, they hav9 a good chance of starting on their own sections. Last year we sent to Canada 600 boys and 400 men. as vreU as some domestic servants. Our selection is go strict that sometimes we are charged with facilitating i.he migration of boys the Old Country does not want to lose, but it is essential that we should be strict for the sake of the immigrants themselves and for tho coifntry they are going to call their own. Occasionally a boy allured by city life runs away and breaks his contract, but the great majority are true to their affirmation that they desire to make farming their life work, and the majority are-successes and perhaps are entering into the that has been thrown aside by tho locallyborn: -

"Under present conditions there are severe limitations upon the amount of junior migration we can direct towar-l New Zealand, vet your farmers are clamouring for labour, and. as at Rotorua. I see' vast waste areas stretching away from fine paddocks. It seems a pity. • Junior Migration.

"I am convinced that junior migration is the best, and I would go further and say that the best migrant is the boy straight from school who has not spent two or three years deteriorating upon the dole. The boys of 15 arc still learners by habit, they are easily disciplined arid they are young enough to adopt the customs of a new land without difficulty. We cannot bring many here, but nevertheless your farmers need them and the country needs more settlers, and what better settlers could you have than those who go through a sound apprenticeship?" Mr. Kerr spoke with some restraintHe seemed to be perplexed with the whole situation, and at the same time was regretful that the land was not absorbing more New Zealand boys. He was delighted with Auckland and the cities generally, but asked how the cities were to progress if the land was to be neglected. Ho mentioned' that the Overseas League and his owm organisation were often consulted by raicn with some capital who wished to migrate. Here land and house property seemed to be too costly, but nevertheless there were men with incomes up to £IOOO who wanted to leave Britain to escape the heavy taxation. In Canada local committees were being formed with a view to securing for such desirable migrants safe advice as to. how they could best establish themselves. But, he concluded, the most important thing of all was to help the migration of the type of boy who would help the land of his adoption. "Naturally we. urge them to maintain home ties," said Mr. Kerr. "If a boy should neglect his writing homo we get otir inspectors to jog him up in that direction. At the same time we tell the boys to regard themselves as citizens of tho dominion for which they are bound and to be worthy of it." EIGHTY MEN DISCHARGED. EXHAUSTION OF LOANS. APPEAL FROM DUNEDIN. [by telegraph.— press association.] WELLINGTON. Friday. The Mayor lias telegraphed to the Minister of Public Works saying that owing to the'exhaustion of relief loans the City Council has had to discharge 80' men, and that further discharges will follow. He earnestly recommends the Government immediately to provide relief, as it recently promised. A meeting of unemployed resolved that the Labourers' JJnion should institute an unemployment bureau so that the local figures, which the Labour Department refuses to divulge, may be known. It is stated that Uhere aro 150 members of this union \vithowt. work,