VICTORIAN SETTLERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21110, 18 February 1932, Page 9

VICTORIAN SETTLERS.

MIGRANTS FROM BRITAIN. COMPLAINTS IN COMMONS. LONDON. Feb. 18. Tho Secretary of State for the Dominions, Mr. J. H. '1 homas. informed Mr. J. A. Leckie (Liberal, Walsall) in the House of Commons that he had received a joint memorial from cx-servico men in Victoria and overseas settlers at Murrabit reciting their grievances, blithe was not in a position to anticipate the findings of the Royal Commission on the subject. Mr. A. A. Somerville (Conservative, Windsor) : If the commission cannot relieve the Australian Government of the responsibility, do not you remember that the Home Government encouraged tho men to sign contracts ? Therefore a distinct liability exists. Mr. Thomas said nobody sympathised more than the Government with the migrants' difficulties, but he could not accept a responsibility which was the Dominions'.

Mr. Lan Macpherson, K.C. (National Liberal, Ross and Cromarty) said members of tho House were continually receiving letters from migrants. If the statements in them were true, tho Government ought to take action in the interests of tho migrants. Mr. Thomas: I receive more letters than anyone, and have gone to extreme measures in tho way of inquiries, even approaching relief institutions, but I cannot accept a responsibility which in the end I cannot fulfil.

Mr. Macphcrson: The feeling in the country is that the Government should take definite action. Mr. Thomas: You will get some idea of the problem if you keep in mind that while for 20 years the average was 200,000 migrants, now more are returning than leaving. Our responsibilities have ended after assisting in. their transportation. Mr. Neil Maclean (Labour, Govan, Glasgow) : Is it not plain that a number are pow returning from Australia, a protected country, to Britain, a free trade country—

Mr. Speaker intervened and prevented the member from completing the sentence.