POPULATION NEED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23061, 11 June 1938, Page 20

POPULATION NEED

LONG-KANGE SURVEY |

ROYAL COMMISSION URGED VITAL NEED FOR AWAKENING' ADDRESS BY MR. A. LEIGH HUNT [BT TELEGRArn —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON. Friday A resolution urging, as a matter of -immediate and vital importance, that the Government be asked to set up a Royal Commission of experts or similar noil-party body to niakb a long-range survey and to formulate schemes regarding' both the encouragement of larger families and the adoption of migration on a substantial scale, was adopted at the meeting of the Wellington 22 Club, following an address try the chairman of tho Dominion Settlement Association, Mr. A. Leigh Hunt. There was a vital need for the ening of a national consciousness on tho subject of planned migration, said Mr. Hunt. Some indication of the apathy of the people could be found, in the fact that At the last Imperial Conference the question of migration was not even discussed.

Mistakes ol the Past Perhaps one of tho reasons for apathy among the people in New Zealand on the question of migration was the disapproval of the methods under which migration was carried on in the past, and the consequent fear of creating unemployment.

A great deal of this condemnation was justified, said Mr. Hunt, notwithstanding that many thousands of migrants who had arrived in this country since the beginning of the century had made excellent settlers. Still, there were maiiy who were unsuitable, and who should never have been allowed to laud. Mr. Hunt said that Many important industries could bo created in New land with British capital and British labour. No country ever became great bv agriculture alone, and the vast atiiouht of hydro power available in New Zealand could ensure the most favourable conditions for low-cost manufacture. Scientific Migration 1 It was certainly difficult to understand why action had been delayed on the part of Britain and other Dominions. With scientific migration no man or woman in New Zealand need be displaced in their present jobs. In fact, it could be proved, said Mr. Sunt, that the influx of British capital and British labour to expand existing industries and create new industries would increase the general standard of living of everyone in the community and create inore work tllrtn ever for New Zealanders. Probably one of the reasons for public apathy was that the man in the street had ft* fear of losing his job as he did uiider the haphazard migration of the past, - but with planned migration by chartered companies there wotild be no danger of this, as the organisations, supported bv the Imperial Government, Would Officially undertake tlio responsibility for the welfare of migrants from the Mother Country until tliey became a definite asset to New Zealand. Kven migrants who were unsuitable would bo returned at.the expense of the organisations. It wits biearlv realised by those interested in Great Britain that no scheme of organised migration and settlement would if it entailed a financial burden on NewZealand.