The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1923. IMPERIAL MIGRATION

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11649, 13 October 1923, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1923. IMPERIAL MIGRATION

The bombshell sent over by Mr Wignail, M.P.—a member of the Migration Commission recently in New Zealandfell, in due course, at the feet of Mr Massey, possibly, as we surmised, in the Conference chamber. The immediate result was an interview with Mr Massey in the “Morning Post.” Wherefrom it is safe to assume that the “Morning Post” had —thanks to its Wellington correspondent—published a cabled summary of the statement of Mr Wignall, M.P., a member of the travelling Migration Commission. The statement, it will be generally remembered, was to the effect that, owing to the absence of a settlement scheme, the shortage of houses in New Zealand, and the excessive rentals, the Commission would not he able to report encouragingly, if at all, on the inclusion of New Zealand in any migration scheme. Mr Massey began his interview with the obvious, the expression of his inability to say whether Mr Wignall had merely spoken his own thoughts or represented the considered conclusions of the Commission. This was, of course, not only true, but the best thing to be said on the subject. It was, in fact, a quite legitimate parry, turning aside awkward questions. Probably none were asked. It was, indeed, highly unlikely that any member of the Conference would have- referred to the cabled statement in the “Morning Post,” dr asked Mr Massey what he was going to do about it. Bpt the fact that the bombshall had. fallen could not be concealed, and the need for saying something to minimise the effect could not be ignored. Hence, we conclude, the interview in the “Morning Post” concerning the cable sent by its New Zealand correspondent. The columns of that journal were, of course, the right place for any reference to the matter. The reference made by Mr Massey parried all possible questions by removing their target of aim. It reminded questioners at Che earliest that no report has been made, and that it will he time, therefore, and right, to postpone discussion until there is a report to discuss. Nevertheless, the facts stated by Mr Wignall cannot he contravened. As a matter of fact, there is no settlement scheme of any kind for the encouragement of Imperial migration. The present system of immigration is not confined to settlers, as Mr Massey went on to say to his interviewer, but includes in its welcome artisans, skilled workers, agricultural labourers, domestics, and industrial people generally. This is true, but it misses the point. What is wanted is a scheme of settlement that looks entirely to settlers for its foundation and spirit. The aim of such a scheme is to increase production by increasing settlement. It must provide land and transport facilities, without which requirements settlers cannot settle. These requirements are not provided in any scheme of settlement. Such a scheme should be able to say: There is your land for you to begin to ' produce; there is the money to help your start; there is the transport to enable you to get to your land, to live in comfort on it, and to take your produce cheaply away to the markets waiting for it. Such a scheme is expected under the Imperial migration system provided by Imperial statute, which provides for its working by co-operation between the Imperial and overseas Governments. When our Government has formulated a scheme for its part of the co-opera-tion, which includes provision of land and transport, and perhaps financial help, the Imperial Government can cooperate with money, and Britain can find the settlers. Until this is done, there is no scheme of migration such as is required for the increase of settlement and production, which are the imperative requirements of the Dominion. If Mr Massey can think out such a scheme before the Conference ends, we may secure these requirements early. If there is no scheme, these requirements will not he secured at all.

The shortage of houses may he got over, as the figures published by Mr Parr’s authority two days ago give some reason to hope. In that case the rent problem may he easier. But of themselves these things will do little to encourage such a mass of migration as is necessary for our great purpose of driving this country faster ahead. The value of land id*, as Mr Wignall said, very high, and he was not the only Commissioner to make that remark. That makes it fairly certain that the Commission whose members said that these land values are too high to encourage the migration of even practical farmers with capital, will not make a report favourable to New Zealand. It is a fact we must

face fairly and fully. It represents the main difficulty in the way of any scheme of migration such as the Dominion urgently requires. The overcoming of that difficulty is the most important work now before Governments and Parliaments. It is a difficulty that they must overcome. They will never do so if Parliament remains more or less a hoard of works. They can only do so by making party lines cut deeper into the essentials.