PEOPLING NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12252, 25 September 1925, Page 7

PEOPLING NEW ZEALAND

WORK MUST BE UNDERTAKEN ON A LARGE SCALE DOMINION CONFERENCE OPENS BRITAIN MAKES A START WITH THE TRAINING OF MIGRANTS The preparation of a scheme for securing a sufficient number of suitable migrants each year from Britain is the task set itself yesterday by the Dominion Conference on Migra*tion. ... By a coincidence, a discussion is taking place in England on the Government’s plan for training migrants.

A NATIONAL SCHEME REQUIRED PROGRESS AND DEFENCE THE CONFERENCE’S TASK The Dominion Conference on Migration convened by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, opened in Wellington yesterday, Mr A. Leigh Hunt presiding. The following bodies were represented : —New Zealand Farmers’ Union, New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, Y.M.C.A. Wellington, Salvation Army Immigration Department, Caledonian Society of New Zealand, Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, Congregational Union, Colonial Nursing Society, Church of Christ Immigration Committee, Auckland Provincial Industrial Association, New Zealand Tourist League, Auckland, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, Taranaki Chamber ot Commerce, New Plymouth Tourist Expansion League, Gisborne Chamber of Commerce, Napier Chamber of Commerce, Picton Progress and Beautifying Society, Nelson Progress League, Buller Progress League, The Imperial League, Christchurch, Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Canterbury Progress League, South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, Otago Expansion League, Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association, Southland League. Mr J. D. McGowan, president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the delegates, and spoke of the necessity of emigration to the progress of the country. “SHOULDER TO SHOULDER’’ Mr E. fi. Wyles (Canterbury), said it was most necessaiy that the Associated Chambers of Commerce should stand shoulder to shoulder in the questi6n of immigration, and he hoped, that representations in Jiis direction would be made to the Government. It. was also essential that the Chambers should be included in any body set up to decide matters of .mmigration. Such a body should he placed on a sound basis, and should oe continuous. Other parts of the Empire were grappling •with the problem on a large scale, and New Zealand should follow suit. It •was the duty of the Government to lead in this matter, and prepare statements showing the amount of undeveloped land available for settlement. The urgent need of New Zealand was production, and this could only he accomplished if the population of the Dominion was increased. It would be necessary to get beyond a mere political viewpoint, and face hard, solid facts.

GOOD QUALITY OF IMMIGRANT

Mr T. C. List (New Plymouth) ques tioned the statement of the previous speaker that sufficient care was not being exercised in the selection of emi. grants for New Zealand. He had him self seen off batches of emigrants from Southampton, and he could assure the meeting that compared with those go ing to South Africa, Canada, and New Zealand they were an excellent stamp of prospective colonists. The speaker gave an interesting resume of the work being done in connection with the public schools immigration scheme, and urged an extension of the principle or bringing out this class of potential settler, who would in turn a*tract further emigrants with capital He advocated further the introduction into New Zealand of a laTger number of boys and girls from the Barnado Homes, and spoke highly of the excellent character and training, of these, 9o per cent, of whom had made good ia other countries to which they had emigrated. GROUP SETTLEMENT Dr. E. G. Levinge (Imperial Mission, Christchurch) urged an extension of the “group settlement” scheme, which had been found satisfactory in Canada, and also the establishment of training farms by the Government in both the North and South Islands. Mr R. B. Bell (South Canterbury) moved the adoption of a general 1 formation of the principle of immigration on the following lines:— “That the Dominion should adopt under a well-considered scheme a pro gieseive policy towards securing a sufficient number of suitable migrants from the United Kingdom each year, and thus provide for the defence, prosperity, and progress of New Zealand, end at the same time assist in relieving the Mother Country of a portion of her surplus population.” Mr W. B. Matheson (New Zealand Farmers’ Union), in supporting the motion, emphasised the necessity for careful selection of immigrants, stating that both as a farmer and a member of a hospital board he had seen too many of an unsuitable type come to the country.

Mr W. E. Leadley (N.Z.R.S.A.) said that for the purpose of defence a larger population was absolutely necessary. He urged th© setting up of boards in the different centres, similar to the ret patriatiou boards, which had done so much towards the settling of returned soldiers after the war, for the purpose of handling the question of settling immigrants in th© country. The motion was unanimously adopt-

led. The afternoon session was taken up in arranging committees to report on the various aspects of the question of migration, these to report to the conference to-day.

"OF VITAL INTEREST”

WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS PRIVILEGES Speaking at the Dominion Conference on Migration, which opened in Wei lington yesterday, the chairman, Mr A Leigh Hunt, said that this conference was one of the most important gatherings which had taken place in New Zealand at any time during her history. The question of migration was the most vital domestic and national one affecting the Empire, and he was certain that if the Imperial authorities in Downing street knew that such a gathering was taking place they would say: ‘‘Thank goodness, the last laggard Dominion had come into line an this matter.” (Applause.)

There was a growing feeling in the country that if they could not people New Zealand they could not hold New Zealand. The population was hopeless'v email per square mile compared with the overcrowded countries of tho older parts of the world, and there was a real danger of submergence. The trouble was that New Zealand had been too long >n the position of the spoiled child of the Empire, leaving everything to England, confident that it would he attended to. New Zealand, however, had arrived at the status of a nation, and it was time that she recognised that she had responsibilities to the comity of nations represented by the British Empire as well as privileges. EMPIRE RECIPROCITY Speaking of the increase of population in New Zealand, Mr Hunt quoted figures to show that during the past 30 years the average excess of arrivals over departures was only 6000. whilst the national increase was too slow to bo of material value. The only thing then was to arrange a system of migration that would absorb the surplus copulation in the Old Country where l) millions of the population were receiving the dole with its consequent lowering of the efficiency of the manhood of the country Despite this fact the migration from England in tia last year was 130,000 less than the preceding year, and the only thing that could he gathered was that England was raising a population of paunera. The fact then remained that Britain was suffering from an excess of population, and it was also a fact that the greater number of New Zealand’3 drawbacks were tluA result of under population.

WHAT BRITAIN IS DOING Britain had for years been appealing to the Dominions for assistance in this problem. They had recognised that it was no godd sending the scum of Britain to the Dominions. They had said, “Oome and pick of our best, and when vou have picked them we will assist you to transfer them to your countries.” England had set aside a sum of £3.000,000 to £4,000,000 to assist emigration, but of this a very small sum indeed had been absorbed, nope whatever coming to New Zealand. Further than this the Trades Facilities Act had provided for a sum of £70,000,000 being devoted to works which would assist emigration or trade which would promote British industries. Of this a smm of £200.000 had been absorbed by New Zealand in the Taupo railway. WHAT COULD NEW ZEALAND ABSORB? What number of migrants could New Zealand profitably absorb? asked the speaker. He criticised strongly the present system of nomination, which he held led to undesirable persons being brought into the country, and he hoped that before the conference rose they would set their hands to paper which would insure only people of good char acter and the right occupation coming to.the country. Ho would not advocate having one man brought to New Zealand without having houses built to receive them. (Hear, hear.) The trouble in the past was that there had been no organisation, and this must be overcome. They must not look " to the Government too much. Looking into history it would be seen tbat Canada. Australia, and New Zealand were settled by private enterprise, and he thought that the same system should be_ continued here. He was of the opinion that with proper organisation New Zealand could absorb 50,000 per annum, rising eventually to 200,000, provided always that capital came with them. The speaker deplored the apathy shown by the Parliaments of the Dominions on this great question, and urged that migration should be attacked on a grand Beale, and not in small schemes such as Flock House, good as they might be in their way.

GOVERNMENT SPONSORSHIP NECESSARY. One of tho first things necessary, continued Mr Hunt, was a clear and distinct statement by the Government that Britain’s population and her capital were welcome in the country. Speaking of the settlement of migrants, he detailed the lands in New Zealand capable of development, 8,000,000 acres in the North Island, which, although not suitable for small farm settlement, could be profitably taken up in large blocks by British companies, treated on a large basis of manuring and cropping, and as developed, settled with suitable migrants. These lands could be taken up now at a cost of 10s to £1 per acre, and could be brought into productivity for probably £4 to £5 per acre. The land when in cultivation would be worth at least £lO per acre, which would enable the company to sell out at a profit which would make the investment of capital satisfactory. The value of such schemes would be that they could be multiplied almost indefinitely, and New Zealand would benefit by the increased production. The question of defence was discussed in relation to the Eastern menace. Japan was seriously overcrowded, and yet her population was blocked from emigration in (every direction. Australia had vast areas of lands suitable for cultivation, and without a single soul in occupation. What more natural then than that they should cast envious eyes upon such countries, and certain it was that without population these lands in the southern seas could not be held. Should a war in the South Seas occur, the Dominions would undoubtedly call on England for assistance. Would it not be better, he asked, that they should rather make provision for the future, by making these lands so strong numerically as to obviate the danger. In conclusion, he earnestly appealed to those present to make the question of migration the ruling interest of their lives—at least for the next few years; to look at the matter from an Empirewide point of view and insure that they would not in future years have earned the reproach of being “Little New Zealanders.” (Continued applause.)