MIGRATION PROBLEMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18540, 28 April 1922, Page 5

MIGRATION PROBLEMS

OVERSEAS SETTLEMENT. BRITAIN’S SURPLUS POPULATION. IMPERIAL POLICY OUTLINED. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, LONDON, April 26. In the House of Commons Colonel L. C. M. S. Amery, in moving the second reading of the Empire Settlement Bill, pointed out that a large proportion of exservice men who emigrated under the earlier Overseas Settlement Committee’s scheme would probably have emigrated of their own accord if the* war had not broken out. A considerable percentage of ex-service men who were sent out now were progressing well towards substantial prosperity. If they had remained the majority would certainly have needed employment benefits. The cost of their passage, therefore, was well spent. The present Bill'enabled the Colonial Secretary and the Overseas Settlement Committee to co-operate with both the overseas Governments responsible and private organisations in an approved emigration scheme. It should ,be remembered that Great Britain had a surplus of 1,750,000 women, while the shortage of women in the dominions was prejudicing their social life. The first year’s Imperial expenditure was limited to £1,125,000; £2,000,000 would make possible the assisting of 60,000 to 80,000 persons yearly. Before long he believed that the House would regard the amount as quite inadequate, but in view of the present financial difficulties and with the. object of gaining experience he had prepared a substantial instalment of a larger future policy. The Imperial expenditure was contingent upon dominions undertaking a considerably larger expenditure on land settlement. The direct settlement of men on the land must be the foundation of any policy of the economic regeneration of the Empire. After the first year the Imperial expenditure would be £3,000,00Q annually, of which about £1,000,000 would be devoted to the provision of passages o.n a half-and-half basis with the dominions. Colonel Amery commended the Bill as a first step towards the Empire’s economic recovery. Mr J. R. Clynes minted out that while some might support the Bill under the impression that emigration would relieve the burden of unemployment, as a matter of fact the Bill did not touch the root cause of unemployment. He feared that Colonel Amery would be disappointed at the ultimate consequence of the Bill’s working. He could not accept Colonel Amery’s conclusions that it was advantageous to neglect trade • opportunities in Europe in order to cultivate closer economic trade relations with the dominions. He hoped that no, attempt would he made to subsidise private agencies like shipping companies, which were merely pecuniarily interested in emigration. He asked whether the dominions’ labour organisations had been consulted. —A. and N.Z. Cable. Sir Donald M’Lean said that he hoped that the free passages to ex-service men would remain open another year and that fraudulent emigration agents drawing fanciful pictures of the conditions really existing in the dominions should be swept away. The removal of land-■ restrictions in Great Britain would mitigate the need for the present measure. Sir Newton Moore expressed disappointment at the smallness of the first year’s expenditure. Sir Erederick Young said that the Bill offered only a slight immediate contribution towards a solution of the unemplovment problem, but eventually it would prove a great factor in that connection.— A. and N.Z. Cable. (Received April 27, at 5.5 p.m.) Sir Frederick Young stated that Australia afforded great opportunities for settlement if the expenditure were confined to schemes definitely offering emigrants a proper livelihood. Sir H. Hood favoured an extension of boy emigration. Colonel J. €. Wedgwood said that the Labourites could not be enthusiastic regarding the emigration of people to Australia when they could more cheaply be enabled to take up small holdings in Great Britain. Major Wood, replving to the debate, admitted that the Bill was not a panacea for all industrial ills, but it would ease the situation by giving neople opportunities of re-starting their lives elsewhere, and it would benefit home trade and commerce. The Bill was read a second time.— A. and N.Z. Cable.