IMMIGRATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19016, 12 November 1923, Page 10

IMMIGRATION.

NEW SOUTH WALES’S 810 SCHEME. HEATED CONTROVERSY. (From Ouh Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, November 1. ■The principal interest in political circles at the present time in New .joulh Wale* centres in the immigration agreement with tho Imperial and Federal Governments, under which ths Now South Wales Government. aims at settling 6000 migrants eitiler on farms or in rural employment within five years. When the agreement was before the State House before the Premier (Sir George Fuller) went to London to conclude it the sums mentioned as being the whole amount involved for all parties aggregated nine millions. Recently, however, an advisory committee which went into the matter placed the probable ultimate cost of the scheme, which includes the construction of roads and railways, etc., in opening up new lands, advances to the settlers, training those who require it in farm work o.i special farms to be established for the purpose, at 19 millions to New South Wales alone. This has created a great stir in political circles, as nobody contemplated the State being committed to an expenditure of more than six millions. It appears that the committee has included in the cost the value of land to be made over to the settlers The general impression was that Crown lands unalienated would be used, but it now appears that large areas of resumed lands within workable distance of railways will be required to make the scheme practicable. The capital cost, of course, will be repayable on long terms, but expert critics point dubiously to the chances of a sufficient number "making good” to eliminate a problematical element in this direction. It appears also that tho committee estimated for a maximum advance to the 6000 settlers of £9,000.000. This the spokesmen of the Government declare to be beyond all probabilities. They admit that to “make good” a capital of £ISOO -er farm thus contemplated may be necessary, but they point out that the agreement only mentions an advance of £SOO per settler, half of which is to be provided by the Imperial Government. As for the balance of money required, they point out that as far aa possible prospective settlers who have some small capital of their own will be chosen, ii, being desirable that their own savings as well as the Government advances should De at stake. The potency of this argument is conceded by the critics, but they point out that a scheme contemplating settlers with capital of something between £SOO and £IOOO of their own assumes a different aspect from that nrst propounded, and the scope for enlistment under it in Great Britain is greatly narrowed, making it surely less attractive to the British Government, which is more desirous of finding outlet for the ‘‘workless willing” who are generally without any capital at all and constitute the main embarrassment there. ... It is pointed out, also, that the prospect of settling 6000 such persons in five years which, under the agreement, must be accomplished in order to obtain a substantial concession offered by th© Imperial Government in the matter of interest on the mans involved is rendered much more uncertain if the migrants are all expected to possess the amount of capital indicated The Government announces to-day that by ''ay bf practical test of the scheme 200 speciallyselected migrants will be sought, to arrive early next year.