THE HOUSE OF LORDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23558, 22 July 1938, Page 9

THE HOUSE OF LORDS

DEBATE ON EMIGRATION POSITION OF DOMINIONS LONDON, July 20. The suggestion that a Board of Overseas Emigration be established on the lines of the Electricity Board or the London Transport Board was made by Lord Elibank in the House of Lords. He argued that many members of the Overseas Settlement Board were engaged in other directions and were unable to give the same attention as a full-time board. He recalled that when he was in New Zealand he ventured to propose foreign immigration, causing considerable discussion in the New Zealand and Australian papers. “ I find,” he said, “that the suggestion would not now be turned down in the same way as then.” English people could not claim to have no mixed blood, and if the dominions were able to introduce good foreign immigrants they would help in economic development as long as the British race still predominated. Lord Stonehaven said the only migrants any good to the dominions were those who went intending to throw in their lot and become citizens of the country The Duke of Devonshire said it was vital that the Empire be populated, if not from their own stock, by those who could easily be assimilated and held the same ideals. “ Unless we can make the Empire selfsupporting in defence within a reasonable time,” he said, “ someone else will populate it for us.” He added that Lord Elibank’s suggestion for a whole-time board would be considered, but he thought it unlikely that Parliament would , surrender its present power over the Overseas Settlement Board.