TUESDAY, December 27, 1938. PEOPLING THE DOMINIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23692, 27 December 1938, Page 8

TUESDAY, December 27, 1938. PEOPLING THE DOMINIONS

Last week's debate in the House of J Commons on the question of the resumption of British migration to the dominions can scarcely be held I to have added anything of value to the solution of the pressing problem '. of Empire settlement. It is perfectly ; true, as Mr Malcolm MacDonald emphasised, that a more populous iCdlonial Empire would not only conjtribute to the physical security of tEie British Commonwealth, but would also increase its moral influence throughout the world. IF here was a tendency during the debate for the responsibility ofi the dominions themselves to bq emphasised. The British Goverjiment was more than willing to enicourage migration, it was indicai ed, but the dominions had been slciw to respond to overtures already mnde in that direction. It has, nevertheless, yet to be shown that largescaJe migration from Great Britain is at practicable policy. There is the question whether Great Britain, in vie\y of the trend there toward a static population, can afford to lose maniy thousands of her people to the overseas countries of the Empire. And', even if it were possible to answer that question in the affirmative, it would yet have to be demonstrated that the urge to make a fresh; start in life in a new land is still its strong in the British people as it was a hundred years or even

fifty years ago. To people vacant spaces of the overseas Empire with settlers, artisans or other workers of British stock may well express an ideal of settlement, but of the practicability of its realisation none can speak with authority. There is also the difficulty, invariably raised in the overseas Parliaments 'of the Commonwealth, of finding employment for such migrants as may wish to tempt fortune in new surroundings. Mr MacDonald speaks of the need for the development of the dominions as centres of manufacturing. He regards, indeed, the expansion of secondary industry as the principal part of any policy of dominion development. But such expansion, as has so often been indicated, presupposes the existence of adequate internal markets for the goods manufactured, and arising out of that contention there is already difference of opinion between this country and the United Kingdom, where proposals to restrict the market for British goods in New Zealand have been the cause of disquiet in British manufacturing circles. There are opportunities for settlement in New Zealand, as there are, indeed, definite opportunities for the importation of farm labour and girls for domestic service. The viewpoint of the dominions is, however, that immigration, to be an effective policy, must be arranged with a scrupulous regard for the requirements of the local labour markets. It is the danger of causing a condition of unbalance that gives rise to so much confusion of policies where closer settlement of the dominions is concerned.