EMPIRE MIGRATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 30

EMPIRE MIGRATION

■ v PRESS UNION DISCUSSION. LONDON, Jane 29. Lord Burnham presided over an Empire Press Union conference to consider the most effective press methods of promoting migration. Mr L. S. Amery said that the question had been well stated by Mr Bruce at th© Melbourne conference when he described it as the problem of the better distribution of the white population of the Empire. Migration was not designed to relieve British unemployment. That was solely Britain’s responsibility. Migration was a matter of economic and political stability, social well-being, and Empire defence, because the dominions no longer dwelt in regions remote from conflict. Mr J. J. Astor questioned whether the press could possibly do more than it was doing to help migration. Lord Apslev said that what had struck him during the Empire tour was the success of Canada’s reduction contrasted with Australia’s non-success through unreduced fares. Mr MacGarvie, migration agent for the. Canadian Pacific Company, said that migrants were being transported from Britain to Canada at an average cost of 7£d per head. Messrs H. P. Colebatch (Western Australia), J. L. Price (South Australia), and J. Huxham (Queensland) advocated increased migration. Sir Joseph Cook said that Australia had got greater and better migration under the old unassisted system. He protested against the hostile criticism of Australia’s borrowing, which was for remunerative development and without which progress would be impossible. This criticism was reflected in the attitude of the money market which loaned money to British municipalities at 1 per cent, cheaper than it did to the Commonwealth. The conference decided to appoint a standing press committee to co-operate with the Overseas Settlement Committee. FLOW TO DOMINIONS. LONDON, June 29. Mr W. G. A. Ormsby-Gore (Undersecretary for the Dominions, informed Mr R. G. Glyn that the outlay for the year ended March 31 on assisted passages to the dominions was £917,223, apportioned as follows: —Australia £580,836; Canada £143,563; New Zealand £190,894; South Africa, £1930. Of this sum Britain paid £466,884; Australia £283,821; Canada £60,768; New Zealand £98,472; and South. Africa £965. The numbers of assisted migrants were as follows :—Australia 25,596 ; Canada 10.266; New Zealand 8225; South Africa 127.