EMPIRE DEVELOPMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17175, 27 October 1926, Page 7

EMPIRE DEVELOPMENT

SOLUTION OP PROBLEMS OVERSEAS SETTLEMENT LORD CLARENDON'S ADDRESS (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.■ LONDON, October 25. The 'Economic and Overseas Settlement Committee, appointed by the Imperial Conference, met this afternoon. The former specially discussed the possibilities of Empire-wide industrial standardisation of materials and spetifieatons, the suggestion being thrown out that it would be invaluable to appoint bodies in every Dominion and colony to promote tlfe extension of standardisation.

The most notable contribution to the first meeting of the overseas settlement committae was Lord Clarendon's review of the difficulties at both ends in carrying out settlement schemes during tiie past three years.

Lord Clarendon insisted that the question must be considered from the standpoint of the whole Empire and from the redistribution of the'white population. He emphas.sed that the Government did not regard migration in the light of a possible cure for unemployment in Britain. It was upon the development of Dominion resources with the attraction of capital and labor thereto, ultimately resulting in extended Empire market's for British manufactures, that there could be relations between migration and prosperity in Britain.

Lord Clarendon stressed important new facts bearing upon Britain's capacity to supply large streams of migrants. Be pointed out that in the past this had been carried on without draining the Motherland's resources, because the annual increase in population was greater than the needs of home industries. Looking forward, however, it was almost certain that this position would be altered by 1933, owing to the continuing effects of the wartime reduction in the birth rate. The most careful calculations showed that there would be 350.000 to 400,000 fewer boys and girls aged 14 to 18 available for employment than at present. It was true that many young people were at present unemployed, but the proportion was far smaller than in the case of adults.

Lord Clarendon, continuing, said assuming there was a normally increasing demand for labor, there would be an actual shortage for Home industrial needs amounting to nearly 300,000 within a decade. Both Dominion and Home industries wanted young people as workers. The Dominions, under the present circumstances, had only agricultural employment to offer to migrants.

In view of the above forecast, it would be very helpful if the Dominion could gradually build up a balanced scheme for absorbing migrants for both industrial and agricultural operations.