EMPIRES POPULATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18551, 10 November 1934, Page 12

EMPIRES POPULATION

POLICY FOR BETTER TIMES X • , ‘ L .;v . * '■ r ' 2 . 7 200,000 EMIGRANTS A YEAR i • l LONDON, Sept. 15. i Futtir# policy for Empire migration is the subject of important recommendations jjyf Sn InteV-'Dephrtmental • Committee, i-tho- - chairmanship of - tiio Under-Secretary for the Dominions, Mr. | Malcolm*MacDonald.’ ' " . j i>?: Economic depression in the Dominions ( lias fbjff sortie Hime* caused organised | migration to remarn practically at a.| standstill. ’The committee’s report is Resigned to ensure the operation oi agreed plans as soon as Great Britain and thdfDominions ran again co-operate in the J kask of redistributing the ■ Km r fire’s'white population, is tn tlje four yearns .immediately propeeling 'the war,.- the average number ■migrants from the United Kingdom to Empire countries tvns 304,000 per annum. (Last ‘ v4»r it \vns 88,C77, which was a smaller', total than - that of the people vi ho returned from “the Dominions and Colonies to this country. I* The- believes that when .'economic recovery begins the volume of Emigration should reach 150,000 or 200.000 |ti year, at comparatively small expense to *the State. • • ■' ' IxO FARM, WORKERS’ SHORTAGE i- The idea that ’’assisted” migrants

should necessarily be expected to work on tile land is discarded. “We are not aware,” the report states, “that tlie're is any evidence to show that there is now, or is likely to be in the future, an misapplied demand in the Dominions either for farmers or agricultural workers, or that if and when such a demand arises it will not easily be met.” Group settlement schemes are. criticised in the report, and the committee expresses the view that, save in very exceptional' circumstances, the British Government should not continue the policy of providing migrants with the necessary capital to enable them to settle on the land. Infiltration is advocated as compared witli group settlement. That is to say. the committee considers the best system is that of settlement, whether on the land or otherwise, of single individuals or families in existing communities ns and where they may find room for themselves. MORE HOME.FARM SCHOOLS It is suggested that the British Government should assist financially the. setting up of more home-farm schools, like file Fail-bridge School in West Australia, for boys and girls from Great Britain. Recently the Brinre of Wales launched an appeal for £100.00!) for ’the establishment in the Empire of three more, such schools. The committee advises that the British Government should _ contribute half the capital eost and a limited port of the maintenance. The committee also recommends that the British Government should only assist migration when conditions are favorable to satisfactory settlement, and When the oversea Governments are pre-

pared to receive new migrants. ! The burden should, it is held, l e shared equally between this country and the Dominions. tint there should be amendment of the Empire Settlement Act to enable the British Government id provide up to 75 per cent, of the cost of the migration work ot voluntary organisations. j Two advisory bodies should be appointed to replace the existing Oversea Settlement Committee : 1. An Oversea Settlement Board to advise the Dominions Secretary on specific migration proposals; 2. A Central Committee on Oversea Settlement to co-ordinate the administration of migration policy, particularly in connection with the work of voluntary organisations. Copies of the report have been sent to all the Dominion Governments with an invitation to forward their views on it, to the Dominions Secretary. The opinion of the various voluntary agencies in this country interested in the migration problem will also lie welcomed.