MIGRATION PROBLEM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18579, 13 December 1934, Page 10

MIGRATION PROBLEM

PROSPERITY FIRST BIG SCHEMES UNWISE SIR A. RUSSELL’S VIEWS Commenting on. matters discussed at the recent Empire Service League Conference in Melbourne, Sir Andrew Russell, in the coursp of an address to the Hastings. Rotary Club, voiced the opinion that it' would be economically and socialogically unwise to. indulge in any grandiose immigration schemes in imitation of those followed throughout, the Empire eight or 10 years, ago. Sir Andrew, commented on the impressive address given at the conference bv Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, and said that the problem of immigration within the Empire had been one oi the most important questions discussed. The only practicable method of immigration, Sir Andrew said, seemed to be to promote immigration under a system in which prosperity was first achieved. Thus a state of affairs would be brought about in which men would emigrate from the Old Country oi their own initiative, and financed by their own savings.

It would be easier under such conditions to ensure that immigrants would fill comfortably the niche that existed for them or that they would make a niche for themselves. It would be more certain also that men coming into the country in such circumstances would fit into the existing atmosphere, certainly more easily than would people : who were transplanted in large numbers under group settlement schemes, and wlio eight years or so ago were im dueed to come to the Dominions in the belief that they .were lands; flowingwith milk and honey. It was important also that immigrants should be young people. “If group settlement and mass immigration are ever to be encouraged again.” said Sir Andrew, "the problem will take greater study than was applied to it before. The old method will not do.” It was hotter that men should •be weaned from their old accustomed atmosphere and ways of life than that should be forced away from them.