Australian Immigration.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 26, Issue 63, 3 August 1915, Page 2

Australian Immigration.

His Majesty's Trade Commissioner; in Australia has furnished the Imperial Board of Trade with an extensive report which shows the Commonwealth’s remarkable prosperity during 1912 and 1913, and throws some sidelights on immigration.

The report embraces the import trade, movement of population, immigration, local manufacturing industries, public works and legislation.

One of the chief sections deals with the export and import affairs of the country which are summarised as follow ; Exports. Imports. 1912. £77,420,000 £78,158,000 1913. £70,948.000 £77,248,000 £ 154,368,000 , £155,-106,000 Alluding to immigration the report says : For a country dependent to a large extent on its primary production not only for providing food for its population, but also for purchasing such commodities as are not yet manufactured within its borders, the problem of attracting immigrants who will settle on, the land is of the first magnitude. There is no doubt that many of the new arrivals during recent years have settled in the cities, and that immigrants of this kind are regarded unfavourably by certain sections of the community, who see in "it a risk of the rate of wages in urban industries being lowered.

Hitherto each State has sought for a solution of the immigration problem on individual lines, but recently an arrangement was , made whereby a certain degree of co-operation between Victoria and New South Wales is being put into practice. What may be called a national immigration policy may eventually! be undertaken by the Federal Government in co-operation with the States. -

11l speaking of Trade Preference the report says "In Australia there exist not only ('seal, but also what may be termed commercial and sentimental preferences in favour of the Mother Country. The community is thoroughly British in sentiment, and other things being equal, the individual buyer prefers to purchase goods of British manufacture. In some cases he is even prepared to pay a higher price for the British-made article, but the home manufacturer will be ill-advised if he conceive this attitude to be general. If he is to reap to the full the advantages derivable from commercial relations with this rich market, it is incumbent on him to give it his closest attention by carefully studying on the spot what its actual requirements are, and to what extent these are being met by his foreign competitors. No better method of extending trade relations can be conceived than by the visits to oversea and foreign markets of the younger partners in our great manufacturing firms. A visit from a number of manufacturers representative of British industries would form a fitting sequel to the recent visits of the Dominions Royal Commission, the British Parliamentary party, and the visit of the British Association for the advancement of Science.”