The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1927. EMPLOYMENT OF IMMIGRANTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 3, 25 March 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1927. EMPLOYMENT OF IMMIGRANTS

THERE is a bright Parliamentary optimism in England about the settlement of Great Britain’s surplus population in the sparsely populated countries of the Empire. Another motion on the subject has been approved by the House of Commons without a division. It is all very interesting and commendable as to excellence of intention, but in respect of vital factors in the problem the attitude ,of politicians is exasperating. Something more than the reiteration of pious sentiment is required. H‘ optimism is to realise itself in practical success, all the Parliaments concerned with the question will have to make an end to vague talk and begin serious work on practical schemes for the assured employment of immigrants. The problem splits itself in two main difficulties, each loaded with responsibility for the respecti\ administrators. In the one half there is the Dominions’ task >f promoting the development of their vast resources on somiu lines; in the other half—a much more serious business for tne whole Empire—there is Great Britain’s colossal task, which is to lift olf the bowed shoulders of the nation the almost insupportable deadweight of State debt, unemployment, auu individual poverty. If any reasonable man pause a moment 111 th.e seihsh activities and gaieties of modern communities to renect 011 Great Britain’s burden, lie will understand at once wny Britisn politicians look to the Dominions tor assistance and substantial relief. It has to be admitted that the iacts ■ 111 Ureat iiritain are bad enougn to daunt the administrators ot eacn Dominion: Poor Daw renei in the Dritish lsies last year cost £ib,uuu,UUU, the number 01 charitable aid recipients at the end ot tNovember being over z,UUU,UUU. it is true that about nail ot these totals represents normal conditions. Then there is the consoling phiiosopiiy ot that snailow phiiosopner, Mr. VV lnston Churchill, that tne wonting population ot Creat Dntain has more to eat and is eating more to-day than it ever ate before. In contrast to these miserable facts, the conditions in each Dominion are attractive. Canada and .Australia boast of their prosperity, while New Zealand enjoys the unique record that its individual wealth has doubled in the past ten years. Canada needs workers to gather her bountiful harvests, and in order to secure them imports immigrants at a cost of £3 a head. Australia declares that her continent could support 250,000,000 people, but remains provocatively empty, and cannot despite its seven Parliaments, find employment for the whole of a population equal to that of Greater London. New Zealand, with millions of acres undeveloped, and thousands of factories merely scratching at manufacturing industries, has been compelled, through its administrators, to confess that it cannot absorb twelve thousand immigrants a year. The position is a mockery of Empire statesmanship. There is no economic gain from spending about £.60,000,000 annually throughout the Empire on keeping able-bodied men standing at street corners. What are responsible politicians going to do about it?