THE DRIFT NORTH.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 864, 16 November 1916, Page 8

THE DRIFT NORTH.

PEOPLE MOVING. SOUTH ISLAND LOSES POPULATION. Speaking to-day of the census returns the lion. G. W. Russell said that a very large number of districts in the South Island showed a shrinkage in population as compared with April, 1911, when the last census was taken. "To me, as a South Islander," said Mr Russell, "it is very deplorable that the attractions of the north are so great as to clearly cause a drift of population to the north during the last five years. There is no doubt that the cheap land of the North Island is acting as a tremendous incentive to people to go there, and I should really like to see a conference held by public men representing industries, farming, and all other employment connected with the South Island to consider this matter, if necessary apart altogether from the Government, and to try to devise some means by which the Seuth Island can retain its population. It will be remembered that when the last census took place the result of the drift of the population north was that we lost three constituencies in the South Island, and as things point at the present time it looks to me very much as if there may be a similar result from the drift of population this time, and as if we may again lose two of our members of Parliament from the South Island. While I am quite prepared to congratulate the north upon the prosperity obtaining there, yet it is absurd to suppose that the South Island is carrying all the population it is capable of at the present time. We have in the Nelson district magnificent mineral resources capable of keeping up a large population if developed, and as far as Canterbury, Southland, and Otage are concerned, we have still to look for a large increase in population, provided the economic conditions are placed in such a position as to stand against the undoubted allurements of cheap land in the north.

"The matter will have to he dealt with on a broad basis, and I think if the public men of Canterbury and Otago were to consider the question some solution might be found." The Government Statistician, added Mr Russell, had forecasted the white population in New Zealand at 1,091,1)00. That total, of course, did not include the- soldiers who had gone on active service.