The Daily News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1928. IMMIGRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1928, Page 8

The Daily News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1928. IMMIGRATION.

The question of immigration, which the visiting British Minister, Lord Lovat, is to discuss with the New Zealand Government, has many phases. Stripped of embellishment two main factors remain: the first, the need of this Dominion for more population and the urgent necessity that, if possible, this shall be of British stock; the second, that in the Homeland emigration is the only way capable of much expansion whereby the economic evils may be remedied, or at least reduced. Though these principles are admitted, they do not state the whole of the problem. There is, first and foremost, the relation of i migration to unemployment in Great Britain and in New Zealand. However admirable schemes for empire settlement may appear 'from the British point of view they must be such as will appeal to this Dominion also if they are to have any chance of success. Indeed, it is not too much to say that any such schcmejias first to overcome an undoubted belief that it is intended primarily to relieve Great Britain of some of her economic troubles by transferring them to other Dominions, including New Zealand, each of which has already quite enough of similar difficulties to contend with. Any proposals which Lord Lovat may desire the authorities here to profit by will doubtless take this into consideration. It does not seem beyond the wit of man to devise a means whereby adequate distribution of the peo-

pie of the Empire may be brought about. Despite the temporary depression New Zealand is recovering from, a depression far less severe in this country than in many others, so ample are the resources of the Dominion, and so peculiarly fortunate in that they make possible individual settlement as primary producers rather than the transplanting of masses of wage earners from one portion of the Empire to another, that New Zealand’s requirements in the way of increased population take her some way' towards assisting the Mother Country in solving her problems. But to do this means effort at this end, ..nd effort upon very practical linesWhile to think in terms of the whole British realm may be very excellent mental training, it must be more than a vision if it is to help either New Zealand or Great Britain. In Taranaki a modest effort has been made to show how this can be brought about. What is known as the “English Public Schoolboy” scheme of immigration has now been in force for over four years. Briefly, its operations have covered the selection of boys from the best English schools desirous of going on the land overseas, their migration hither, and training by farmers throughout the province. The work has been in the hands of a committee of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, which has exercised care over the boys, adjusting any troubles "dii the part of the farmer employers or of the young immigrants; and providing for the boys counsel and friendship in the early days of their new citizenship, when loneliness and homesickness are very real; and giving them advice and assistance when the time comes for them to launch out as land owners themselves. Over 150 boys have come out under the auspices of the scheme, and though there have been disappointment and disillusionment on both sides the scheme has, on the whole, been markedly successful. In carrying it out the possibility of attracting the relatives and friends of the boys to take up their residence in New Zealand has always been borne in mind, and it is possible that with the help of the Imperial authorities this branch of the work of the committee may be greatly extended. It can at least approach Lord Lovat with a record of an actual attempt to quicken British emigration of a desirable type to New Zealand. It can show the results of actual experience and of personal contact. Throughout its term of office the committee has been ably seconded in its efforts by the Immigration Department. Great Britain has expressed her willingness to find funds for migration if it can be shown that it will be applied in a manner that means success. Given this assistance there seems hope of a wide extension of the Taranaki experiment.