EMPIRE SETTLERS

Taranaki Daily News, 8 August 1930, Page 3

EMPIRE SETTLERS

NUMBERS GREATER. CANADIAN SCHEME., As the whole of the general policy .of the Governments of the Empire regarding oversea settlement will presumably be discussed at the forthcoming I. .perial Conference, it has been thought desirable to confine the report to a statement of events in 1929, says the Overseas Settlement Committee, which has published its annual report as a white paper. : During the year, the total out-ward movement of population from Great Britain and Northern Ireland to nonEuropean countries was 143,686, as against 136,834 in 1928, states the Manchester Guardian in a summary of the report. The balance, after deducting immigration, was 87,469 in 1929, as compared with 77,729 in 1928. Migration to other parts of the Empire amounted to 1p6,900, as against 108,982 in 1928, the balance outward being 62,952 and 62,812 respectively. The numbers assisted to proceed overj seas under the Empire Settlement Act ! increased from 47,855 in 1928 to 72,213 ! last year. There wgs a decrease .In i migration to Australia and to New ZeaI'land, but a substantial increase iu.the j movement to Canada. The committee | ascribes this increase to the beneficial | effect of the special £lO ocean rate to Canada for British migrants, which was introduced at the beginning of 1929. Last year 65,558 British migrants went to Canada, as compared with 46,709 in 1928. The introduction' <sf the £lO rate, plus the effect of the restriction imposed by the Canadian Government last year (which is to be maintained in . still more drastic, form this year) on immigration from Central and Southern European countries, resulted in a notable change in the proportion of British to foreign immigration to Canada.

As the result of the visit of Mr. J. H. Thomas to Canada last autumn -the Canadian Government undertook to place 3900 single men. from the Ministry of Labour training centres- in farm employment in the Dominion this spring. The scheme for the settlement of 3000 families on farms in Canada which came into operation in 1924 was completed during the year. Of the 3338 families who’ sailed under the scheme there were 2706 families on farms at the* end of 1929. Of the 561 families who have withdrawn from the scheme, 182 are still in agricultural employment, and 264 are engaged in other work. This scheme is stated to be without, doubt the most successful large scale enterprise as yet arranged under the Empire Settlement Act. Turning to Australia, the report alludes to the partial suspension of assisted migration to the Commonwealth, and to the effect of that suspension on the operations of the loan and migration agreement. It is pointed out that the responsibility on the State Governments for the absorption of migrants in proportion to the amount- of loan issued by the Commonwealth Government has been well maintained, and that the proper proportion of families has been observed.

In consequence of the partial suspension 'of assisted migration to New Zea-, land the number of settlers who went to that Dominion to take up'land there was negligible in the period under review. The New Zealand Government have, however, introduced legislation designed to increase still further the opportunities for acquiring land. During the year there was a decrease in the assisted migration of single women to Australia and New Zealand, but an increase in the case, of Canada. The total for the three Dominions was 7865, while 4353 single women sailed to Canada under the £lO grate in 1929. For the first time since the passing of the Empire Settlement Act, 1922, the number of women assisted to proceed overseas was greater than the number of mon, the totals being 14,047 and 12,801 respectively. During 1929 the committee, pursued their policy of providing facilities- in this country for the preliminary testing and training of intending settlers. The total number of persons trained at the various centres in the year who went overseas was: Families 64, men 4214, women 512, and boys 1098. Reports from overseas have satisfied. the committee that training has proved beneficial to the settlers. ■ ... Reference is made to the modifications of the Pensions. Act introduced in January. 1930, whereby pensions under the widows’, orphans? and old age ■pensions scheme will be payable in any part of the Dominions, and migrants already insured under the scheme for two years or more will be allowed to continue as voluntary contributors after their arrival overseas. The committee expresses the hope that these arrangements will remove any deterrent, effect on migration which the pensions scheme may have had.