VITAL PROBLEMS

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18063, 8 March 1923, Page 7

VITAL PROBLEMS

IMMIGRATION AND LAND. MR MASSEY'S SURVEY. By Telegrapli—Prass Association. , AUCKLAND, Wednesday. A statement has been issued by Mr Massey in connection with immigration and land settlement, regarding which a deputation from ; the Inunigrant and Land Settlement Lenguo waited on-him last Friday. “So far as immigration is concerned,” Mr Massey says, “there has been a good deal of objection to 'encouraging immigrants from Great Britain to comei to this country under existing conditions, hut the Government felt that on one hand it could not refuse to admit suitable immigrants of our own race and citizenship, and on the other hand what is wanted here is a larger population and encouragement to immigrants of the right class. It is l not a question of what capital they possess, but it is* our duty to see that immigrants who come here will be industrious and enterprising, people, likely to do good for themselves and for the Dominion.

“Now we are on a, fair way to returing prosperity, we, expect to be able to increase, the' number, who will be absorbed without increashtg unemployment. I think New Zealand should now he able to absorb not less than 10,000 British immigrants each year. Every man or every, industrious family who” comes here will help to provido employment for other classes of the population, and so assist us tocarry tho heavy burdens resulting from the war. t think it can bo confidently said that 'taking them on the whole the. immigrants so far have given satisfaction, and are. worthy to become lellow-citizcns with ourselves. “So far as land settlement is concerned, especially by people who have not had colonial experience, it has to be remembered that, the Crown lands now remaining in Now Zealand! are only second and third class. They have, however, been proved repeatedly during recent years to he capable of great improvement, though lam firmly of opinion that to put people, without, capital and without experience on such lands would he in most cases to- court disaster. As for the homestead system which has been referred to, that is provided for in the law of tho country. The Minister of Lands may set apart certain blocks of Crown land lor tho purpose. A settler may occupy a section on any one of these blocks, and when ho has resided there for a specified time, and has completed tho improvements provided by tho Act, lie will be entitled to a Crown grant. Therefore the Cabinet has held .in abeyance that part of the Empire Settlement Act which deals with the placing of immigrants upon Crown lands, but concentrated on the section of the Act which provides for assistance by the British Government with passage money, the result being that, in the opinion of the Imperial officers administering their Emigration Act, the Now Zealand agreement- completely overshadowed .similar agreements with other parts of the Empire. “The' plain truth is that insofar as land settlement is concerned tho Crown lands require to he what farmers call ‘made,’ that is, properly cultivated, fertilised, and worked for some years before- satisfactory results can be obtained therefrom.' During the. depression the applications for Crown lands from our own people,, sons of settlers, returned soldiers, and men who have saved a little capital 101 l off, but lately indications have greatly improved. and there are now applications for sections as quickly as they can bo surveyed and got ready for settlement. In several places the Lands Department is preparing and cultivating Ivoicks for small farm .settlement. it is expected that this land when opened for selection will bo taken up readily.”

IMMIGRANTS FROM BRITAIN. By Cable- - Trass Association —Copyright. LONDON, Mnvc-.lv G. In the House of Commons. replying of ' (iononil JL Pnge-Croft (HourneliHHitli). Sir William dovnson-l iivks snirl the migrants from Britan during totalled: — To Australia 117,773. To Xeiv Zealand 1 1 .Gnf. To Soutli A frini y.tOG. To Canada 4-,600.