The Waikato Times With which Is Incorporated The Waikato Argus. MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1928. IMMIGRATION.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17581, 10 December 1928, Page 6

The Waikato Times With which Is Incorporated The Waikato Argus. MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1928. IMMIGRATION.

A bold proposal for emigration has been put forward by Mr Bruce Walker, the Canadian director of migration from Europe. He says that there should be a movement from Britain to the other parts of the Empire of 300,000 people annually, of which Canada could take one-third at once and onehalf later, it is a hold conception and very different from what lias been taking place of late, in 1920 the surplus of emigrants over immigrants in Britain was 165,059; in 1927 it was 154,358. The Canadian director would double these figures, and no doubt it could he done, hut it would he nccessatx to take the matter much more seriously than we ha%'c been in the habit of doing. The general idea is that immigrants should go on to the land, and probably a considerable proportion of them would he glad to do so; hut it is scarcely right for them to do so immediately on reaching a new’ country. If some arrangement could he made by which they could work on a Government farm for 12 months on wages they would he in a much better position to succeed when they started for themselves. The Director speaks of training camps in Britain to produce 20,000 partially-trained emigrants annually, hut these training camps should be in the country to which the emigrant is going. So far as money is concerned it is probable that Britain would find large sums, hut the management and direction of the training camps, or whatever the farms may he called on which Hie emigrants are to acquire their colonial experience, should rest with the Dominion governments. Wc cannot say 1 how the matter is regarded in Canada, although it would seem that they are taking it more seriously titan wc do. In- Australia and .New Zealand neither Government nor people have shown much cordiality about immigration. For some time our papers had constant letters complaining that newcomers were taking work that old hands ought to have. It is a mistake, and a very small-minded and pitiful one, that the Government were apparently impressed with the outcry and stopped the immigration. Canada and Australia are, of course, the countries which impress the imagination owing to their great size and their small population, although New Zealand could also make a good showing if the desire to do so existed. There has not, however, been much willingness to push the matter. A good deal of lip service is paid to the cause of helping the Old Country, but there is a good deal of unwillingness to take immigrants and an entire lack of any plan for helping them on to the land. If an area of Grown lands were taken in hand and the immigrants were employed in knocking it into shape, in making roads, erecting fences, building houses, and possibly putting in the first crop, the immigrants could ballot for Hie farms and would have a chance of success. The cost of the work could he added to Lite land and payment demanded on easy terms, in this way we might greatly increase ihe number of those on the land, to the advantage of everybody in the country. Our only hope of reducing the very high taxation lies in increasing the number of those who find the revenue of the country. The

jealousy which grudges to admit any newcomer to the country is not creditable to our people, and at the same time is as great a mistake as could well be made.

We have been told that there is an unwillingness in Britain t.o emigrate, but whatever feeling of that kind may exist would probably be found due to the casual way in which emigrants Averc left to look after themselves. The ungracious letters that appeared in the press must also have been far from pleasant for immigrants, who we may lie sure would not have come if they had realised that the country was to experience a long spell of unemployment. Wc have tin doubt that if any systematic effort were made to place immigrants on the land that plenty of men would be found only too pleased to try their luck in a new country. The accounts we receive of the condition of coal-miners who have lost their employment are very painful reading. It should he possible in these new countries to do something to help the position, particularly as we should not be making any sacrifice, but, on the contrary, should be helping ourselves if the scheme we propose were worked with ordinary management. The time has passed Avhcn men can carve out a home from the wilderness. We may feel the utmost respect for the persons who did it, hut it is useless to expect men to do it to-day. It would too he bad business, for the land is an asset which should he brought to the productive stage at the earliest possible time. Our leaders have been singularly blind lo the possibilities of land settlement, although Grown lands are still our greatest asset. The large number employed on the construction of roads and railways arc not getting any nearer settling down. They arc not learning a trade or saving money or making any permanent position for themselves. If they were employed in the manner wc suggest on breaking in land they would sooner or later obtain a section in the ballot, and possibly become farmers- In any case, they would have obtained a foothold. As it is they will some day create an unemployed problem much greater than that- wc have just experienced.