MIGRATION PROBLEM.

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19452, 17 December 1934, Page 11

MIGRATION PROBLEM.

PROSPERITY FIRST DESIRABLE. BIG SCHEME UNWISE. Commenting on matters discussed at the recent Empire Service League ' Conference in Melbourne, Sir Andrew 1 Russell, in an address to the Hastings 1 Rotary Club, voiced the opinion that ; it would be economically and sociologically unwise to indulge in any grandiose immigration schemes in imitation of those followed throughout the Empire eight or 10 years ago. Sir Andrew commented on the impressive address given at the conference by Mr Malcolm (MacDonald, and said that the problem of immigration within the Empire bad been one of the most important questions discussed. The only practicable method of immigration, Sir Andrew said, seemed to be to promote immigration under a system in which prosperity was first achieved. Thus a state of affairs would be brought about in which men would emigrate from the Old Country of their own initiative, and financed by their own savings. It would be easier under such conditions lo ensure that immigrants would fill comfortably the niche tliat existed for them or that they would make a niche for themselves, it would be more certain also that men coming into tiic country in sueh cir- » cumslauces would lit Into the existing

atmosphere, certainly more easily than would people who were transplanted numbers under group settlement schemes, and who eight , years or so ago were induced to come to the Dominions in the belief that they were lands flowing with milk and honey. It was important also that immigrants should be young people. “If group settlement and mass immigration are ever to be encouraged 3 again,” said Sir Andrew, “the prob--1 lem will take greater study than was j applied to it before. The old method t will not do." It was better that men ■ should be weaned from their old acr cusiomed atmosphere and ways of 1 life than that should be forced away’ ' from them.