LAND SETTLEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 238, 8 October 1928, Page 9

LAND SETTLEMENT.

LORD LOVAT ARRIVES.

BRITISH MIGRANTS FOR

OVERSEAS.

POSSIBLE DOMINION OUTLET.

CIVIC RECEPTION TO VISITOR

Lord Lovat, British Under-Secretary for Dominion Affairs and Minister in Charge of Overseas Settlement, arrived at Auckland to-day by the Niagara from Vancouver. In pursuance of his mission of Empire settlement Lord Lovat has toured Canada. He will spend two weeks in New Zealand and a month in Australia.

"We all realise that the problem of Empire settlement is probably one of the most difficult which confronts the Empire at the present time," said Lord Lovat, at the civic reception in the Town Hall to-day. "Still, I can assure you that we do not come to New Zealand with any preconceived ideas. We hope to discuss with your Government the subject which all of us have so deeply at heart, that of the settlement of white population within the Empire." The Deputy-Mayor (Mr. A. J. Entrican) presided at the reception, and amongst those supporting him were Sir Heaton Rhodes, representng the Government, and Mr W. J. Holdsworth, president of the Land Settlement and Development League. A happy note was struck by Mr. Holdsworth, when he referred to the recent visit of Squadron-Commander Kingsfotd Smith. "Kingsford Smith told us," said Mr. Holdsworth, "that what we need in New Zealand was airfcense. I think what we need even more than that is land-sense, and perhaps horse-sense." Sir Heaton Rhodes spoke of the early day of the settlement of white people in New Zealand, and also mentioned the interesting fact that the average number of immigrants between the years 1920 and 1926 was 8000. The influx had been temporarily checked, but they all hoped and believed that the balance of importations of immigrants of the right type would speedily readjust itself.

"I can say at once," said Lord Lovat "that I have the very greatest pleasure in coming to New Zealand. We have had a most satisfactory conversation with the Federal Government of Canada, and we hope that our stay in New Zealand will be equally productive of good results. We. believe that the essential and basic principles of the Land Settlement Act (passed at Westminster many years ago) are equally true to-day. We still wish to send the right people, and you still wish to; have them. The distribution of the white population within the Empire is the most difficult problem, and is becomiing more serious day by day, as we see other nations, growing up around us. I do trust we may be able to 'bring a well-though c idea, which is held equally in all parts of the Empire, to a workable scheme."