SETTLEMENT WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16853, 5 June 1920, Page 13

SETTLEMENT WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

■ ♦ VIEWS OF SIR H. EIDER HAGGARD

(FROM OTTIt OWN CORRESrONTIENT.) I LONDON, April 1-3. 1 In a paper road bfiore the Loyal Colonial Institute, Mr Christopher Tur-1 nor outlined suggestions iot - the or- j ganisation and co-ordination of migra- j tion and land settlement within tkel'.m- ; piro. Sir Rider Haggard occupied t.'ie j chair, and referred to his tour of tlie j Eihpiro during tho war in connexion j with the movement for emigration by • co-operation with the Dominions. In his opinion, Anglo-Saxon blood was so precious that every drop of it should be preserve! 1 within the Empire. It that, had bw;n done in the past wo should he a stronger Empire to-day. and our only hope of saving the great Empire to the Crown and to civilisation ; In the future was by preserving all our Anglo-Saxon blood within i>s borders. (Cheers.) The had come when we ought to consider seriously tho question of the redistribution of our Enn pire population. There were too many people to feed here and too few abroad. He was certain there would be within the next few years a great deal of emigration, and it should go to where the British flag flew. (Cheers.) The chairman said lie brought home with him great offers from tho various Dominions, but Governments changed very quickly in and those offers, he was afraid, for the most part had lapsed. But there was a greao opportunity to act in conjunction wii-h the Dominions in making :-ure that every fit and proper person who left these shores should havo the opportunity of making good for himself and his family, and, incidentally, strengthening both the land to which he went and tb« home country that he left. (Cheers.) They had to look tilings in ilic iace. They had to consider -what a temptation Australia was to the more crowded parts of the earth. The J-reagye of Nations had not yet established universal peace, and the fate of Australia mightbe at stake unless it had a. sufficient population. In South Africa the very word "emigration" was unpopular to a large number of people, but if no successful efforts were made to increase the English population, the very gravest troubles might arise.

Mr Tumor described the problem as ono of tho most import-ant with which wo were faced f and vet it was. perhaps, the - one that was receiving the least caTO and consideration, either from the public or from the different Governments of the Empire. It was of supreme importance for the reasons, he said:—(l) Because our white population is small in comparison to tho vast land area of the Empire. Therefore, we must see that as far as possible all who leave the United Kingdom settle within the Empire'; we cannot afford to lose citizens. (2) Because the land of the Empire—its greatest material asset—is still in such an under-developed state that we shall lose our moral right to these great areas unless we can develop them more systematically and rapidly than in the past. (3) Because we must produce a much greater amount of food within the Empire if its citizens are to have an abundant supply at reasonable prices. The fact that with all our vast territories the Empire has not, up to the present, been self-supporting in the essentials of life, constitutes the strongest indictment of our Imperial (and National) land policy. (4) Because we must be, in the main, a self-supporting Empire if we are to readjust the adverse international exchange. (5) Because we must produce the maximum amount of new wealth from the land if we are to recuperate rapidly from the effects of the war. "In our present crisis, not only do we want thousands of new settlers but j we must have successful settlers, who shall becomo successful producers of food, with the least possible delay*, i With haphazard and unguided settlement the percentage of failure is high; j under higniy organised settlement the percentage of failure can be (and actually has been) reduced to a negligible quantity. % To secure the nee<ied organisation the imperial Government must take tho initiative in creating an Imperial policy. And the first step should be the creation oi an Imperial Migration and Settlement. Authority j wita the powers necessary for dealing with the oversea. Governments, the slapping companies, and the large number of private concerns now handling migration. These must all be ..brought into line with tho common policy and their work supplemented, u, indeed, not finally supplanted by the Imperial Migration Avrciiority. There are two main principles upon which this new policy; should rest —principles which have not * been considered or acted upon in the "past. The first: Migration should be guided in the first instance to that part of the Empire where, from the strategic point of view, population is most wanted. The second : Migrants should be settled in districts where, under properly organised conditions, they will becomo successful producers of iood in the shortest possible time. Areas of less importance and suitability should bo left for the present." "But how can population be guided aright, and migrants settled aright, unless there is an Imperial poljcy and an Authority with adequate powers?" asked the lecturer, "it is not a question of urging population to leave the United Kingdom. If we do not fully organise and guide the migration which is bound to take place, it will not be migration within the Empire but emigration to loreign countries." '"'The fundamental princinles underlying organised and scientific settlement aro the same, no matter in what

part of the world the settlement takes place; and the penalty for ignoring .any of these principles js an avoidable degree of failure in settlement. 'That is why a central and Imperial Authority; is necessary. Surely it is our duty to see to it that thu mon who have fought for the Empire are placed upon the land under The best possible conditions."

The principals referred to arc:—(l) That setters *hall bo. placed upon the land in groups or communities, other than as isolated units. Exporiehcs has proved that less than 200 in a group is not fully economic. (2) That settlers .should o'.vn their farms rather than rent them. (3) That adequate nccsss to capital Clonic! he provided. (4) That expert guidance c.nd supervision should ho provided from the outspt. (o) Thc.t co-oporativo buying and .selling should i>e developed from the beginning. (G) That organised transport is essential t"> the success fw? the. community. (7) That the community spirit should he rsncouraged so that, the settlers can build un for themselves a strong communitv life."

"It is not for one moment suggested that the Imperial Government should interfere ip. the administration of overseas settlement# but it is its duty initiate a big and t.ouad policy and to assist its development in every way."