MIGRATION AND MORALS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17469, 1 June 1922, Page 12

MIGRATION AND MORALS.

GROUP SETTLEMENT. ENEMIES OF THE FUTURE RACE. (moil Otß OWN CORRESPONDENT.) : LONDON, April 8. This year's annual meeting' of the National Council for the Promotion of Physical and Moral Race Regeneration (which has conducted for the last ten fears the National Birth .Rate Comtnksion) set for itself a discussion on a very important and interesting subject :—"The Renewal of thd British Race" —and during its progress several pro- j minent speakers stressed tho importance of emigration to Overseas Dominions, to be arranged for on proper business lines. The meeting was representative ofnumerous sections of society, of various religious denominations, and of social workers. The Bishop of Birmingham was in the chair, supported by the ller. Sir James Marchant (Director and Secretary of the National Council, who is leaving England in September on a tour of the Dominions, taking Canada first), the Duke of Devonshire, Sir J. Cook, Sir Rider Haggard, the Rev A. Fleming, Sir A. Newsholme, and Dr. Gollancz. Others present ineluded: The Chief Rabbi, Mrs Braiiawell Booth and Commissioner Lamb sSalvation5 Salvation Army), Sir G. Parkin, ■rusce Raoul de Rohan, Sir Dyce Duckworth, Sir F. Flannery, the Rev. Dr. and Sirs Gillie. Dr. and Mrs F. B. Me: W, Dr. J. A. McClymont 'Moderator of the Church of Scotland), Sir Q._ and Lady Frainpton, Miss Mario Corelli, Sir G. Lagden, the Hon. John Collier, Mr and Mrs St. Loe Strachey, Professor and Mrs R. G. Maolntyre, Dr. F. J. H. Coutts (Ministij of Health), Mr J. Q. Rowett, Agents-General, Lord and Lady Aberconway, Lord Inchape. By permission of the Mprquis and Marchioness Gurron of Kedleston, the meeting was held at 1, Carlton House Terrace.

Worthy Citizens. \ The Bishop of Birmingham describ,''*d the occasion as "the annual gath- . ering of an Association which is voluntary and which at any rate does not east the State anything, and therefore, ' from that point of view it deserves some consideration. It is a Council ■ whiofc really aims at developing, promoting, revivifying citizenship by doing all that is possible to care for the bodies and minds, and tho spirit of the people, and especially tho youth of the nation. Daring recent years the Council has striven t 0 consider the Empire as a whole rather than as this one country by itself, and I look forward to the day when there will be •noli a community of interest between the Dominions and ourselves that there *r], . k° n ° rac h thing as a man considering one part more than another of '2? r F*** Empire. I look foi ward to ; when we shall all work togeth;«r to make our manhood and womanly a«W fit for whatever part of the EmV * 5*7- *"* faßve to 80. I am a ' p**l.d******* in migration and I like **** possibilities of those ' 2»!SSt <mese Jf finding their way *X«.|2r P°rts where the great ."«Srr s **& works, and so forms JSZ.«« a u5 M f°l part of that DoeSSi \, J*- Htissell Wake Held eonjfSEßPMff* m t* l6 Pas fc England had IflfiZt i. *° m - e °* tne Donunions MjEjHjL,, Wno ni this country was very 3b&££** ! *>. ggfe rid.of. Many of these afflß3i2£! CTer '- n ' rll * n ' the y got to a > I|BP*?Tj^ t °2» part of the world turn,««*ter eitiaons. They were £ JW« «» Tork. "I wish.we could

I always inspire people hore with a keen desire for work. There is a thorough grit in tho English character, if I people will only give their character a chance. Sometimes they did not do that. I believe this council does something by its various enquiries and studies, to put before the 'people certain means whereby citizenship may be made more wortny of our country and more useful to the world." Speaking at a steel works in Canada some time ago, the Bishop was astonished to find that his audience included 150 men from Birmingham, and when he asked who wero the best and the worst workmen employed thero he was told that the best Englishmen were the best in the works, while the worst also wore to be found among the j worst Englishmen there. "The good I Englishman will turn out a rightdown credit in every respect." j Ravages of Tuberculosis and Syphilis. Sir A, Nowsholmc, K.C.8.,' M.D., emphasising the need for renewal of the British race, gave some useful statistics. He said that during the war period 5C0,000 fewer children wore born than would have been the case had there been no war; oyer 500,000 of the pick of tho nation porishod in the. war, and by their deaths the averago quality of this country's manhood had become distinctly lower. These facts indicated the need for renewal. Ever since ItiSO the birth rate of this country had been gradually declining, and it was now approacning a point where it would imitate France. The population of France had to be | replenished from Itaiy and Switzerland, and other centres; the increase [ of population thoro hardly kept pace with the mortality. The oiitli decline | here was differential in character; it did not occur equally in all classes ot society. For instance, taking the clergy as a standard of culturo, the birtn rate in that section had been reduced to an extraordinary extent, and one could not help deploring the fact. The birth rate in tho lowest strata of society was goir.g on at a very high rate indeed. There must be a levelling' up instead of a levelling down, for the result was that tb.o nations physical aud mental development was not on the up grade. One remedy was the lowering of the national standard of luxuries, and the encouragement of earlier marriage, which would then be midered practicable. The foreign population of London was only 3 per cent; while in Boston, Chicago, and New York it was something like 40 per cent. Tho reflex of that was tho fact that crimes were much more prevalent in the United States than they were here. Sir Arthur held that cvoiything should be done for improving maternal and child welfare. He described the prevalence of venereal disease as one of the great obstacles in the renewal of the race. Although syphilis scarcely ever appeared m the dentil returns, yet on the authority of Sir W. Ostlor it was the third of the killing diseases of this country. Tuberculosis and syphilis together caused one doath out of every five deaths that occurred here. Syphilis was a much greater cause of doath than was commonly ; supposed and accounted largely for the I general paralysis of the insane. The fruits of indiscretion of early manhood I were often reaped twenty" or thirty j years later. Thoy would not be able to ' deal effectively with diseases due t 0 im- I morality and unchastity until they ' were able to tako further measures; ' and he, therefore, welcomed the work ! of tho National Council. With a simpler kind of life one of the main obstacles to protection from these diseases would disappear. He did not think that fathers and mothers of the ! woll-to-do clasbes realised that they I wero responsiblo for the continuance of prostitution. Until they got the aboli- j tion of the dual standard of conduct in I regard to men and women in this I matter they would not succeed in j abolishing venereal diseases. He re- j garded it as fortunate that they had a ' counoil which was teaching the ethical I

side of public duty as well as tho physical side. i It was absolutely necessary that the ' nation's money should be used for the ' very best purposes. Much could be 1 done by lessening the amount of alcoi holic excess, wliich was one of the j greatest enemies of mankind. £403,- ! 000,000 was spent annually on alcoholic j drinks and a large part of it went to ; the Exchequer. The people would : have bo?n better without them. The ! figure worked out at £l4 4s per head, of the population, or at 3s 3d per week for every man, woman, and child, in this country. According to a medical officer who collected figures - from a largo number of big towns, the total expenditure on public welfare worked out at 5s 3d per year per head —5s 3d per head in public health per year and 3s 3d per woek per'head in alcoholic drinks. Here was ample room for saving and devoting the money to much better purposes. . Population Estimates., The Duke of Devonshire naturally ! devoted the trend of his. speech to Canada and its possibilities and needs; ho found there to be in England considerable lack of valuable information concerning that country, and people wero hazy as to its geography. According to the latest figures the population in the United Kingdom was bU-i to the square mile; in Canada it was 2.5; Newfoundland, 1.5; Australia, 1.8; New Zealand, 1.7; South Africa, 1.8. The problem of migration was not altogether quite so easy as it might seem. It was no light task t 0 suggest to young men and women that they should pull up their roots in the Old Country and go off to other lands very different in many respects. But more than ever had to be done to-day. It was very essential that thero should be a far greater influx of British-born than thero were to-day. British resources, industry, and capital should bo used for the development of tho country. There was an extremely efficient system of education there, and • he wished to emphasise the necessity | for sending out a greater supply of ] qualified teachers of both sexes. Extremely good openings were offered. Going to one of the great Dominions did not present any greater difficulty than removing from nortli t 0 south, or east to west in the Old Country. If the Council could help to solve the conditions under which people wore liv- j ing and increase the prosperity of the Dominions, they would be killing two birds with one stone, and doing a great I deal towards making our race strong, active, and virilo, and a credit to ail j concerned. It was to the question ot migration that they had to look for the | solution of many difficulties here! The British Empire to-day, controlled, he believed, about four-fifths of the great empty spaces of the world. By continuing true to Britain's traditions for colonisation, ho was confident they could look forward to still greater happiness and prosperity. Advocate of Group Migration. It was the opinion of Sir Rider Haggard that the question of emigration, if really investigated and considered in all its bearings, was one of the greatest questions of the day, alike as far as this country and the Dominions wore i concerned. Despite the great decline in the birth rate, there was not the slightest doubt that taking it all together this country was overpopulated. In the present condition of affairs, in the present disastrous state of trade, we were labouring under the terrific burden of taxation which oppressed everyone, and was so fierce and overwhelming th'at it might really be called a capita? levy; while the cost of coal, upon which Britain's industrial supremacy had always depended, was so high that the nations with which we traded could not new buy British goods. There were many people to be supported in this country. There were nearly 2,000,000 people now out of work. They had to be fed. They could not be allowed to starve. Some one must feed them.

) "Who? The remainder who pay taxes. So many could not be supported tor long. The capital, which was being eaten up by taxation, would vanish. I He trembled to anticipate what would I happen here in the next five or ten years unless there was some striking alteration in the situation, population ought really to be limited to the supporting capacity of the land, and one heard a great deal of talk aboiit ''back to the land." Such talk was idle and uninspyed, for England could not support upon her land all those whom enthusiasts would make believe; he did not suppose it would support more than one-third of the poinilution. Therefore, they could not roly upon the land here to help in this emeigency. I3ut there remained enormous Dominions overseas, and the lands there had capacities almost endless, and they were greatly underpopulated. ''They were not alien lands,'' continuod S;r Rider. "They own our King, and they are animated by the same underlying principles in every part. They have the endless land and endless capacity. It thrills one to think what the British Empire would be were it only populated. It would be the most glorious the world has ever seen. It is not a question of wealth—it is a question of men and women who are better than wealth, and who make wealth. The misfortune is that we cannot wave a magic wand and transport people from this overcrowded land. Even if ten or fiiteen millions could he settled upon the Dominion lands, to what power and prosperity might they not rise within a few generations? This, however, was a dream and it could not bo done, but much might be done; Australasia could cany at least 50,000,000, and Canada as many, 'ihe dilhcuities of migration must not be under-rated; it is very easy to be enthusiastic, 'iiiere are great dilhcuities and many—difficulties wnich cause the Dominions to be very anxious —and naturally from their point of view to have just the best—to gut the pick of the young men and young women. But aiter all Britain's losses in the war can we aiford to export our young men by the thousands, leaving tho vast bulk of the women behind, to say nothing „of the parents, tne children, and all tnose who, periiaps, do not come up to what was known as the A.l standard? I am not in favour of the solution that the best young men should be scut abroad. 1 do not think it is right or natural that any nation should have its young men sent abroad, leaving behind tne iamuics. When you remember tliat you have 2{ million more women than men here already, and if you are going to leave the women wnat is going to happen? These women will not bo able to marry; they will compete in business with the men, they will undersell tne men, and thero will be an increase of poverty all round. 1 would take famines; would favour block migration and tho gruup settlement. 1 am quite aware of the difficulties and expense, but it is the thing to do—to take sections of the population and settle them in groups upon the land and let them grauually accommodate themselves to the conditions of the particular country, and let their children grow up there. Take the people to prepared settlements, and let them find their feet by degrees." It was very doubtful whether tho Dominions would be prepared to forward such schemes, involving they did the provision of land, housas, and supervision. In these circurastances the question arose whether it would not pay Great Britain to finance the business. After all, in the end it must come cheaper than an enormous system of relief, especially when the funds for that relief were nb longer forthcoming. Some thinkers believed that family migration on a large scale was a practical impossibility. He did net agree with them; but he did think that it presented enormous difficulties which could only be met by wise and patient J

(Continued at foot of next column.;

statesmanship and much expenditure of money. "If civilisation is to be saved from many terrors," concluded Sir Rider, "the Anglo-Saxon race should bs spread throughout the Dominions, where the British flag flies. We have the people. Cannot they be brought toieti.er? The best' way to renew the British race is by spreading it abroad throughout the earth, wherever the Elag flies." Eace Purity. Sir Joseph Cook referred to the desire to keep the race pure, and to keep it British as far as possible.' That was prccLey the view taken in Australia, and the view that they stressed on every occasion. Australians looked ahead and saw the trouble that came from the mixture of races in other lands than their own, and they were determined not to subject themselves to those ' perils. In Australia 98 per cent, of their entire population was British. The 2 per cent, of foreigners when war broke out gave the authorities a great deal of trouble, especially the Germans. One result was that the German schools had been closed, and the Government were not going to allow them to bo reopened. Those Germans who remained must now become Australians or go to their own country. In Ids judgment, the housing problem of this country was an urgent one. As he travelled about here he saw long rows of old low-class houses hardly fit to live in. The best thing to do for people who lived there was to take them to the great open spaces in the Dominions. AYould it not be better for the two million unemployed to be over there rather than that the people in this country should be cahed upon to continue paying the present heavy taxation? He told how the Dominions were the Mother Country's best customers, in proof of which he quoted latest returns of goods purchased Every vear Australasia bought 263s worth per head; America bougnt 14s worth, and Germany last year only 7s worth. Was it not better to havo the 2,003,000 unemployed over there—bettsr than having them idle on the countrv here? "It is a business matter as "well as a sentimental one. We do not want vour money for any purposes of our own. But we are going to get the necessary money and take your people, and they will become the buttress of the British Empire in the Southern Hemisphere." Dr. Gollancz presented to the Rev. Sir James Marchant, director and secretary of the council, an- illuminated address and cheque, in appreciation of the important services he has rendered to the institution. Sir James is rain": first to Canada, and, if his health permits, he will go on to Xew Zealand early in 1923 from British Columbia.