MR AMERY'S VISIT

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19165, 23 November 1927, Page 8

MR AMERY'S VISIT

A BUSY DAY. AUCKLAND RECEPTION. [THE PBEBS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, November 22. The Secretary for State for the Dominions, Mr L. S. Amery, with the keenness which has marked his investigations in other parts of the Empire is spending another day of great activity in Auckland. In the early forenoon Mr Amery received several deputations. He later visited the works of the Colonial Sugar Refining.Company nt Chelsea. On returning to the City, the Colonial Secretary was the guest of honour at a town hall luncheon, arranged by the Chamber of Commerce, the Provincial Employers' Association, and Manufacturers' Association. With energy which matches that of her husband, Mrs Amery has been throwing herself with enthusiasm into a round of visits and functions arranged in her honour. She was entertained at morning team and this afternoon, with Mr Amery, attended an at home at the Auckland Club. This evening Mr Amery was present at a private dinner at the Northern Club. The Auckland visit will draw to a close to-morrow morning, when tho guests of New Zealand will leave by special train for Hamilton and other parts of the Dominion. A BIRTHDAY GIFT. [THE PEBSB Special Senrie*.] AUCKLAND, November 22. "This is Mr Amery's birthday," said the chairman at the Town Hall luncheon, "and in wishing him many happy returns, we are going to ask him to take this cake with him to the Grand Hotel so that Mrs Amery may have the honour "of cutting it." The three hundred guests endorsed the sentiment with hearty applause, and the guest informally responded. "I feel like a little boy," he said, "in being allowed to take my cake home with me, and I feel tempted to lift the chocolate kiwi off and eat it. Ho thanked them warmly for their thoughtfulness. MIGRATION. | DBPUTATIONS RECEIVED. [THE PMSS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, November 22. TEe deputations which waited on Mr Amery were both numerous and enthusiastic. Each made it clear that the importance of the visit to New Zealand was fully realised, and each brought documents which had been carefully prepared in order to save the time of the visitor, and to give him tabulated information for future reference. With one exception, that of the League of Nations Union, the deputations were concerned with the problem of immigration and land settlement. The first speaker. Mr W: J. Holdsworth,, explained the operations of the New Zealand Settlement League. "We realise," he said, "that Home problems are our problems, and that our fwoblems equally concern tho Homeand." Mr N. 6. Gribble said the League suggested an economic survey of the Empire's resources, and they believed that Westminster was the logical centre from which such a survey should be initiated. A Vital Matter. Mr Amery, in reply, said the point of view of the British Government in these matters was that development of the British Empire and the growing strength of its component nations was of vital interest to Great Britain and to the Dominions alike. A remarkable change, Mr Amery said, had occurred in the point of view of the British Government as compared with that which was held, say, 20 years ago. Then the British Government was not concerned where British people went But to-day they were spending not far from £2,000,000 a year in assisting settlement in various parts of the Empire, and they had undertaken to spend, when the scheme had fully developed, up to £3,000.000 a year". "Our desire." said Mr Amery, "is not to dump the surplus population f Great Britain on to the Dominions or to do anything that will create unemployment problems at this end. We in Britain believe that our unemployment problem is our own, and that it is for us to settle it ourselves." Proceeding, the speaker said it was felt in Britain that for the purpose* °j m !s ration . tne British Empire offered the finest opportunities in the world. "We are, therefore, as much concerned as you are that the rieht people should be selected, and that none should be sent to the, Dominions except those who are likely to make good. Dominion Responsibility. "The whole machinery of assisted migration is based upon the principle of entrusting the full responsibility of selection to the Dominions themselves so that they may lay down their own rules as to what type of people are to be received."

There were bound to be some misfits, Mr Amery said, and if we set out *?P rovide a metnod which would give 100 per cent, efficiency, the restrictions might be so difficult as to make migration impossible. On the whole, good results were being obtained, and not a very large percentage of those who came out for specific purposes were drifting into occupations in which thev were not wanted. The speaker attached great importance to what was being done in th,« way of preliminary training in England, not only as a means for fitting young men for farm work overseas, but in order to test them before thev were granted nominations. Experience Gained. "We have now gathered sufficient experience," said Mr Amery, "to enable us to weed out the obvious mistakes." He added that for some time past they had had a representative going round Australia with a view to ascertaining how newcomers from England were faring, and the result of his enquiries was eminently satisfactory. The British Government was now largelv increasing the training facilities at Home, and in another two months thev would have, besides .the army training establishment, at least three large establishments for the purpoce of giving preliminary training.