Australia's Big Immigration Scheme

Chronicle (Levin), 8 January 1949, Page 3

Australia's Big Immigration Scheme

Received. Fnday, 7.30 p.m. ' SYDNEY, Jan. 7. This year Australia will welcome at least 110,000 new eitizens of wbom over .70..000 will be fronr. tbe United Kingdom. Tbe others " will be carefully selected displaced persons from Europe and ex-servicemen from tbe United States. The acbieveuient bas beep. made possible by tbe 'suecess of tbe- Government's efforts to -obtain liiore sbipping space^ by the prosperous and expanding stage of Australian industry wliicn enables- tbe absorption of . all migrants, and also by the active eooperation of tbe Australian people wlio realise tlie importance of strengtbening tbe Commonwealtb against any warlike or commercial tbreat from' tbe A,siatic nortli. Tbe Minister of Immigration (Mr. Oalwell) lnis opened tbe New Year vvitb a nationwide -appeal for sponsors for migrants from tbe United Kingdoxn and for tolerance and understanding oi tbe new Austraiians. Ile believes tbal witliin the next three years Australia can absorb balf a miliion more peo.fjle from overseas and predicts that bv 1955 tbe population oi' Australia will reacb 9,000,L)OU. Tbis would be" a greater rate of increase tbau acbieveil even at tbe lieiglit of tbe gold rusb period, for between 1852 and 1801 Australia gained 554,000 people by.imirugration, or 55,400 yearly. Tbis ligure is being exceeded already. Last year's target ligure of 70,000 immigrant.s was exceeded comfortablv. Between 1933 and 104'7 Australia increased ber population by only 900,00(1. Mr. Calwell believes tliat uuder tlie present system of selective immigration combined with tbe natural increase a miliion people can be added to the population every 31 years. Ilis goal is a poxmlation of 20,000,000 »n tbe lifetime of tbe average Australian. "To us Japan is- a near neigbbour sitting on our northern doorstep — a little like a waif tbese days but ivitli bungry covetous eyes stili lookiug our way, " says ALr. Calwell. "To Japan Australia is still part nf i'ts Greater East Asia CoT'rosperity fSpbere. He adds that ber future security depends on Australia's own seJf-sufficienij wbicb depends in turn on people to develop tbe country as well as to defenu it. Tbe main sbortage now is tbe shortage of Austraiians. Migrants are working on housing . and 011 vast hydrcs electric scbemes. Misuse of giazing and farming lands resulting in soil erosion . probiems >s being rectilied by tbe Council for Bcientilic and Industrial Ketiearcb. Tlie' great ueed is niau 1 power — -and tbis is 'being supplied by whai in prbxiortion f'6 fts population is the greatest. planned .immigration programme tbe world has ever seem