DRIFTING AWAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1517, 13 August 1912, Page 5

DRIFTING AWAY.

GOOD SETTLEns LEAVING NEVf . ZEALAND. SUGGESTED REMEDIES. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, August l'J. Tho fact thnt largo numbers of people tire leaving New Zealand and settling in Australia was referred to by tho Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C. J. Parr) in tho como' of an "interview yesterday. "Tlicro is ono feature in Australia's dovolupmcnt which I do not quito liko," remarked Mr. Parr, "becauso it is at tho expense of New Zealand. Politicians may say what they liko, hut (hero is clonr evidence that there Ims been, and still continues to be, a drift", of population lt'om New Zealand lo Sydney and other parts of' Australia. "1 Hill satisfied," ho continued, "that hundreds of promising yo\mg men Iwrn ami educated, in this country have ill p;is(. yo.fli's lelt our shores because they lelt tliat.(hero, was nothing in Now Zeaand tor them to stay'for. In Queensland thewvaro scores of 'New Zealand farmers. In Sydney to-dav vou will scarcely go upon a single- building jot without (indinp a Now Zealander or twe among tho different tradesmen, including. carpenters,. plasterers, and plumbers. 1 mvsolf, during my rccont visit to Sydney, met several who recently left theso shores. As a result of the Waihi strike, scores ot labourers liavd gono to Australin. ■ • Wliat ho asked, "is thero m assisting i mini grant's to como in by °"® door m ,rt our own people leave by another The present Government is not responsible for this state of things, nevertheless it • will bo Mr. Massey's duty to tace tho position and try and effect a cessation of, this population drift. We want nil our. young people. What earthly uso is it to give our lads tho best of education and training if it is merely to tit them for service in other lands? there are one or two remedies, I think, for tho mischief," eaid Mr. 'Patr, in' tue iirst place wo should r.ottlo-ovcrv aero of laud which it is possible to outurate. No -man should have to leave i becauso ho could not get land. Secondly, if wo are to employ our mercantile and business people to advantage,' wo must encourage big industries in our midst. Somopeo»lo sneer at tho idea of capital leaving tho country. To P}y ,n . ,n( ' jt's a sad fact. In my opinion the time has arrived when a strong resolute policy should be adopted to encourage- settlement, capital, and industry, populate our rural districts with prosperous farmers, and raise up'industries in onr CIIIO3. By theso means, and these means alone, will tho tide of-population-bo turned on onco again to'Now'Zealand : shores.