MIGRATION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1684, 26 February 1913, Page 5

MIGRATION.

A PROBLEM OF. THE EMPIRE.

. LOCAL EFFORTS. . THE NEW DEPARTMENT; Considering its vital importance, the problem of so guiding the flow of migration is to secure the best results has in the past received less attention, in many, parts of the British Empire than it demands. Somo awakening has occurred, however, and the establishment of a Department of Immigration in New Zealand is a detail in a movement that is developing with increasing strength in' nearly every part of the Empire., At this time, when an era of haphazard progression seems to be about to give place to one of ordered policy and systematic effort, it is worth ■ while glancing back to wliat has-'been dono by this country in the past'ii} the way of encouraging the inflow! of population. One remarkable fact is that New Zea-. land has no Immigration Act. ,'.'.Clio only Acts in the Statute Book which have. any. relation to the~~"subject deal with the exclusion of Asiatics and simijar matters. From ,timo to time regulations and conditions governing immigration Jiave been laid down by successive Ministers, but the passage of an Immigration Act giving effect to a regular policy is still a matter for the future. One of the duties of tho new Department, of which Captain J. Eman-Smith is Tinder-secretary, will be to compile a record of past immigration. At present only maigire particulars are available, but for many years past New Zealand lias carried on a polioy of assisted immigration, In the'sixties a system obtained for a time under which tHe State paid the -passage money of immigrants, and providod them with accommodation in barracks until they found employment. This system gave place to others under which the JState paid varying proportions of tile passage money of its new, citizens, and a system of this nature obtains at the present day. The following table shows the number of > immigrants "assisted annually from 1904-5 to -11110-11. together with tho capital which they brought into the country:-? ' v , /Capital. '. , - Number. . j ISM-5' 1751 91,711 1005-G ................... 240(1 110,204 IM6-7 -3712 114,889 ' 3101 70.050 1008-0 : 4053 08.055 • 3009-10 2072 34,638 "10-H - 2624 . 37.735 'i'heso- figures, obtained from the Department of Immigration, ato approximate, but are ' near ,\uo mark. Altogether, during tho period; covered bj the table, some 21,285 immigrants were brought into the Dominion, and they brought with them capital amounting' to abotio Figures as to the exact amount of monetary- assistance given by the State are not obtainable at present. . - A reporter who niade inquiries at the office of the new Department,. was in.formed that existing indications suggested that the country could easily, absorb, at the moment 10,000 farm i labourers, and 10,000 domestic servants in the four chief, centres. For, years past '.be State has assisted only farmers, ... farm labourers, and domestic servants, and this is still tile rule. The experience. of the past is that farm workers and domestic servants are absorbed immediately on arrival. Many of them have been noininaited' *by relatives already in tho country, and openings have usually been found for. them in anticipation of-their arrival. j ' s An Infant Department. The new Department is. engaged nican-< time in carrying out duties conueoled with immigration which formerly were carried ■ out by tho Lands Department, 'l'he Department of Immigration ofrces nra intno Union Company's building, ill Customhouse Quay—a location, which, lias besn selected wi-.h regard to its proximity to the wharves and shipping, offices. It was stated; in reply to . inquiries, tnat it was quite open lo anyone, .worker or employer, to bring-under the notice ot the Department any matters connected with immigration, and''that inquiries On the subject would be answered expeditiously. At present the actual operations! of the Department are restricted, as indicated, but suggestions will be received about any class of immigration. The Labour Department still' works.in conjunction with the Immigration' Depart ment, and 'assists any immigrants seeking employment to fiud it. At;'the moment tho Government is considering the details of an - immigration policy, and an inquiry is at present.being conducted into the position, regarding the supply of factory labour in tho Dominion. These and otter things suggest that the Department may have a greatly increased sphero of usefulness in the future, .'- A-.Neglected Problem. The migration' problem, from the Imperial standpoint, is comprehensively dealt with by Sir Clement ICinloch-CoolM, JJ.P., in the "Nineteenth Century." He deals with tho matter in a non-party spirit, declaVing that tho problem has-teen equally neglected by Conservative and -Liberal Administrations. Ho blames the British Government for ignoring pressure brought to bear upon it in the matter . by the representatives of-oversea Dominions, and urges that the problem should be dealt with as ono of Imperial'import.' Sir Clemont Kinloch-Cooke, who, bj; the way, is chairman of the Central Emigration Board, advocates the establishment of Imperial, Labour Exchanges. The Dominions, heremarks, want labour, not always agricultural labour.' It cannot' bo denied that the industries of tho Dominions are suffering fori want of workpeople. The present head of tho Board of r Trade (Mr. Buxton) is in favour of Imperial Labour Exchanges, and brought .forward a resolution to that effect at the last Imperial Conference, but the suggestion met with little 'support from ■ tho Premiers. "Ono and all l>egan to make excuse." For various reasins the suggestion fell through, but. Sir Clement" Kin-loch-Cooke remarks that it has not yet been pointed out !o the Dominions that the-institution' of Imperial Labour, Exchanges would enable them to give a preference to British, labour and. the -British emigrant, .• Imperial Board Proposed. "Why," ho.asks, "should tli'o Home Government not open «p negotiations, through a now channel, that channel,' being an Imperial Board of Emigration?" Ho advocates tho formation of such a board, to bo at oneo constituted '-and given administrative as well as executivo powers, tho personnel to consist of two' Commis* doners, ono paid, representatives of ' the different Government Departments concerned, and tho heads of tho Labour Exchanges, with liower to add to their number; the High Commissioners for tho Dominions and tho Assistant-Superintendent of Emigration for Canada to be honorary members of the board. Ho suggests also that a paid secretary should bo appointed, and an independent chairman, with a staff of clerks. The board would be attached to tho Colonial Office, and ' from time to time would receive grants from tho Exchequer. Apart from the maintenance of. the 'netf Department, these plants would available for aiding suitablo persons to emigrate within tho Empire. A concrete l»dy, such as this, he urges, would enablo all friction to bo avoided, and allow of the Homeland and'tho Dominions working in tho closest co-opera-tion. Tho entire cost connected with tho board's operations yrould. be Wile by the Imperial Government, but tho Dominion Governments would bo expected to provide tho necessary machinery for collecting tho loans which tho' )*>ard should ho-vo the power of making, with proper safeguards and subject to welldofinod conditions. Sir Clement Kinloch-Cooko summarises his views upon the, problem ' of Empire migration in the following suggestions:—

Proposed Empire Policy. That emigration bo rogardod as an Imnerial nml not as a local problem. That emigration l>o considered in its social, economic, and Imperial (dcfenco) aspect?. . _ That as in t.lio Dominions immigration is assisted, and under Government control, n> in this country (Great emigrnlion should nbo bo agisted and brought under Government control. That tho assistanca should jnoluda

Brants from the public Kxchciuer, sliip(lins; subsidies, loans to cniisrant?, contributions for training farms, and any other "encouragement" nccetsary for promoting migration within the Umpire. That rate-aided "migration should be co-oi'diiiatcd ami centralised, and all hindrances to H>e uso of tho rates for tho support of children and boys oil training farms in the Dominions b» removed. That aji Imperial Hoard of Emigration ho established to take the plaea of the Information Office, to which l>oardia central bureau should be attached. That the Governments give thoir sanction to Imperial Labour Exchanges. ' That tlie Dominion Governments bs invited to consider the question of greater continuity in their emigration policies and bo asked to institute a system of loans,' to bo worked in conjunction with a similar this country. That the Australian States, as for as possible, should arrange their shipping nccojnniodation through the Federal • Government, and that between the States in Australia and the Commonwealth Government tloter communion.be established on all matters relating to emigration. That tlio approved voluntary societies be co-ordinated as far as possible, and their work unified with tho Board of Emigration. "These suggestions," concludes Sir Clement Kinloch-Cooke, "amount to an appeal to the nation to bring about an Imperial policy of emigration and immigration, affecting adults and children alike, oon'dueted and financed by tho Home Government in conjunction with tho Governments of tho British Dominions oversea."