The Dominion. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1917. IMPERIAL LAND SETTLEMENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3008, 20 February 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1917. IMPERIAL LAND SETTLEMENT

"At present we are only acquainted 'with the barest.outline of the British Government's plan for settling soldiers within the Empire, and Britain is to find the money and the Dominions will provide the land, British and Dominion soldiers being placed on the same footing. That is practically all we know of the proposal. The question will no doubt be discussed by the Imperial War Council. , ' This Empire problem canpjbfc bo postponed until the war v A over. It must be tackled novfc Tho Governments of the Binpire must now mako their plans 'for facilitating the reabsorption into civil life of the five million men who have left shop and office, factory .and farm in rcsponso to the Empire's call for fighting men. It is generally believed that a, large iiumbor of city-bred soldiers will bo disinclined to resume their former occupations, and that they will welcome an opportunity of taking up land. Though our own returned soldiers have not yet shown that keenness for country life- expected, past experience has shown that a 'widespread desire for migration arises after the conclusion of a great war. The English, Scottish, and Irish soldiers who are now fightiug in close comradeship'with the soldiers from the overseas Dominions are sure to hear a good deal about Uie fuller, freer, and healthier life that can be lived in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and; in other parts ot the Empire, and many of them will probably want to try their fortunes in "fresh fields and pastures new." The Empire as a whole is in urgent need of men.and women to develop its natural resources. It contains ample scope for the energies of all those who may bo inclined to make a fresh start. Tho total white agricultural population of tho Empire is said to be less than 14,000,000, whereas in France alone over 18,000,000 are engaged in rural pursuits, and in Germany 20,000,000 people are living on and by the land. These facts ought to make us think. Tho war has created an unprecedented opportunity of doing great things in the way of Empire land settlement and the authorities would miss a chance that might never recur if they permitted themselves to be fettered by pampering precedents. It is a time- for striking out boldly along new lines, ilf Britain can find the money there should bo no difficulty in finding land in abundance waiting to' be developed. At a recent meeting in London Sik Eider Haggard declared that everywhere he went throughout the Empire he found unmeasured territory, only waiti ng to be peopled, thirsting for population—lands ablo to support thousands and tens of thousands and millions, and even tens of millions of human beings. Sir Rjdeii Haggard has received the assurances of all tho Governments concerned that the gate is open. Tho settlement and development of these vast areas will, of course,' involve tho expenditure of very large sums bf money, but wise and generous outlay is often the truest economy. No less than a quarter of the land of the globe is included in the British Empire, which contains raw material in almost unlimited quantities. "We do not sufficiently recognise," as -Eakii Grey points out, "that if wo concentrate the labour and capital of tho Empire on the development of our latent, undeveloped, and immeasurable reif we direct our surplus population to those countries under our own flag which require them most, if wo concentrate all our available surplus capital for the development of British, and not of foreign countries, _ we shall bo able in a comparatively short time to create sufficient wealth to liquidate a large part of the huge war indebtedness the Empire will have to carry after tho war." New Zealand has a very limited amount of land available for settlement purposes, and the requirements of our own soldiers are, of course, receiving first consideration. But we arc not likely to forget that this _ Dominion , forms part of tho British Empire, and. wo must cooperato as far as we can with tin: Mother Country in any wellplanned scheme for the development of tho "Empire's resources. New Zealand could with advantage increase its population manyfold, and

it is noli likely to shut tin doors against the British soldiers who ;w; tlio comrades in dnns of our own fighting men. But if Empire hnd sottloment is Lo be organised .in a large scalo tho main streams of. migration will lmv<; (~o flow to Canada, Australia, and Africa. Australia is nearly as large as the whole ut Jiuropc, and it has a population ot considerably less than six millions. Uis capable of carrying a population of 50,000,000 or even IOO.poOjQOO, and Canada and South Afrutf,, have sufficient unoccupied lilP.tl to provide profitable employment for millions more. No land settlement scheme, however, can be expected to succeed unless tho settlers are chosen with great care. It is also essential that they shall be given a fair start. The conditions must be made as favourable as possible. The settlers must be assisted to overcome the initial difficulties. Sie Eider Haggard is one of those who is endeavouring to ensure that British ex-soldiers or as many as possiblo of them who wish to go on the land should be offered inducements to stay at home, but he adds: "If tho people want to go and will go, then let them go, but for God's sake let them go to where our own flag flies." He is not indulging in any idle dream when he # tolls us that instead of our sixty millions we could have a couple of hundred millions of white people in this Empiro of ours—and then wo might laugh at perils. What a magnificent future isoura if wo only have the necessary faith, courage, and intelligence to' mako £ull use of our splendid opportunities and unequalled resources!