MR AMERY

Evening Star, Issue 19791, 15 February 1928, Page 4

MR AMERY

TOUR OF THE DOMINIONS EMPIRE DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION. DISCUSSIONS IN AUSTRALIA. LONDON, February 13. Three-quarters of an hour, happy phrase-making at a crowded Press conference enabled Mr Amery to express the sense of the deep impression the Empire tour made upon him by notable manifestations of the development of a more vigorous national spirit and a desire for expansion within the Empire. He related in humorous vein the dodge of stuffing the Rotorua geyser with a sack to make it perform better, and he wondered whether the lavish hospitality of Australia and New Zea. land should have had the same effect upon him. He said that the discussions in Australia led to a better understanding and the implementing of the big migration scheme. A variety of State viewpoints was inevitable, but he was sanguine that they would soon develop a satisfactory policy. They must devise precautions to prevent newcomers drifting into the cities, aggravating unemployment and creating an anti-mi-gration feeling. Personally, Mr Amery said, he felt that the British manufacturers had a good opportunity to establish branches in Australia, and thereby directly assist migration. Experience and conviction told him that the most valuable training for settlers was that given in Australia, though it would he useful to give some preliminary training hero in order that a newcomer should not face the farmer as a fool. He had had discussions with all the Governments and British representatives in the dominions, _ but Lo could not comment on these till he had consulted Cabinet. Commenting on the Canadian report, Mr Amery said that he expected a big expansion of preference. He said that what he had in mind was that as soon as Britishers were of the ideal of Imperial preference it would be steadily strengthened and advanced.