MIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND

Evening Star, Issue 22146, 28 September 1935, Page 17

MIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND

PREMIER'S ATTITUDE DISCUSSED SUBJECT OF VITAL IMPORTANCE Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, September 27. The ‘ Morning Post 1 sayS: “Mi Forbes’s migration attitude is thoroughly intelligible as far as it goes. There is no virtue in merely planting on the dominions people for whom there is no prospective opportunity of earning a livelihood, but it is reasonable to suggest that an empty dominion ought to be reviewing its economic structure and endeavouring to discover what new migrants might produce. Mr Forbes rightly says 1 our first duty is to our own people,’ but it should also be part of that duty to consider how a country inhabited by 1,500,000, people and capable of hojding at least 10 times as many is to escape criticism. The nonBritish world is clamouring for more land to colonise. ■ Migration into New Zealand is an Imperial necessity of the first order, but as long as New Zealand relies predominantly on the production of a few staple exports her opportunity for expansion is likely to remain strictly limited. Opportunities for work for an expanded population must be sought in directions hitherto unexplored. The search for such opportunities is a matter of concern not only to New Zealand and other depopulated dominions, but above all to Britain, who still bears the main burden of their defence.”

REDISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS ESSENTIAL ' LONDON, September 27. * The Times,’ in a leader commenting on the Newcastle conference, says: " Thoughtful people cannot be blind to the warnings, implicit for Empire countries, in the present trends of population and certain causes of international tension. There is a stronger case now than before 1929 for facilitating the redistribution of population in the interests of general security, although it need not be a counterpart-of loose notions, regarding empty areas in the dominions, but rather necessity for expanding the population in certain dominions’ sufficiently to carry the overhead costs of responsible international status.” The leader draws attention to Mr Forbes’s statements, and points out that before considerable migration is possible it is essential to ensure favourable economic conditions.