COMMERCE CONGRESS

Evening Star, Issue 22463, 7 October 1936, Page 8

COMMERCE CONGRESS

Crucial Issue of Migration Divergent British and Dominion Views [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, October 6. One of the most important matters discussed by the Congress of the Empire Chambers of Commerce to-day dealt with a resumption of the policy of migration from Great Britain to the dominions. During the debate Viscount Elibank, who had vacated the chair in favour of Sir Thomas .Wilford, contributed a thoughtful address in which he made a plea for a broad view of the problem. The mover of the resolution recommending the Govern* ments concerned to secure substantial migration ensuring that any surplus population leaving Britain should settle within the Empire was Mr Emlyn Jones (Britain), who thoughfrthe truth about the dominions’ failure to increase population was that there had developed an ill-balanced economy. There was far too much concentration on industrial activities and too little on agrarian. The other view, however, was that the dominions could not be merely suppliers of primary produce to Britain. <

Mr Martin (Wellington) admitted that New Zealand’s _ carrying capacity was a population yariously estimated at 5,000,000 to 10,000,000. He acknowledged that our own population was not increasing satisfactorily. The birth rate was declining, and for the last four years the excess of departures over arrivals was 2,813 annually, whereas, prior to the stoppage of migration, we were actually receiving 10,041 more people over departures every year. The population increase to-day was estimated at 12,000 annually, which would mean only 100,000 more people in 10 years’ time. Mr Martin proceeded to stress how the depression had struck New Zealand, and went on to point out that now that we were coming out of it the subject of migration was becoming a live one again. It was largely a matter of publicity, and that had already commenced. Three books had already been written dated this year. He quoted youth organisations and other means by which migration was actually taking place into New Zealand.. Mr Martin declared that there was a shortage of labour in New Zealand, particularly for farms and domestic service. If given time to formulate a comprehensive scheme he thought something could be done. Sir Montague Burton said it was estimated that every person additional to the population gave employment to another person. Mr E. Stanley Leatherby (Plymouth) spoke on behalf of the fishermen of England. If the Empire could find room for some of these magnificent people, he said, it would render a service that would pay. They were hard up against it, and it would be Britain’s daughters opening their arms to the best type of man Britain could send. LORD ELIBANK’S ADDRESS. Lord Elibank, speaking as a delegate, said he found himself in entire agreement with Mr Emlyn-Jones. There was what might he called “ land hunger ” in the world, which was finding expression in different ways. In Italy they had gone out and taken what they wanted. In Germany every few weeks we heard demands for the return of colonics and mandated territories, and in both countries they were going on increasing the population by command of dictators and building up huge armies and armaments, as far as one could see, with only one object. Was it extraordinary that these people who were determined to expand and overflow should turn their eyes to the vast unpopulated fertile spaces in the British dominions capable of containing many millions of white inhabitants? We should not only consider migration from the point of view of building up our own Empire and giving an outlet to our own people, Lord Elibank said, had to consider it from a world point of view. It was essential that migration should be tackled in a bold, comprehensive manner. He agreed sincerely with Mr Clark when he said he did not want single migrants, who only created more unemployment, but migration on a large scale and the continuous settlement of large areas. Lord Elibank said it might well be that they should export more of their capital with their migrants, hut he suggested that the dominions should make the way easy by making land available on favourable terms. There was no prospect of capital being invested in any dominion in private enterprise unless it received proper consideration when it arrived. If it were taxed out of existence or anything were done to make trade impossible, very little capital would come out from the Old Country. Lord Elibank added that the blood of Britain was not so unmixed, and he made a point that the dominions might find it in their interest, as America had clone, to open their doors to a certain proportion of foreign European blood. RESOLUTION CARRIED. Mr Fee (Auckland) expressed the view that there was underlying the

debate the idea that New Zealand must be a’ primary-producing country. He felt that an increase of the population of New Zealand was vitally necessary, if only from the point of view of national security. _ If New Zealand was to remain a primary-pro-ducing country she could not have a large population and must remain a target for an enemy. If she was to become a safe country she must do as others had done and increase her population, and to do that she must increase and develop her secondary industries. The reception of any large influx of immigrants must be accompanied by secondary industry development.

Mr G. D. Virtue (Perth) expressed the opinion that, taking the long view, the dominions must open the door to selected migrants from European races. Mr Mansfield (London) said it was no use sending out people unless they were voluntary migrants, and there would be no voluntary migrants unless they saw an opportunity abroad. That opportunity must be provided. There were any amount of people with grit who would come out if they saw an opportunity. If Britain had not such people, then any resolution was in vain. He condemned the kind of migration that resulted only in weeping and returning to London to parade posters in front of the dominions’ houses there. The motion was carried unanimously and by acclamation. INVITATION TO CENTENNIAL An invitation to the overseas delegates to the Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the Empire to return to New Zealand for the centennial celebrations iii 1940 was extended this afternoon by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parry). If the delegates could not be present at the time, he said, they could help to make the celebrations a success by recommending their friends to visit New Zealand in 1940, when New Zealanders would “ keep open house.” Mr Parry made reference to New Zealand’s political experiments and also to the Maori race and to foreign elements in the blood of her people. It was their happy experience with these, he said, that had made New Zealanders such staunch supporters of the League of Nations. He referred to New Zealand’s accomplishments, particularly in sport, but also in literature and arts. He admitted that New Zealand in the past had made mistakes, some of which were obvious. It would be her duty with her coming of_ age in 1940 to create a national spirit and rectify them. That spirit would not sunder the bonds of Empire, but would give Britain a grownup family of virile sons in place of a tribe of dependent children. UNIFORM LEGISLATION A resolution was adopted reaffirming the opinion of the congress as to the benefits to interimperial trade which would result from uniformity within the Empire of legislation on the lines of the British Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, and accordingly urging upon the Governments of New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State, and Malta the desirability of enacting similar legislation at the earliest possible date. JAPANESE COMPETITION Japanese competition came under discussion when Mr C. Granville Gibson, member for Leeds in the House of Commons, moved a remit viewing with grave_ concern the increasing importation into the Empire of low-priced goods from countries with low standards of living, and urging His Majesty’s Governments to lay before the next Imperial Conference the seriousness of such competition. Mr Gibson spoke of what lie had 1 seen quite recently personally in Japan. There were factories there, he said, as efficiently staffed as any in Britain, taught by people from Britain and Europe, and built by loan, in some cases by the Government itself, tax free. Afterwards they were handed over to private enterprise to compete unrestrictedly with British countries, though maimed at wages and under conditions that would never be tolerated in British countries. He commended what had already been done in Australia in the way of duty restrictions. Restrictions had also been imposed to some extent in Britain, and these restrictions were a very real help to British industry. Air J). G. M'Gowan (Wellington) seconded the motion. He said he believed the greatest competition in New Zealand came from Japan. The debate was adjourned till the morning.