IMMIGRATION.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 753, 4 August 1922, Page 2

IMMIGRATION.

STATEMENT 35 Y FIUXE HIM STEF. THE GOVERNMENT’S POLICY.

Speaking in the House of Representatives. Mr Massey referred to the fact that the British Government had brought in a Bill which he believed had now passed both Houses, providing for joint assistance and co-opera-tion in the settlement of immigration overseas. The whole scheme was practically under the charge of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and the Lord Chancellor, who was in charge of the Treasury. He (Mr Massey)' had sometimes thought what would have been said if the Government had passed a Bill like that. However. he believed it was going to be an extraordinarily useful measure. He had taken an interest in the matter, and four years. ago. at the Imperial Conference, had brought forward a proposal with a view to getting people who wished to migrate from the Old Country to settle in countries under the British flag, and that was agreed to unanimously. Now legislation had been passed in harmony with that idea. In explanation he might say that the British overseas settlement scheme for Imperial men would come to an end this year, if it had not already come to an end. and so something was being done to take the place of that scheme. When he was in Great Britain the opinion was expressed to him by members of the Imperial Government that there were more people in the country than the country could support, and that it was necessary to provide a scheme by which those people could And their way to the oversea dominions. (Hear, hear.) At that time there were some 200.000 miners more than they could 'find work for, and he was asked if New Zealand could find work for some of them, and be replied that he thought it could. He, however, explained that at that, time we had in hand a scheme here for the settlement of our own returned soldiers, and that until that was accomplished we could not do much. The suggestion that had been made was for a scheme to take the place of the overseas soldiers’ settlement scheme — the 'British Government, the New Zealand Government, and the people themselves contributing one-third each. That would take the place of the overseas settlement scheme, and also of the nominated scheme which had been in operation in this country, and which on the whole had worked very well. The money would be available, partly by grant and partly by k>an, so that portion of it would come back to the Government. The sum involved would be from £30.000 to £IOO,OOO, and this would permit of the admission of 5000 immigrants at a total cost of £130.000 to £150.000, and leave a reasonable amount for subsidiary schemes. Sir James Alien understood the whole position, and he knew the feeling here, so he would do what was right in the interests of the whole country. Within the next few weeks an officer would leave to take up a position in the High Commissioner’s office in connection with immigration. Mr 'Cameron, who had been in charge in London for some years, was leaving, and 'Mr Stanford was igoing from New Zealand to London. The Government had not the slightest intention of dropping its policy. It might be necessary to suspend it during the winter months, to some extent, so long as the present depression lasted, but 'there was no doubt that we had been doing the right thing, and that we did need population here very badly. (Hear, hear.) New Zealand could double the number of people she bad at present without any difficulty. He added, in conclusion, that quite a number of people were coming to New Zealand from other countries, independent of any scheme of immigration that had been arranged. Immigrants of the right class would benefit themselves and benefit us as well.