IMMIGRATION.

Grey River Argus, 2 March 1927, Page 5

IMMIGRATION.

BISHOP OF LONDON. Strong Advocate. (.Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, March 1. Dr. Ingram, Bishop 01 London, arrived from Sydney. In an address last night to a crowded audience'* he said that with regard to immigration from Britain, the sum of £3,0U0,0u0 was given by the nation towards Empire settle ment, but only £300,000 was spent on this important work, lie had asked the Government the cause of it, but. found as a matter of fact that the narrow neck of the bottle was over here. So hi thought he would come and find out. The people of New Zealand had a great love for Britain. They wanted more po pulation and more of the right sort carefully sorted out, not dumped aiJ over the place. It must be sent out care fully so that the Dominion can absorb it. “We can send" you all the thrift,, men and boys, women and girls, you want, if you will give them a welcome and work to do,’,’ he declared. “New Zealand was not nearly so large as Australia, but was taking 10,000 to 12,000 a year. New Zelaud wanted more farm labourers, domestic servants and more people on the railways. Great Britain did not want to send one man over to put another man out of a job, and he was up against doing so, but New Zealand would never become great unless she filled up her vacant places, and gained more power and influence as a nation. Let New Zealand and Great Bri tain help one another, the Dominion in taking the surplus population, and Great Britain by sending only those who would make good citizens. In an interview the Bishop said: “We are trying wisely and carefully to get more people of tiie old country to come to Australia and New Zealand. 1 know there is a certain amount of opposition to migration, both in Australia and New Zealand, but I believe opposition is only due to migration not being wisely managed. If carefully managed I think far more people from Great Britain could be asbsorbcd into the life of both countries. I do not, however, presume to dictate to a country like this how it is to be done. I must leave that to New Zealand. It is natural, I think that our own people, should be encouraged to come rather than have numbers of foreigners migrating here.” It is the Bishop’s opinion that the void emigration has a sLrt. of slur attached. to it. It is different with mi-' gration, which is the moving of people from one part of the Empire to another. It should be as easy for a. Briton to move to New Zealand as it is for Scotsmen to move to England or an Englishman to cross the border, or t-i move from one County of England to another. He would have migration be regarded as a moving of citizens from line pni't of the Empire to another, with a feeling that wherever they went with in the Empire, they would be welcomed and respected as fellow citizens. PRAISE FOR BANK AND POLITICIANS.

In his address last nignt Bishop Ingram said: “It has been said that Britain is a decaying nation, but in war the virility of her manhood was proved. Who are the biggest men in the League of Nations. Sir Austen Chamberlain hnd Lord Cecil. Who kept the workers’ paradise safe? The British navy. It was the Bank of England, the ‘o‘ld lady" of Threadneedle Street, who stabilised our trade'and commerce after the war. Never has Great Britain stood higher in the esteem of the world than now. In America, he had addressed many large meetings in New York, Washington and other places. “I told them a few home truths in America, ’ ’ sard Dr. Ingram, amidst laughter. “Did they re sent it? Not a bit. It was news to some of them. Do they respect Great Britain. Never did she stand on so high a pedestal of honour in America as she does to-day (Applause). But wo paid our debt ami said nothing about it.” THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. With regard to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer, the Bishop said that the new Prayer Book is to be only permissive, and makes no difference whatever in the balance of the doctrines in the Church of England. No one need use it who does not want to. Ho also pointed out that in America n had been used for 130 years, and no one ever dreamt that it was subversive of the Reformation. In the opinion o 34 Bishops, out of 36 in England, the new version would be well adapted tv bring peace to the Church at Home, and would enrich the worship of the Church of England. HIS OBJECTIVE.

The Bishop said he was in the course of a world tour, in fulfilment of a longstanding promise. He was making t tour in order to back up the Christian cause in the countries he visited, and secondly to discuss with the authorities and people the question of Empire migration. Lord Jellieoe is President, and himself Chairman of the Church of K g' land Empire settlement scheme.