FIVE MILLION CLUB

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 25, 13 February 1937, Page 6

FIVE MILLION CLUB

Hastings Branch Formed After Address POPULATION PROBLEM The movement to set up a New Zealand Five Million Club to cope with the population problem in this Dominion was advanced a stage further last evoDmg when the Hon. W. E. Barnard, M.P., Speaker of the House of Representatives, gave an address on the subject, ' 1 The Population of This Dominion," and advoeated a carefully-plan-ned immigration scheme. The outcome of his address was that a Hastings branch of the club was set up. There was a good attendance at the publie meeting, the Mayor, Mr G. A. M'addison, pfesiding, and the following resolution was carried following Mr Barnard 's address: "Tha#. this meeting is of the opinion that a branch of the New Zealand Five Million Club should be set up to promote the increase of the Dominion 's population (a) by methoda designed to raise the rate of natural increase in New Zealand and (b) by immigration, with special referenee to pl/mning so as to* avoid any social or economie dislocation within the Dominion and to aftorcare so that new citizens from abroad may be sooner absorbed in the communal life of New Zealand." Mr Barnard 's address was similar to that delivered at the public meeting at Napier the previous evening, a full report of which was published yesterday. He quoted a numbfer of comments passed by Ministers of the Crown to substantiate the views that he had put forward, and pointed out that New Zealand was approaehing the stage when, instead of there being a natural increase, tliere would be a decline. The problem of increasing the population would then present a far greater difficult'y than it did at present, and he contended that the time was now opportune for tackling the problem. At the conelusion of his address Mr Barnard was called upon to answer a big number of questions, it beiug obvious th'at the matter had "been exercising the minds of many people. The motion was moved by the Mayor and seconded by Mr T. B. MeQuire, and the following committee was. set up, with power to add to its numbers: Messrs G. E. G. Rogers (conrenor), R. B. Arnott, H. Coiinop, V. Westerman, A. Lowe, "W. A. Whitlock, W. E. Bate, Mr E. L. Cullen, M.P,. and the Mayor. A good number of those present intimated their support to the movement by joining up as members of the newly-formed .branch, several stfbscriptions being handed in.