"NEW STATIONS ARE NOT PROGRESS"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 138, 28 June 1937, Page 8

"NEW STATIONS ARE NOT PROGRESS"

Returned Soldiers Favour Planned Migration POPULATION NEEDS. The need for planned and fmancial immigration into New Zealand wasstressed by i\!r A. Leigh Hunt, chairman of the Dominion Settleinent Associafion, when addressing delegates to tlie annual couference of the New Zealand lieturned Soldiers', Assoc-iation. In the past the association has supported planned immigration for the closer settlement of the Dominion, and after a discussion, this support was reiterated. One delegate oppospd immigration on the gxounds that more men should not be brought into the country while unemploynient still existed, but the general opinion was that increased population would tueau an improved defensive position and increased possibilities for the employment of men unfit for heavy' work. Statistics showed, he said, that the deathrute in New Zealand would equal the birth-rate in 1940, and, eousequently, a dpcision regaiding inuiugiatiou would decide ihe Iqte of the Doiniuion. Tfip Dominion tsettleinent Association had had been in close v-h with similar liodies in the other Dominmns, and those Dominions and the Homeland had all been workinu to .ouse public interest.. Lack of Tradesmen. Mr Hunt added that many of New Zealand's ills were due to lack of population. New Zealand was short. of -20,000 houses because there was a lack of tradesmen to build them, businesses were languishing for lack of labour, and some of the finest land was being covered by wec-ds because there werp not enough men to clear it. Eight thousand persons had leit New Zealand in the last five years, but no political party bad suggested tbat immigration should be encouraged. It was ti ino migration was. litted above party and, the returned soldiers could do' much to bring that about. The birth-iate was deelining while the buildiug oi a new railway station was called "piogress." By 1940 the death-rate would equal the birth-rate. The progress ufceded was not palatial railiVay stations but more population. What the Dominion Sihtement Association wanted was .a pian that would bring the right migrants to New Zealand. They did not want haphazard migration ; they wanted a plan that would enable other Bi-itons to settle in New Zealand. ' Electricity Resources. / ln reply to a question, Alr tlunt, said he did uot endorse the type of migration that had goue 011 in the past Migrunts had been dumped on the wharf in New Zealand and had been lef|t to push someone else out of a jolj or starve. No one wanted that type of migration, what was wanted Was a plan that would bring young people to New Zealand to take up positions waiting tor them. Several scheines had been suggested and ni every case tbe idea was tbat no tnigrant would be turned loose .in the country. New Zealand had 7,000,000 horse-power in electricity if it were developed, and industries could be established that. would supply ruatoria! to the whole world.