OVERSEAS SETTLEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1920, Page 3

OVERSEAS SETTLEMENT.

t MARKING TIME. ;By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) I AUSTRALIAN A N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION A REUTER.] (Received This Day at 11.20. a.m.) LONDON, Febinary 27. The report for 1919 of the Overseas " Settlement Committee, of which Lord Milner is “President and Mr Amery, Chairman, says:—“The settlement last year was hampered by the lack of shipping. A large movement is exueetito the Dominions in 1920. It is pointed out that the Dominions chief need at present is men to settle on the land, and women to undertake service. Consideration has been devoted' to the question whether the encouragement of such emigration r-js desirable in view of the prime needs of Great Britain, which bears the main burden of debt for the war, and must provision for Imperial Defence in the near future. The Committee ceu- 1 tends that the constant flow ovorseas for settlement of the lands there, is desirable if regulated in accordance with what the United Kingdom can afford and the Dominions can conveniently absorb. The Committee asserts that the migration of women juveniles, | especially girls, should be encouraged by the Government to destinations within the Empire. The Committee ‘ “describes the steps taken as regards Hie , migration of women from the United Kingdom i.n view of their surplus over ! men, and mention is made of the despatch of women delegates as investiga. tors to Australia and New Zealand. ( Their reports are expected in the . Spring. The Committee says obviously , no action should be taken to fill the .n- ] diustriftl vacancies overseas, save at Ylie request of the Dominion Govern- , ment concerned, and with the Home , Government’s concurrence. The Com- , ' mittee attributes unsuitability of manv , settlers sent out hitherto to the ill-di- , rected policy of some voluntary socm- | ties, also to the system by which private ngentA wht> arc registered as I shipping agents, and induce people to buy tickets for overseas. They also derived benefit in the shape of bonuses i from £3 to £5 which was paid by th • 1 individual, or by local and- Govern mint , authorities anxious to attract settlers, i , In the Oversells Committee’s report, ] the Committee points out that success- l fill trade agreements with the Domin- i ions can have no lasting effect, unless i equal care is taken in distribution and employment of the population. The 1 Committee recommends the convocation of an early Conference on oversea settle fc -ment between the Imperial and Dominions’ Govrnments; secondly an annual expenditure not exceeding £IOO,OOO in 1820-1921, with a view to securing ade- , quate supervision in Great Britain, and adequate eo-operation with the Dominions’ Governments. This expenditure to , be additional to £1,000,000 likely to be required in 1920-21; thirdly the immediate enactment of legislation to supervise and control passage and brokers’ •agents to safeguard settlers, particularly ex-service women, the control of propaganda or /advertisement connected with overseas settlement within Empire, or emigration to foreign countries. In the House of Commons, Mr Horne, in moving the second reading of the Unemployment Insurance Bill, urged the necessity of getting rid the dread of unemployment. Mr Horne pointed out —-~tlfat the 1911 Act was experimental. It covered two and a half .millions of people, of whom nine thousand were women. The number increased by the 1916 extension would presently be increased by 3,750,000 of whom 1,000,000 were women. The present proposals w would bring up the number to about 12 000,000. The scheme would be on a contributory basis, and there would bo two contributions-one for health and, one for unemployment. ' | “ 1