Immigrants for Australia

Hokitika Guardian, 29 April 1922, Page 4

Immigrants for Australia

IMPORTANT AGREEMENT WITH BRITAIN. SYDNEY, April 11. As the result at an important agreement entered into with the Imperial Government it is expected that an everincreasing stream of emigrants from Britain will flow to Australia. At present the arrangement is confined to West Australia, but other States may participate if they accept the conditions laid down. A communication has been received bv the Prime Minister from the British Government to the effect that the Cabinet has now agreed to co-operate with the Government in a scheme of migration along the lines of the proposals lie had submitted for consideration. The scheme was that the British Government should join with the Federal Government in obtaining a loan, and should pay one-half of the interest lor a period of, say, five years. While the Imperial Government is not prepared to accept the suggestion to pay one-lmlf, it is willing to pay onethird of the interest. Owing to the exigencies of the present financial situation it is also unable to agree to the amount which Mr Hughes suggested, namely .Cn<),000,(K)0, to be raised over a term of years. The Imperial Government hopes, however, to co-operate with Australia in a scheme already accepted by the Premier of West Australia, and the Commonwealth. The main provisions of this, scheme are that many thousands of immigrants are to he settled on Grown lands made available lor that purpose in West Australia. I mlcr the arrangement as it now stands, the British Government will pay one-third, the Commonwealth Government one-tbird, and the .State on whose Crown lands the money is to he spent will pay the iemaining one-third. For the present the co-operation of the British Government will he confined to the development of the West Australian scheme. 11 other Slates, however, are prepared to advance similar proposals, giving similar guarantees, namely making available suitable C town lauds, guaranteeing employment lot immigrants for not less than twelve months, and at the expiration of that period guaranteeing the immigrant a block of’land, they will he aide to come into this great co-operative Imperial enterprise.