The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1st, 1926. A NOTABLE SPEECH.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 February 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY Ist, 1926. A NOTABLE SPEECH.

Ini: Prime of Wales made “Australia Day’’ l.imotis throughout the Empire by his notable speech on migration. Canada and Australia arc attempting a good deal in the way of immigration, and New Zealand i- receiving also, a steady inllow of new arrivals. The system of absoi ptioo,

however. i-. defective mi far as the Dominion l- com •1110.1. in that tlnTn is uni always employment mailable Ini' tin- immigrants. Tlial i- a ■ri 11 u.ilcfccl ami there is not any real attempt to remedy it. The phase touched upon hy Prince Edward relates to the Empire being | copied in the main from its own stock, and its they come overseas being in fact links of flesh and hlood. It is the host strain. But the selection and placing of the new people is the most essential aspect of any immigration scheme. The country needs population, and on that account the immigrants are to he welcomed, Imt to he of value they must have work to go to upon arrival. When immigrants arrive hero trained to any particular following, it is essential that employment should await them. The development of the country's industries should go hand and hand with any scheme affecting population. otherwise there would he a serious breakdown were skilled artisans to arrive here and find themselves without congenial employment. As regards new settlers to he absorbed, if the newcomers have funds of their own there is a ready way to establish themselves, hut where those following farming nursnils are without funds, hut possess the experience, something must he done to place them on the land. T l "' flow of population inwards must he checked with care, and immigration cannot he a free and easy arrangement to receive all who may lie desirous of coming, unless there is useful and profitable employment awaiting them. The reference hy the Prince of Wales to the work of the Salvation Army and Barmtdo Homes in sending out lads draws attention to a very interesting aspect of the work. The sheep farmers’ organisation in New Zealand, which is providing for hoys and girls from the Homeland at Block House in the North Island, is doing excellent work in training up these young folk to follow farming pursuits. There is a limit to what can lie done in this direction, hut as far as it has gone the organisation has not reached its limit, and a very useful citizen to flay a part in the future of New Zealand is being created. It is altogether a note-worthy effort, and .should serve as a basis for operating with British

hoys .iikJ girls in the future, who coming this wny may wish to follow pursuits other than that of farming. The greatest obstacle to the success of immigration is tlit? need for adequate employment to the newcomers. If that were overcome then ihe scheme could he pushed for all it is worth. New Zealand is so compact that it can order its immigration system on the host lines if all aspects are studied, and though we may he so remote from Britain, with employment assured there need he no fear about any lack of immigrants. There arises the question of selection as satisfactory as the needs

of the occasion demand. New Zealand will he ready to co-operate at any time in discovering a scheme which will give her more population, hut before and above all else there must he created avenues of employment to absorb the •nimigrants coming this way. That is the crux of the scheme, and to overcome that obstacle there must be true co-operation between the Motherland and the oversea dominions.