The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1928. POPULATION PROBLEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1928. POPULATION PROBLEMS.

A Northern .paper referring to population problems says that the idea has been to get the surplus population out of a supposedly overcrowded England, and there has not been much thought of what it was to do when it reached the other side of the world. Even-to-day a strange ignorance of Dominion conditions is sometimes displayed in official circles. Examples have been quoted of this belief that the Dominions are ready to receive an unlimited number of immigrants, when the truth is that they have their own problems of 'unemployment. Of course, the responsibility for this state of affairs has to be shared between the Motherland and the Dominions. Our own Government, so far as absorption of immigrants goes, has no policy. Attention should therefore be drawn to the frank remarks on, migration at a Labour gathering in England last week. Mr Ramsay MacDonald' told the Conference of the British Commonwealth of Labour that bis party had come to recognise. that “great fluidity of population was necessary,” and that Labour must not take the old narrow view.that responsibility closed when people wo: moved from one country to another. Mr Ben Turner, chairman of the' Trade Unions Congress, said that migration must be of “cardinal importance” to Labour, and that it must be realised that in regard to migration the Dominions were mistresses in their own houses. These remarks deal only with general principles, and. of course, It is infinitely easier to Talk generalities than to come clown to the task of framing a practical emigration scheme. It is important, however, that the Labour party is facing the problem thus frankly. Its discovery of the Empire and its possibilities is a political development of first-rate importance. This is largely the result of its experience of Empire government in its term of office, and it is partly on this account that we have always regretted that this term was not longer. With the Labour Party, taking an active and intelligent interest in migration problems, the very difficult task of distributing the population of the Empire more evenly will be easier. Mr Turner, who no doubt speaks for his party, does not make the mistake of supposing, as some Conservatives appear to do, that unemployment can be cured by emigration. The solution is more complicated, and in the opinion of many it includes the fuller development of Britain’s own resources,

A forceful justification of the part played and still to be played by the British Empire in the history of the world was set out by tho Bishop of Gloucester, Dr A. G. Head lam, when he preached at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Alluding to Empire Day—which was to be celebrated on Thursday—lie said that nowadays it was observed “somewhat half-heartedly” in this country, though in many of the Dominions it was an anniversary of greater signiflounce. Ho. could not fiiul on any grounds of history, or experience, or the teaching of Christianity, reasons adequate, for- condemning Imperialism. On the contrary, he could find much to support it. Dr Headlani continued : It must be recognised that the basis of human society depends on force. It is finite true that force, as lias often been stated, is no remedy, but unless our civil society has tlie protection and security which come from tho power of the sword, the dissolution of society would quickly take place, for n very small knot of armed men, maliciously inclined, would lx? more powerful than a great body of unarmed people, bowover meritorious they might be. If the sons were not policed by the British Navy, in a. very few years piracy would break out on all sides. If the frontiers of India were not guarded tlie lunarmcd populations oif the plains would quickly be the prey of robber hordes from the mountains. Without an efficient police force, backed by the possibility of military intervention, there would quickly be anarchy In every civilised .country. Hie possession of power is the necessity and the duty and tho responsibility of the civilised ruler, and no League of Nations, and no federation of mankind, would have any permanency unless there was ]>ower .behind the government. The Bishop added that it was not necessary to excuse or apologise for the British Etupnre. “As .much as any other,” he said, “it is an organic growth; its building up has not been the result of any intention of conquest; it lias come through colonising and trading.” Pointing out that the British Empire had given to large portions of the world an era of peace and good government, lie urged: “We must always Ik? strong enough to "guard the seas, and always be strong enough to retain what we hold.”