Page 5 Advertisements Column 4

Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1929, Page 5

Mr A. A Ponsonby, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Dominions, makes the following statement: “As chairman of the Overseas Settlement Committee, L cannot allow the statement mjide by Deaiv Inge to pass without protest. The recruiting, training, advising, and assisting of settlers is in any event a matter of some delicacy and complexity. But our task is rendered still more difficult when a prominent ecclesiastic publicly makes the charge that young Englishmen are not 1 always welcomed or fairly treated in the Dominions,’ and goes on to talk of scores of ‘ bitter letters.’ This general charge, founded on the receipt of a few letters, is most unfair. The percentage of failures in all classes of settlers is relatively small, and I can say from experience that they are. far more otVen due to the temperamental unsuitabil’ty of the settler for the life he lias chosen than to any negligence or want of sympathy on the part of the Dominion authorities. But the failures are apt to gut a degree of publicity for their grievances which gives a false impression, while the vast majority settle down to their new life without the success of their enterprise being published. In contrast to Dean Inge’s letters of complaint, I have in nTY Department, not scores, blit hundreds, of letters from hoys in all parts of the Empire and of all standards of education, paying a tribute to the warm welcome they have received and the attention which is paid to their welfare. In many cases they are enthusiastic about tlibliir future,”