NEW ZEALAND FOR ENGLAND’S SURPLUS POPULATION.

Otaki Mail, 7 November 1923, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND FOR ENGLAND’S SURPLUS POPULATION.

♦ A PLAN OUTLINED. ENGLISH COUNTY COUNCILS TO ACQUIRE SMALL FARM LANDS IN NEW ZEALAND. A correspondent signing himself “A New Zealander,” writes as follows to a London paper:— Sir,—-Permit me, as a Now Zealand resident, to say a few words about emigration. AA’hen I read in the cabled news in the New Zealand papers that there are in England one and a half million persons unemployed at the present time, and when I discovered that there are only 12 persons to the square mile in N’ew Zealand and 500 to the square mile in England, I was forced to come to the conclusion that the ques-"' tion of emigration is an Imperial one, with a humanitarian side deeply concerning the Welfare of the British race, herel’ore, with your permission, sir, 1 wish to say a little about New Zealand . sis an outlet for your surplus population, and to offer suggestions. I may say I have interviewed a great many people from Great Britain, and most are pleased that they came, as the fresh, bracing air, good food, sunshine and living accommodation arc far before conditions; besides they say their children have better opportunities here, the only drawback is the scarcity of houses, but the shortage is being rectified; rooms of some kind are alway obtainable. The new-comers are always met by Major Greene, who has been appointed by the New Zealand Government to meet all the immigrant boats and see that the new arrivals and their families are temporarily housed. The New Zealand Government’s latest immigration scheme is that persons living in New Zealand may nominate their friends at home and get them out to New Zealand at flic fallowing reduced passage rates: —

Domestic servants may come to New Zealand free. The passage for farm labourers and miners is £lO. Children under 12 years of age may bo brought out free. Residents in New Zealand may also bring out others for £lB. Sir Janies Allen, High Commissioner for New Zealand, 415, Strand London, and Commissioner David Lamb. Superintendent of Salvation Army Emigration Department, Queen Victoria Street, London, can give all details of the above nomination system. If intending emigrants cannot get nominated, my advice is, pay the ordinary third-class fare, as it saves time. People in New Zealand mostly live in detached houses, not in flats. This country is well developed, and there appears to be ample work for women and children. 1 do not approve of single men coming' out here; they should first got married and then come out. Nino young single farm worker, friends of mine came out single; they do not seem to “eoiple on” to the] New Zealand girls, or vice versa. Arrange Meetings for Co-Operative Emigration. Persons desiring to come to New Zealand should write to Sir Janies Allen, of London, and to Commissioner Lamb, asking for all literature, New Zealand Year-books, and fullest information, saying they wish to place these before a public meeting. Then put an advertisement in the local, paper calling a meeting of all who desire in emigrate. If they do not like this country, Australia. could be tried, as Sydney is only 34 days’ steam from New Zealand. Speaking as a Colonial, my experience here and in Australia is that very few native-born Colonials object to immigrants coming out to these new lands: they seem to agree that they all help to develop the country. Besides, it seems to be agreed that every thousand persons coming here work for themselves and increase trade. To Aid Emigrants, English County Councils to Acquire Land In New New Zealand.'"

I beg to offer the following sugges- 1 tion: —Under th’e English Small Hold- j ings Act. County Councils can borrow t large sums of money from the British s Government to buy blocks of rural i land, which they cut up into three, 1 four, or twenty arcre M-et'cns, anrl sell t to'pCf.m... de-iri' ri. Mini! poultry. 1 bee. lru'*, or daisy tuyn.ißg. Tile persuns buy it’. th..-e E - L -"’ 1 t- te.'■ | for th-m ■/'. (ieferrod paynvnt. ‘j 1 holdings :tr. a .-•..•.•ces • A s V : ' ; Act proieil- in X i- ZealuntT, -.i.' gest that the English County Councils f be allowed to acquire Largo block- of j land in New Zealand near the railu -ys. • and then cut them up into small hold- I ings and settle specially Selected dairy 1 farmers from Itlieir own country on same, allowing immigrants 33$ years to 1 pay for this land. No doubt the machinery of the New Zealand municipal bodies and also County Councils of New Zealand could be brought into play to help with this scheme. There is a great need of a small holding system here, as at present tho New Zealand Government offers very little aid to the poor man to secure a small farm. Past Land System In New Zealand. New Zealand years ago had some Very progressive land settlement schemes. In the Auckland Province every settler who paid his passage was given a block of land, and in the | Wellington Province rows of immigrant cottages were built. Later, the lion. ’ John Ballanee allowed groups of persons to take up blocks of land, each person on an average to be allowed to get 100 acres, and also one acre in the township area where he could place j his family until the land was cleared. , Settlers did not buy land in all cases; j but paid small annual rent for it. The j i Ballanee system of land settlement was • j a huge success at first, as it enabled | j butchers, bakers, stewards of boats.: . and folk generally who had not much I capital to secure a farm on which to | l bring up their children: and it is, I amazing to see, when the children come < i to manhood, how big and strong phy- ; sically they become, making quite a / I contrast to Itlieir English undersized j ! forbears. j But. unfortunately, the Ballanee i ' scheme had a weak spot, viz., the set- j '■ tiers, as t.hev became prosperous, secur- : i 0 d their freehold to the land,- which enabled them to sell out to their neigh- • hours, with the result that in some districts one man would be found holdinn- 500 good acres and more,_ having bought out his neighbours. This meant a diminished rural population, and in consequence the Stare schools m some districts had, to be closed, as there were no children to attend. If the Danish land system had been adopted here, which prohibits a farmer scl-ing out to his nearby neighbours, aggrega--1 tion would have been curtailed. ' Hon. W. Massey Favours Immigration 1 and Free Homesteads, 1 The Hon. W. F. Massey, Prime Min- ’ ister of New Zealand, who is a farmer, favours an extensive immigration scheme. He stated on March 3rd, 1923. at Auckland, that New Zealand should

now be able to absorb 10,000 British immigrants each year; he also stated that he favoured following the system of giving free grants to bona-fide i §fe>

tiers who would undertake to work the land. Mr. Massey said:—“lt is not a question of what capital they possess, but it is our duty to see that imrni- . grants who come here will bo indusItrious and enterprising people, likely to do good for themselves and for the Dominion. Now we are on a fair way, to returning prosperity, we expect to | be able to increase the number who j will be absorbed without increasing I unemployment. I think New Zealand i should now be able to absorb not less j than 10,000 British immigrants each | year. Every industrious man or every industrious family that comes here will ] help to provide employment for other I classes of the population, and so assist us to carry the heavy burdens rc- ■ suiting from the war. 1 think it can be said confidently that, taking them on the whole, the immigrants so far have given satisfaction and are worthy to becomo fellow-citizens with ourselves. ’ ’ Sir. Groat Britain is a wealthy country, and it. is her Parliament’s duty to help financially any scheme which will further the settlement of her surplus population on the surplus hums of her Colonies. In conclusion, allow me to urge young couples and family groups to cornu out, because they can cheer, help, and work for each other. If our British parents were daring enough to come to this country fifty years ago, and they succeeded, surely there is still enterprise enough among British people at home to come to these new countries, which offer such splendid inducements m the way of education, and opportunities for' their children.—l am, Sir, A NEAV ZEALANDER,