IMMIGRANT SETTLERS.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 13, 10 January 1924, Page 2

IMMIGRANT SETTLERS.

THE GROUP SYSTEM. Australian Example. in connection with the project that was set on foot for the settlement oJ. SO,OOO acres of die Tokoroa country with immigrants from Great Britain and generally in regard to the bigareas of country in the Upper Waikato suitable for settlement, the following information collated by the New Zealand Immigration and Land Settlement League.is interesting:— “ The last Australian mail has brought further information regarding the land settlement 'schemes under the Imperial migration policy. The West Australian group scheme provides for the settlement of 100 families on the land every month, but it has- been found that the scheme is working so well and that such a quantity of good material is offering that an effort is being made to increase the quota to 200 per month. Mr. Barnes, the assistant director of migration for the Australian Government,...who recently visite.d Leeds in connection with migration under Major Bivchell’s scheme, had over 500 applications from families and is trying to arrange that as many as Australia can accept from Leeds may be settled together. Mr. Barnes stated in an interview in London that never ’ at any previous time had such splendid material been available for group settlement. Among those who had been accepted was a farm labourer with 11 children, and Mr. Barnes stated that a big percentage of migrants consisted of experienced agriculturists. Mr. Percy Hunter, director Federal migration, stated that he could arrange with almost every : county in the British Isles for it to be interested in the grouping schemes and his only trouble was regarding the limitations of the schemes themselves.

“ Contingents are being accepted in connection with the Devon and Cornwall scheme which is now established and for which 120 families have been accepted. M Sir James Mitchell, Premier of West Australia, in referring to the limitations of the settlement scheme stated: ‘ In addition to the contingents from Devon and Cornwall T have cabled to London that 100 families may come from Leeds during January and February. Apart from these families, who are coming for immediate settlement in groups, we have a number of men in the State who have been here for some time on probation. and who must be absorbed in groups, and from time to time we have some of our own people seeking group holdings. Being acclimatised and eminently suitable we are naturally* anxious to encourage them to settle in the groups. All these have to be provided for. From overseas we are perfectly willing to accept as many men with families and some experience of -rural life as our surveyors can provide land for, but naturally there is a limit.’ “ Sir James Mitchell has since made an announcement regarding an extension of the migration policy on a more ambitious scale, which involves borrowing- another £10,000,000 from Britain by way of an advance, for development to be repaiff by the settlers themselves over a period of thirty years.

“ Mr. S. M. Bruce, Australian Prime Minister, in a statement which he issued to the London press last October, advocated group settlement in connection with irrigation areas. He commended the Victorian, New South Wales and South Australian irrigation enterprises which have proved most successful forms of settlement, and he pointed out that the Murray system alone embraced twice the area of France. “ The Yorkshire Post ( Leeds ) says: ‘ There is disappoinment among applicants at the narrow limits which have been defined for the scheme (group settlement for West Australia). It has been estimated that in England alone some fifty thousand families would be glad to take advantage of the group schemes, but Western Australia is the only State which is making such a provision. Possibly the Leeds scheme will prove to h:* an important object lesson to the other States.’ ” Note. The Yorkshire Post would seem to be inaccurate in the latter part of this statement, as at least three other States have group schemes in successful operation.