IMMIGRATION AND DEFENCE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 8999, 12 November 1907, Page 1

IMMIGRATION AND DEFENCE.

AUSTRALIA'S DANGER. TWO IMPORTAT SPEECHES. Press Association—Copyright. Z Melbourne, November 10. Lord Northcote, Governor-General, speaking at the Lord Mayor's banquet ;last night, referred to the risks" a country must find itself exposed to so long as it had ;;ot population adequate for its development and defence. "No doubt," he said, "It was difficult to set the tide of immigration flowing, but it was a task which could be achieved by the cordial co-operation of the Commonwealth and the States. I could not but realise when in the Northern Territory what a magnificent harbour Port Darwin is and how unprotected, what shelter it would give to an enemy which was able to land troops there." The Prime Minister, Mr Deak in who responded, to the toast of Commonwealth, said that with the tariff out of the way he placed in the first rank of great national tasks the necessity for naval and military defence. They owed it to themselves and to the Empire to make the system of defence reasonably adequate. The settlement of the Northern Territory was not the least of the other issues to be dealt with. If the States find the land, the Commonwealth could find the men. He proposed to submit to Parliament a scheme, bearing the whole expenses connected with immigration to Australia and had placed a sum of £200,000 on the estimates for bringing people to Australia.