MONEY AND MEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 255, 18 January 1928, Page 1

MONEY AND MEN

SIR R. HORNE ANALYSES DOMINION NEEDS POPULATION PROBLEM By Cable. —Press Association.-—Copyright. Reed. 10.30 a.m. PERTH, To-day. A passenger by the steamer Narkunda is Sir Robert Horne, M.P., a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, who, after a month in Australia, is returning to England, via New Zealand and Canada. In an interview Sir Robert Horne said: “As far as one can see, two things needful in Australia are an addition of the right kind of people, and a certain amount of capital. “If you think of the Empire as a unit, you must be startled by the irregular and unscientific distribution of its citizens throughout the available areas. “The situation to-day is more anomalous than ever. We have too many people where they are not wanted, and too few where they are vitally necessary to the process of development. "A distinguished American once asked me why we could not shift the population to places where it could render the most valuable service, but tho problem is not so easy as it looks, and if one desires to learn how hard it is, one has only to remember how many schemes there are in existence, promulgated both by the Home and by tho Dominion Governments, and individual States, involving considerable expenditure of public money. Nevertheless, the problem must be solved, not merely because of the uneconomical distribution of our population, but for reasons involved in the second consideration. “The welfare of any community, and jts progress, depend upon utilising the full productive elements which exist within its shores. "If the raw resources of the earth are neglected, the market within which the manufactures of the country can be sold is to that extent limited. The more you increase the number of people .on the land, the greater is the market which you create for the sale of the products of the towns.”—A. and N.Z.