“NOW OR NEVER”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 447, 31 August 1928, Page 16

“NOW OR NEVER”

N.Z.’S NEED FOR MORE MIGRANTS LORD LOVAT’S VISIT The visit to New Zealand of Lord Lovat, chairman of the Overseas Settlement League, was discussed at the weekly meeting of the New Zealand Land Settlement and Development League yesterday. The chairman, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, pointed out the national importance of Lord Lovat’s visit, and said that although other portions of the Empire were availing themselves of the facilities offered, the Dominion appeared to be lagging. Mr. M. G. McArthur said that the voluminous information collected by the league should be of the greatest value to the visitor and that much time and labour might be saved if a conference could be arranged during the approaching visit. Under an agreement recently completed with the Australian Conference *an amount of £34,000.000 was lent by Great Britain for settlement purposes and 450,000 people were to be taken by the Commonwealth during a period of 10 years, i Mr. E. Yates considered that as the European nations were organising to control migration, and that the demand in South America and other countries was for migrants of Anglo-Saxon stock, it was a question of “now or never.” Mr. Holdsworth: “If we could only get our people to see it. If there is a job in town we are besieged with applicants, but for the country no one is available.” Mr. E. Yates said that the boys brought out from England under the Church of England scheme had given every satisfaction. It was a type of settlement which should be followed by the League’s Cadet Group System. Mr. A. A. Ross considered that no reasonable objection cou’d be taken if the Dominion had a settlement policy. It ensured that those brought out to go on the land reached their destination. It was decided to make the necessary representations to the Government to ensure the conference with Lord Lovat during his visit to the Dominion. A letter from Sir Andrew Russell with reference to an interview with the Prime Minister, dealing with important phases of a settlement policy suitable to present-day conditions was considered, and it was decided to wait on members of the Welfare League in Wellington and to discuss subjects of mutual interest.