THE WAR AND MIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1915, Page 3

THE WAR AND MIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND.

AFTER THE WAR. LiiTTKR I. To the Editor. Sir,—Although the progress of the war is satisfactory, it must be admitted that, had we devoted more time to preparing for it beforehand, we should have done far better. This lesson should bo laid to heart, and we should now prepare for putting the affairs of the Empire in order after the war. The one great outstanding need is the better distribution of the Empire's population.

The fact that New Zealand was, a century ago. worth nothing, but is now worth five hundred million pounds is due to past immigration, mainly from Oreat Britain. The excess number of arrivals over departures during the past decade has been about 8,000 persons, and had the flow of immigration boon double, her prosperity, her acreage wider crops, her wealth, her exports, and her manufactures would all have in> creased in proportion. She could now have exported not only more meat and dairy produce, but also com, instead of having to borrow some of that which otherwise would have been available for the supplies of our amies at the front. The Prime Minister's expression, "All we are and all we have," would have had a double significance, and the dominion's contingent to the troops at the front could have been doubled. The patriotism and generosity of the X"v Zoalandcrs have astonished the world. After the war these should survive, for it will be -work and not gifts which th" people at Homo will need. As Mr. Lloyd George has 'pointed out, a great pressure of unemployment is to be expected 'it the conclusion of peace; and work will be needed for defence against starvation, poverty, and physical deterioratior..

Then the best and most enduring way for Xew Zealand to aid the distress which otherwise will he inevitable in that soinity of nations known as the British Umpire will be to take some of our surplus labor to vork on her surplus areas, so that both may be employed to the fullest advantage. By this means she can increase our food supplies and keep down our poor rate, and at the same time provide for her own defence by the introduction of efficiently trained troops, and reduce the burden of our war taxation by increasing the number of shoulders to bear \t,\ We can only avoid a war in the Pacific by being prepared to defend our empty areas of productive soil.

The transference to Europe of much of our labor has led to older men being employed and to work being available for all at considerably higher wages than prevailed'before the war. The effect on the physique and appearance-of 1 the people,'adults, youths, and kiddies, ' is a conspicuous feature of the conflict. It is for Xew Zealand and other dominions to say whether this is to continue or whether employers are to exploit our boys and ex-soldiers at lonwages to the exclusion of these -oilermen and; of the thousands of .maimed and wounded who will be seeking for work. The hitter will be able to act as lttcsscngers. lift attendants, bottle washers, packers, labellers, clerks, and shop assistants, but these jobs will be taken up by boys -who can find no other outlet for their energies unless they'are absorbed overseas. '

The first duty of tlie Government'of Xew Zealand is obviously to provide work for all of their, own forces who

return to civil-life, but surely they can arrange that' all vacancies .by death in their Expeditionary Forces are filled on the return journey by tit men \vifo wish to enlist from l-zord Kitchener's Army, which Is to be .discharged a« soon as possible, after the \v.ar. This would provide labor for the land, and their consuming capacity would increase employment in the-towns. They would-willingly, undertake to repay their fares out o"f wages after arrival, but -cannot save anything out of their shilling-a day pay, half of which, in innumerable eases, is assigned to their relatives, so as to qualify thenr for a..-Government subsidy. Xew \'A-i,\.-land, was one of the prizes' the- Prussians coveted.. Archer saviours to be excluded because they were born at Home?

The Imperialism of the boys isunparjlli'ied. A)! the best.who coiild go, at the age of sixteen and- upwards, have enlisted ,by overstating tiicjr age, and cases of boys joining the ranks at the age of fifteen are frequent. None of th.ese wish to return to their former indoor occupations and narrow lives. When, therefore, there are situations for .which no local lalwr is applying, .will not fares be advanced to help out such boys from Home? Most of those who came out. in .the past have enlisted and proved their sterling worth.

THE FUTURE OF NEW ZEALAND. The one thing needful for New Zealand to become a. great nation i 3 to double or treble her population. Now is her great opportunity to do ."0, and at the same time to prove that the Empire is indissolubly one. not only in arms, but in labor also. The extension of her urban employment also depends on the expansion of her rural population. if one farmer in every three would take an ex-soldier boy during the two years after the Avar is over, some twenty thousand could come out. and after they have repaid their fares tbey could nominate their sisters (and other boys' sisters as well, if the nomination system is extended to embrace them), and thus assure the destiny of the Britain of the South. They would also spend £100,00') a year on clothing alone. If they stay here they will decline and deteriorate, all the improvement wrought in them by their time with the colors will be lost, the opportunity will, we hope, never recur, as it is due to the war, and New Zealand will be kept back in her development. The boys, moreover, will have to take work to the .x----clusion of the Empire's wounded, for employcrs will not employ a wounded man when he can get boys and girls to do the work more cheaply, although a leg-wounded man could do labelling, paeicing, laying-on, or other stationary jobs, and a man with a wooden leg could ,<;o messages. Is the Empire to be one in peace as well as in war'; What is New Zealand's reply? I will write to you again concerning war widows and orphans.—Yours faithfully, THOS. E. SEDGWICK. 33 Oriental Street, Poplar, London, E., Empire Day, 11115.