The Daily News. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1922. BRITAIN'S POPULATION PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1922. BRITAIN'S POPULATION PROBLEM.

In the lecture recently delivered by Mr. Harold Cox (editor of the Edinburgh Review), on the subject of Britain’s surplus population, the problem seems to have been treated from a different point of view to that which has usually been presented to the public. In the condensed cable ! summary of the lecture, although I the main features are set forth, : yet it is obvious there are important phases of the question that are missing, and these gaps evidently have a considerable bearing on the main question. Naturally the aspects which appeal to the British authorities and to the Dominions are not the same. With the Motherland it is a question of finding an outlet for the surplus population, while the concern of the Dominions is chiefly to obtain human power for development purposes and greater production. It is well known that the most dif. ficult problem Britain has to solve consists in finding an effective means of relieving the congested population in her urban areas, and it is just that class which the Dominions are not willing to take, for the simple reason that they Would only create or augment the unrest which it is so desirable to avoid or minimise. While New Zealand needs more population, and the Government has enunci, ated a policy of encouraging immigration, the class of new settlers desired is limited to those who can and will develop the resources of the country, so that the number of new settlers that the Dominion can advantageously employ is necessarily very small when compared with the millions for whom Britain desires to secure employment overseas. The vast unoccupied areas of Canada and Australia are capable of absorbing many hundreds of thousands of workers, but it is essential that most of these shall be provided with capital. Mr. Cox considers that if the Dominions could absorb a few millions of Britishers it would add immeasurably to the happiness of the human race, but as th-e Dominions, and particularly their Labor leaders, are averse to the importation of Britain’s excess urban population, any scheme of immigration that would suit the Dominions would deprive Bi-itain of those employed in production without touching the problem of dealing with the congested areas. Mr. Cox 'also mentions that some Australian schemes, estimated that each settler would cost a thousand pounds, and he rightly concludes that Britain’s surplus millions cannot be settled in the Dominions at such a price. It would seem that for a much less expenditure of capital by the Imperial Government in the direction of bringing into cultivation the land that is now unproductive, far better results would be obtained. Stress was laid on the important contention that “all the present immigration schemes throughout the Empire would not even absorb Britain’s yearly increase of population.” While it is quite possible l that sentiment may be a factor', in lending the Motherland a hand, to help her solve the surplus popI ulation problem, yet, in the main, i immigration has to be considered on strictly business lines. Toi merely relieve congestion in Bri-I tain and transfer that congestionj to the Dominions would create, two evils where only one now, exists, without providing a remedy, and no political economist or statesman could entertain such a proposal. Lastly, Mr. Cox draws pointed attention to the evil of State-aided immigration by Stating that “when a man emigrated at his own risk the cost was generally made good, but hundreds of State-aided ex-ser-vicemen had recently drifted back to England.” The class of immigrant the Dominions need is a similar type to the original pioneers—men willing to take risks

and actuated by a determination to carve out a prosperous future. The evils attendant on the spoonfeeding policy that is all too prevalent are well known. Whether they are due to modern social legislation or not is of no importance. What matters is that the chief asset, of immigrants shall be self-reliance and the will to make good. The matter is not one for politicians and philanthropists, but. for business men to deal "with on business lines, and if each of the Dominions in. need of immigrants appointed a commission of farseeing, practical business men to evolve workable schemes of immigration, then the whole problem could be dealt, with on lines affording reasonable prospects of success.