SOLDIERS AND SETTLERS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3083, 4 January 1909, Page 4

SOLDIERS AND SETTLERS.

During the debate in the House of Commons on unemployment, both Mr John Burns and Mr Haldane stated that permission had been given to a large number of reservists to leave the United Kingdom, if they desired to do so. In view of this, Dr Arthur, president of the Immigration League of Australasia, has written to Mr John Burns, requesting him to urge the Imperial War Office to give reservists serving in India the same privilege that is already granted to time expired soldiers—the option of a free passage to Australia or New Zealand, instead of to the United Kingdom. Mr Henniker Heaton, M.P., has also been asked to take the matter up, and a letter on the subject has been sent to the leading papers in London. Thousands of men in the prime of life who leave India every year would gladly embrace the opportunity to come to Australasia were it afforded to them. They would thus be obtained without any cost to Australasia, would form an admirable stiffening to our defence forces, and in most cases would be the very class of immigrants needed, as many of them were agricultural labourers before enlisting. I