63

A.- 6a,

1. His Majesty's Government to co-operate with the oversea Governments in a comprehensive policy of Empire land-settlement and Empire-directed migration, extending over a period of years, and to this end to contribute up to a maximum of £2,000,000 a year in any year in respect of schemes of land-settlement, assisted passages, and such other kindred schemes as may commend themselves to the Governments concerned. 2. The assistance to land-settlement to take the form of advances to settlers up to a maximum of £300 a settlor, the advances to be made through the oversea Governments concerned or through spocially approved private organizations, and repayments collected by them. These advances to reckon pari passu with the advances made by the oversea Government or private organization in respect of conditions, security, terms of repayment, &c. ; the repayments to be devoted to further advances to new settlors. In so far as expenditure not recoverable in the form of advances may be involved in training or allowances during training, His Majesty's Government to share this with the oversea Government or private organization concerned, the amount so spent being deducted from the amount available for loan purposes. 3. His Majesty's Government to assign normally about half its total contribution—viz., about £1,000,000 —to land-settlement. In view, however, of its commitments in respect of the free-passage scheme for ex-service men and women and other kindred expenditure arising out of the special conditions of the post-war situation, the amount available for land-settlement for the financial years 1921-22 and 1922-23 will probably not exceed £750,000. In allocating this money as between different schemes it will be guided primarily by the merits of tho schemes both from the point of view of their economy — i.e., tho number of settlers they can deal with for a given British contribution—and still more from that of the arrangements for training, future prospects of the settlor, social amenity (group settlements), &c, and, other things being equal, by the desire to afford all the Dominions an equal, opportunity for developing their resources and strengthening their man-power. 4. His Majesty's Government to assign the balance of its contribution to assisted passages, including if necessary, outfit and landing-money allowances. As regards passages, the following was suggested as a basis for discussion. : One-third, of the passage-money to be given as a free grant and one-third as an advance, the latter to be increased up to two-thirds in special cases where the Governments concerned are agreed as to the desirability of the assistance being given and as to the prospects of repayment. The cost of tho assistance so given to be divided equally between His Majesty's Government and that of the Dominion concerned, the latter undertaking to collect the advances on behalf of His Majesty's Government; the repayment to be elevoted to additional assistance to passages. Contributions to schemes of child emigration or settlement to be wholly in the form of grants anel not of loans. 5. If any Dominion would prefer, in lieu of a joint contribution to assist passages, some alternative scheme for the assistance of settlers generally or for land-settlement, His Majesty's Government to consider the allocation to such scheme of the amount it would otherwise have contributed to assisted passages in respect of settlers proceeding to that Dominion. 6. In view of tho commitments of His Majesty's Government to its ex-service men up to the end of 1922, and of the arrangements already made by other Governments for their own schemes of assisted passages, it is not contemplated that the general scheme for assisted passages referred to above should come into operation before the middle of 1922 or the beginning of 1923. 7. All settlors receiving assistance under any of the above schemes to be subject to selection and approval by His Majesty's Government and by the Government of the Dominion concerned. Preference to be given, as far as may be possible, to ex-service men. 8. As a part of this general Scheme of co-operation, the Dominion Governments to make special arrangements for the reception, distribution, and initial supervision of British settlers, who should, as far as conditions permit, be given preferential treatment over foreign immigrants. His Majesty's Government on its side to undertake to make the necessary corresponding arrangements for furnishing information and advice, and for carrying out any policy with regard to oversea settlement anel emigration that may be agreed upon. These proposals wore approved of by the, Conference, the representatives of the; self-governing Dominions expressing the view that they contained a generous offer on the part of His Majesty's Government and • represented a sound and practicable scheme. It was clearly understood that the offer was conditional upon the full financial co-operation of the Dominions concerned as regards both land-settlement and assistance in respect of passages. The Conference passed the following resolutions : — 1. That this Conference recommends the proposals appended to tho minutes of its meeting of the 4th February (i.e., the proposals given above) to the most careful consideration of the Governments of the Empire for discussion and final decision at the forthcoming meeting of Prime Ministers. 2. That in cases where money for expenses overseas is advanced to settlers from Government funds the money should be paid, to the oversea representative in this country on the settler's account and transmitted overseas for payment to the settlers on arrival. 3. That the bonus system — i.e., the system of recruiting settlers by means of per caput bonus payments to third parties —should be abolished as from the Ist July, 1921. 4. That it is desirable, in order to emphasize the distinction between the movement of British subjects within the Empire and emigration to or immigration from, foreign countries, that such expressions as " oversea settlement," " Empire settlement," or " British settlement," " oversea settlers," or " British settlers " should be used in connection with the movement of British subjects within the Empire in preference to " emigration " or " immigration," " emigrants " or " immigrants," these latter expressions being confined to movement to and from countries outside the, Empire,