Selective immigration needed

A HOPEFUL feature of the debate in the House of Representatives on the Public Works Statement was the stress that was laid on the desirability of promoting the immigration to the dominion of a suitable class of settlers. The need of immigration had become apparent before the war. The losses which the dominion suffered in the war, depriving it of an appreciable proportion of the flower of its manhood and impairing the efficiency of a large number of those who returned from active service, have made it more than ever necessary that

additional population shall be attracted to our shores. The lack of labour has been affecting the ability of the Public Works Department to fulfil its programme for opening up the country, and it justifies the conviction expressed by Sir William Fraser that the appropriations of the Public Works Fund for the current year will be largely in excess of the amount that it will be possible to expend. The necessary labour, as the Minister says, is not in the country. Moreover, the capacity of the dominion for increasing its production is clearly dependent upon the labour factor. That the country must produce more largely than it has been doing in the past in order that it may overcome economic difficulties which will have to be faced by all discerning people. This circumstance strengthens materially the argument in favour of the prosecution of a vigorous policy of immigration. It is most desirable, therefore, that plans should be made in the dominion for encouraging

immigration. The time is opportune for activity on the part of the Government in this direction. Many thousands of exservice men at Home, impressed with a sense of life in the dominions, are anxious to migrate.