A.—s

174

Sixth Day. 25 April 1907.

that to send it out without adding the facts that the whole of the crushing always has been done by white labour, that the "greater part ot the harvesting is now being done by white labour, and the whole of it will be, is misleading. The greater part of the work of an ordinary sugar cane farm is now being done by small farmers upon their own land who make an arrangement for the disposal of their cane, yet this circular might suggest that while labour is being excluded and cannot be expected to cope with this industry. The circular is bad because of what has been omitted. In that letter I have read there is an extraordinary intimation that people need to be warned off from what white people are already doing with profit to themselves and to the country. That appears to me to be an inexcusable act. I do not put it stronger than that. Mr. Burns, if I may say so, made the best possible defence that could be made, and in so doing has discharged the duty of a Minister, of speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves much better than they could. All I can say is, T am confident if Mr. Burns had been dealing with this question, it would have been dealt with in a different fashion. Any Ministerissuing a circular would have framed it in a different fashion. Ido not wish to dwell upon that, but I must say there is a good deal to be expected not only at this moment, because we come here to criticise, but from that perpetual reformation of departments which we find necessary in Australia, —I am confining my criticism to my own country, because that cannot possibly give offence—imparting to them fresh life and fresh direction so as to keep them in touch with changing circumstances. I have reason to suspect that the need is just the same elsewhere. With a great deal Sir Joseph Ward said, and I also wish to associate myself in his criticism, I concur. Certainly, when we ask for the co-opera-tion of the Imperial Government, we ask for effective co operation in directing and not in discouraging emigration. Then Sir Wilfrid Laurier implies that we ought to specify the means to be employed. We think a more effective organisation here is wanted under the direct control of the British Government, or some of its Ministers, with that closer touch with the various representatives of all the Dominions which Mr. Burns has been good enough to foreshadow for us. We anticipate a great deal can be accomplished by this means, and we confidently expect it will be accomplished. lam sure, as far as Mr. Burns is concerned, it will be done, because he is an active and practical working man in this and other respects. But we go further; we do not wish to press unduly upon the Imperial Government, but we look upon improved means of communication generally, by joint action between the Mother Country and the several Dominions, as a very important means, not only of assisting emigration, but also trade. We are perfectly aware that subsidies are now given to shipping which competes with British shipping, both for passengers, cargo, and even emigrants. We have a line running to Australia to-day under the British flag, which is really in the main portion of its capital and interest, I understand, a foreign line of steamers. We think encouragement should be given to vessels not only flying the British flag, but actually British, so as to enable freights to be cheapened, and passenger rates to be lowered. It is only upon the last economy upon steamers running to all the dominions, or that should be encouraged to run to all the dominions requiring colonisation. We venture to think a good deal can be done by co-operation between the different Governments in that direction, and indeed by improvement of all the means of communication, which outside this chamber, Sir Joseph Ward and Sir Wilfrid Laurier have been recently discussing. We say improved agencies between the Mother Country and ourselves, improved means of communication, closer touch with our fallow co'onists, improved shipping services, cheap and rapid, are among the means by which a population might be attracted to British countries instead of to foreign countries. We appreciate Mr. Burns'

Emigration. (Mr. Deakin.)