175

A.—s

criticism of communities when their settlements are separated by language and by strongly-marked customs from the rest of our people, but communities from the white races grouped together under one flag, whether British or French, Canadian or Africander, as the case may be, so long as they are our own people, although we have no urgent desire for communities, we are yet sc very much in need of population that if it could only be obtained by that means, we should be sorry to disapprove it. We would be quite willing to see some communal settlements, not in the strict sense, but joint efforts for settling individuals who choose to group themselves together on particular areas of land. While we do not favour it, we should not fear it, and would rather face it, speaking for Australia, than not acquire population at all. It is only where the community is, so to speak, kept within a ring fence by reason of language, blood, habits, and practices, that we see grave reason to apprehend danger. Any other reasons arising from the settlement of communities would appear to be of a slighter character which might be ignored. We wish the British Government would also favour subsidiary educational means, such as have been recently proposed, seeing that the schools and through the schools the children in this country were brought into closer touch with the realities of life in the outer portions of the Empire. Mr. Burns spoke—and I think so far as any of us know we all echo his commendation of the transport of children by Dr. Barnado and others to Canada, and elsewhere. That appears to have been a brilliant success. Is not the suggestion closely connected that in all the schools of the United Kingdom there should be sufficient teaching with regard to the Dependencies of the Empire, so that as the children grow up, if they wish to make a choice of a new home, they will have the knowledge necessary to make that choice. We are undertaking the necessary obligation in all our schools of teaching not only British history but British geography, in order that they may understand the course of events in the Mother Country, the centre of our race. In the schools, among the children, by operating through your Boards of Guardians and other bodies to whom Mr. Burns referred, by operating through a rejuvenated Emigration Board here, associating it with the Central Emigration Board in this city, by assisting the means of communication and particularly shipping —these are among the methods which are open to the British Government to choose. Any or all of those we would welcome, so far as Australia is concerned. We are prepared to co-operate in any and every way in order to encourage emigration. Mr. BURNS : May I say a few words on the last point Mr. Deakin has raised ? I have had placed in my hand this morning some postcards received by the Board of Emigration from school children, in response to a circular the Board of Emigration issues. Here are 50 or 60 postcards from children, received this morning, and it is only typical of what they receive : " Kindly send to above address the circulars on Canada and Australia." Mr. DEAKIN : I hope you will not send the circular of April 12th. Mr. BURNS : If we send the one of April 12th, I think we will have to put a footnote in, that we omitted, in order not to damage Queensland, any reference to the fact that Kanakas have previously been employed in this particular industry. Mr. DEAKIN : We do not mind that a bit. Put it in by all means. We are determined to have a white Australia, and mean to keep it white. We have voted 12,0001. of Commonwealth money in order to deport those men comfortably to their homes and families. We believe it is good for the

Sixth Day. 25 April 1907.

Emigration. (Mr. Deakin.