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9 June, 1911.] Emigration. [6th Day. Sir JOSEPH WARD : Yes. The CHAIRMAN : You mean those coming as British subjects. Sir JOSEPH WARD : Those coming as British subjects. The CHAIRMAN : Would aliens coming from Great Britain be subject .to this test ? Sir JOSEPH WARD : Yes, the aliens coming from Great Britain or elsewhere would be subject to our tests, as Asiatics are. We get just about as many people as we can reasonably absorb. AYe go upon the principle of seeing them placed in positions where they can make their living and earn their way as they come to the country. As far as I am concerned, I have nothing to add to what I stated at the last Conference. My views are put on record at the last Conference in 1907, and I have seen no reason to change them since. Mr. MALAN : I regret that General Botha is not well enough to attend the sitting of the Conference this morning; but I may say on behalf of the Union of South Africa that we have no objection to this resolution. Sir EDWARD MORRIS : I am in favour of the resolution. Sir JOSEPH WARD : It is understood that I am in favour of the resolution. Mr. BURNS : Mr. Harcourt and gentlemen, the resolution submitted to the Conference this morning is in some respects a replica of that submitted to the Conference in 1907; and perhaps it would be for the convenience of the Conference if I were briefly to say, as I now do. that since the last Conference the object of the first portion of the present resolution has to a very great extent been secured by events that have transpired since 1907. It perhaps would also help the Conference if I were to say that in 1906 the volume of emigration from the Mother Country to all countries was 194,671. Of that number the British Dominions and the British Empire took 105,178, or 54 per cent, of the total. In 1910 the volume of emigration had grown from 194,67] to all countries to 233,944, and of those, 159,074, or 68 per cent., went to the British Empire, as against 54 per cent, in 1906. Tn the intervening four years Canada's immigration from the Mother Country had grown from 47 to 49 per cent., whilst the United States of America (to which Mr. Batchelor has referred), which used to take a very large percentage of the total emigration, dropped in the same period from 44 per cent, to 31 per cent. But in 1911—that is, in the first four months in this present year —there is an increase over 1910 (which was a very good year) of 23,000, or 29 per cent, over the four months of 1910, and the British Empire has taken the whole of this increase; that is, in the first four months of 1911 there is an increase of 47 per cent, over 1910 to the British Empire. Mr. FISHER : Will you show the figures for each country? Mr. BURNS : Yes, I will do that directly. May I put this with regard to Australia ? I have circulated a memorandum, which I commend for the close perusal of the Conference, where yoii will see set out the total emigration to all countries and to the British Empire, with some of the Dominions particularly mentioned. Now, of the total increase of 47 per cent, over 1910 to the British Empire, Australia and New Zealand show an increase of 133 per cent, in 1911 over 1910, or 10,000 more people in the four months of 1911 went to Australia and New Zealand than in a similar period in 1910. That brines me to a very important point, and it is this : If the increase on 1910 developed by 1911 is continued, the total emigration during 1911 from the Mother Country to all countries will be 300.000 people, and we estimate that 230,000 will go to the British Empire and 70,000 to foreign countries —that is to say, 77 to 80 per cent, of the total emigration from the Mother Country to all countries will go to the British Empire this year.

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