A.—4.

200

6th Day.} Emigration. [9 June, 1911. Mr. BUBNS— cont. It is interesting for us to remember that in 1911, when the percentage of total emigration to the British Empire will "be from 77 to 80 per cent., it will only leave 20 per cent, for foreign countries, and this is best illustrated, perhaps, if I give the 10 years. In 1900, 33 per cent, of the total emigration went to the British Empire, and 67 per cent, to foreign countries; in 1910, 68 per cent, went to the British Empire, and 32 per cent, to foreign countries; in 1911, 80 per cent, will go to Dominions beyond the seas, and not more than 20 per cent. to foreign countries. So you see that in 10 years the stream of emigration has been diverted from foreign countries to the Empire, which is something which I presume this Conference will be quite content with; and, if I may say so, it is a justification of the excellent improving and increasing work in the right direction which has been carried on by our now admirably organized Emigration Department here. It is only right for me to say, having perused some of the statements on this subject by Dominion statesmen and Premiers, that coincident with the quantity and volume having increased, it is generally admitted that the quality of the emigrants to all Darts of the British Empire has been better in the last two or three years than it has been in any two or three years of the last 15 or 20 years. The other point I want to put to the Conference is this : 300,000 emigrants in 1911 means 60 per cent, of the natural increase of the population of the United Kingdom by births over deaths. That is a very large contribution to external territories, and it will be interesting to have on record how emigration to the Dominions and other countries has absorbed as the years go on the natural increase of the population of the United Kingdom. In 1907 we exported 50 per cent, of the natural increase of population; in 1910, 48 per cent.: and in 1911, 60 per cent. But for the saving in life through much lower death rates, which I am glad to say we have now in the Old Country. and the much lower infant mortality (which we also have\ emigration would be a very heavy drain on Britain. For instance, Ireland has decreased its population by 76,000 in 10 years. Scotland has increased its population by 287.000, or 6 per cent.; but that 6 per cent, is against 11 per cent, in the previous decade. Tn 10 years Scotland and Ireland have increased their population by only 210,000 people, or less in 10 years than the total emigration from this country for one year—namely, 1910. In the year 1910 Scotland's natural increase of population was 51,755, but its emigration was 55,344 — that is to say, its emigration exceeded the natural increase of births over deaths. Now, we respectfully put to this Conference that, with a diminishing birth rate and with an increasing emigration of fertile people, the Mother Country cannot safely go beyond 300,000 a year, and we think if we send you, as we intend to in the years that are to come, from 80 to 90 per cent, of that 300,000 a year, we are giving all that you reasonably and consistently should require. These facts, I think, dispose of any need for State-aided emigration. It was not asked for at the last Conference. It has not been revived, so far as I can gather, by any responsible person, and I do not think this Conference expresses any desire for it. If it is State-aided in money it will interfere with the free choice by the Dominions of the class of immigrants they require, and it will in many ways prevent the intending emigrant, who may be suited, both by his physique, his trade and calling, to a particular class of Dominion and country, from having that free choice of home in any of the Dominions to which he is entitled as of right. State-aided emigration, so far a? money is concerned, is not favourably regarded by the Mother Country. We respectfully suggest, having given these figures, that you are entitled to take our surplus, but you must not diminish the seed-plot. You can take our overflow, but do not empty the tank. Whatever we do in the Mother Country or the Dominions, crowded emigrant ships leaving the Mother Country are no compensation for empty cradles in any country in the British Empire. So far as regards help in the direction of sending emigrants from the Mother Country to all the Dominions, I have simply to say this : Since 1907 the work of the Emigration Office, as these figures indicate, has more than doubled. Increasingly the Emigration Office adapts itself to modern reouirements, to rapid transit, to the extraordinary number of letters that intending emigrants pour into it; they see daily a larger number of intending emigrants, and the rapprochement between the Agents of the various Dominions and the High