A.—6a

43

he pointed out at the 1921 Conference that South Africa, as affording only a limited field for white labour, would be precluded from co-operation on the same; lines as were: contemplated with the other Dominions. Provisions of the Empire Settlement Act, 1922. As a result of these; two Conferences the; Empire Settlement Act was introduced in the House of Commons and. became law on the 31st May, 1922. The Act empowers the Seoretary of State for the: Colonie;s, who acts on the advice of the Oversea Settlement Committee, to co-operate: with Dominion Governments, or with public authorities or public and. private; organizations, either here or overseas, in carrying out agreed schemes for the joint assistance of suitable persons in this country who wish to settle overseas. Agreed sohemes may be e:ither dovclopmemt or land-settlement schemes, or schemes for assisting with passages, initial allowances, training, or otherwise. The limit of financial assistance by the: Home Government was £1,500,000 for the first year, and them £3,000,000 for each of the, next fourteen years. By the passage: of this Act of Parliament this country, following the, precedent established after the Napoleonic wars and pursued thereafter for half a century, has inaugurated a definite peilie;y of State-aided Empire settlement. Results achieved under the Act disappointing. No time has been lost in framing agreements under the Act. Passage agreements have been concluded with Australia and New Zealand and the Government of Ontario, anel, as regards certain classes of migrants, with the Canadian Government. Important agreements for land-settlement have also been arranged with three eif the Australian States —Western Australia, Victoria, and Ne;w South Wales —and a number of minor schemes have been initiated in co-operation with bodies such as the, Salvation Army, Church Army, &c. Yet the number of persons who have actually proceeded abroad with assistance; accorded uneler the Act since its passage in the summer of last year is relatively small : 23,179 have gone to Australia—l am taking the figures up to the 30th. September, 4,502 to New Zealand, and 3,85.1 to Canada, making a total of 31,832 ; and in addition, some further 7,000 persons have been approved but have not yet sailed. Our actual cash commitments under this Act amount to £305,000 in the case of Australia, £32,000 in the case of Canada, and £45,000 in the case; of New Zealand, making a total of £382,000, as against authorizations of £1,500,000 up to the 31st March last, and £3,000,000 for the: current financial year. These results, it must be: admitted, are: disappointing. The numbers who have gone overseas are infinitesimal in comparison with the needs of the movement, and they fall far short of the numbers contemplated for absorption under the schemes to which I have referred. The: assisted-passage schemes, for example, were originally designed for the absorption of 50,000 per annum to Australia, 10,000 per annum to New Zealand, and 17,000 per annum to Canada; and, in addition, the, settlement schemes with Australia we:re to provide for about 18,000 persons, making a total of 95,000 altogether in the year. Nor is it possible to feel an)' very great confidence: that the position will be much better in 1924. Sir W. Windham's Mission to Australia and New Zealand. Australia, as 1 have indicated, has taken hitherto a larger number of settlers than any other Dominion, and may in the: current year reach a total of about 25,000. On the cordial invitation of the Australian Government we sent an important delegation early in the: year to Australia under Sir William Windham, an experienced official, who has special knowledge: of migration problems. They have spent some months visiting the whole' area of settlement in Australia, and are at this moment in New Zealand. It has not been possible for the delegation to send us their complete reports in time for their utilization at the Conference, and it would not be fair perhaps to attach too much weight to such preliminary impressions as they have been able to communicate to us up to date ; but in his last letter Sir William Windham states that he: doubts whether migration to Australia in 1924 is likely to exceed 50,000 persons. I understand —and Sir James Allen will doubtless oorrect me if lam wrong-that New Zealand is not likely to increase in any conspicuous degree her absorption of migrants next year, and the same would appear to apply to Canada, unless Mr. Graham has some new proposals to put before us. Similarly, as 1 have already said, the amount of our financial commitments fell far short of the £1,500,000 authorized by Parliament for expenditure: in the first year, and shows no prospect on the present basis of approaching the £3,000,000 authorized for the future. Wnat are the Causes of these Poor Results ? It is not, therefore, any difficulty as to finance: on this side; which stands in the way, and it seems to me that one of the first questions which the Conference has to consider in dealing with oversea settlement is the problem of the causes which have contributed to the somewhat meagre results which so far have been attained. Are these causes economic ; are they political ; are they psychological ? Is there any lack of organization or of enthusiasm here ? Is there in the Dominions any lack of organization or any want of confidence in the movement ? Some Encouraging Signs for the Future. Whatever the cause may be, 1 woulel venture, so far as the Home Government is concerned, to claim that the passage of the Empire Settlement Act and the action which has been taken under it alike prove that we have been, and are, wholly in earnest in our endeavours to promote the new policy. On your side, too, it is impossible not to derive; much encouragement from the recent utterances of Dominion statesmen. We have: all read with great pleasure the recent speech of Mr. Robb,