53

A.—6a

haei a ve:ry bad start. It was looked upon as a fishing country solely and entirely, anel while people woulel emigrate: many years ago in order to fish, to-day in comparison with other means of livelihood fishing is an arduous and precarious business. For that reason, unless we train our own fishermen it is absolutely impossible to get them from other countries. That is the present state, of affairs in Newfoundland, but lam glael to say tilings are changing. Recently we have; undertaken a, very large hydro-electric development, and that is only one of the very many others which will eventually help out our industries in Newfoundland. It means the creation of new towns on parts of the Island the resources of which have not hitherto been tapped ; the creation of these new towns on the west coast of the Island, which is in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and a part of the Island which has great agricultural possibilities, means that the people, there will have to be fed, and I look forward to the, possibility of being able to avail ourselves of the Settlement Act, not at present, but within the next four or five years, if it is still then in force; That is all I have to say, Mr. President. The Chairman: Is there any other member of the Conference who, before the First Lord replies on the general discussion, would like to add anything on the settlement question ? Mr. Amery : Mr. President, I shoulel like: to offer a fe:w observations on this question of Empire settlement, as I have been peculiarly interested in it for a great many years. I think it has been very valuable to be reminded, as we have been by Mr. Bruce this morning, that you cannot separate the question of Empire settlement from the general question of Empire development anel markets. Men, money, and markets, as he; very rightly said, arc an inseparable; trilogy. In every problem that you face in connection with settlement you find that you cannot settle a, man without capital. He must have his own capita], or the Government must raise it, or a private company must raise it, but in one way or another capital is essential to settlement. We shall be presently discussing schemes for promoting capital development in the Empire. Of course, it is equally true that neither men nor money will go to the Dominions unless they can find a market for their produce;. I dei not wish to follow now with any detailed elisoussion of preference, but I shoulel only like: to say this in reference to what Mr. Bruce has said: that we do fully realize here, from the point of view of Empire settlement, that in any preferences we: give to help the development of the Dominions they are given not merely as bargaining counters to secure preference in return, but that they are of direct interest to us in helping that flow eif migration winch is so essential for restoring the social health of our national life. But I should like to add this for consideration : that for the full development of that flow and of that policy it is essential that preference should be: as mutual as possible, and that, a policy eif encouragement of trade at one end should not be hampered by anything approaching excessive restriction at the other, because there, is ceiii|il<:el with the, importance of tariffs in the directing of trade the no less essential factor of transportation —of shipping so far as the British Empire is concerned. Both the flow of trade, and, what concerns us more at this moment, the: flow of passengers or migrants depends on freight rates and passage rates, and those can only come down effectively if there; is a steady and increasing volume: of trade and movement both ways. Need for Economic Security. There is only one- either tiring I should like to say em that, economic question, anil that is this : that we must also have economic security. Mr. Bruce referred to the great irrigation development which might be maele far more easy if he knew we were, going to pursue a policy of substantial preference in regard to dried fruits, canned, fruits, anel so on, but I have no doubt he would add that, that preference could only justify his action if he; felt certain it was a preference that was going to continue over a considerable period of years. The same, of course, is equally true about settlement policy. One of the: greatest obstacles to the development of Empire: settlement has been the: high cost of passage since the: war, anel whenever I have discussed this question with the: representatives of the great shipping firms they have always said, " Give; us some assurance that there is going to be- a, steady flow of passengers and we: can cut the rates by 15, 20, or 30 per cent., or more, but so long as the thingis uncertain we always have to make temporary arrangements, which are far more costly." Plea, for Long-term Arrangements in Settlement, Schemes. Therefore: I elo hope- that from the point of view eif Empire-development, more particularly on the, question of settlement, we should keep in our minds the importance of a fixeel policy. Now, this was urged by the Dominions at the last Conference in 1921, anel it was in response to that, demand that we on our side- introduced legislation. That legislation did not really add to the powers that we had of spending money as we liked upon promoting Empire settlement, but was, in fact, declaratory. It made; it clear to the Empire and to our own people that we were committed to co-operate with tire rest of the Empire in such a policy for at least fifteen years, and that we were: prepared to spend a sum of money, the non-spending Of which woulel lay us open at any moment to direct criticism both in the Empire eiutside and in our own country. It may not be possible for the Dominions to respond in exactly the same form -that is to say, by passing similar legislation pledging themselves to spend up to a certain amount of money over a period of years. But I hope that in considering settlement schemes, assisted-passage schemes, and all other schemes they will not pursue a hand-to-mouth policy and make short-term arrangements, but that we: shall get long-term arrangements so that everybody will know what they have to work to. Admitting the immense importance of the economic factor, I should, however, like to add that reliance upon economic forces alone is not going to solve- the settlement question. All three; parts of the: policy, men, money, markets, go together, and you want a, positive policy over the whole- field and in each part. Friction, obstacles, hindrances in one section do frustrate the effect of the rest.