90 WAGES x\ND EMPIRE 



appears that already a million of our surplus population 

 emigrates, and the Commissioners report that the 

 present tendency of this emigration is in the direction 

 of the Dominions. 



It appears therefore to be possible for the United 

 Kingdom to lind the number of new population 

 required by the Dominions ; but can the Home Country 

 supply emigrants of the proper class, namely, two 

 million agriculturists and two million other workers, of 

 whom a million must be domestic ? This is a question 

 upon which there has hitherto been serious misgiving. 

 ' The United Kingdom can spare none of her agricultural 

 population ' say the Dominions Ro3^al Commissioners, 

 and those most expert emigrators, the agents of the 

 Canadian Pacific Railway, found in late years that 

 they could get no emigrants from the British country- 

 side, the local demand for labour was too great ; while 

 as for domestic helps the British supply is admittedly 

 insufficient for the home demand. 



In the face of this it would appear that the proper 

 class of emigrants cannot be supplied by us to the 

 Dominions ; that the only sort which can go from 

 these shores consists of the transporter and commercial 

 workers. 



The Dominions Royal Commissioners, however, 

 after investigations conducted in this country and in 

 the Dominions, come to another conclusion. They 

 find that a domestic and agricultural class can be made, 

 and that the materials out of which to make it exist 

 in the United Kingdom. Two conditions only are 

 necessary — youth and adaptability. 



They say that the origin of the emigrant — whether 

 he is from town or country — is immaterial, and what 

 his previous occupation has been is of no concern, 

 provided only that he (or she) is young. Next 

 important after youth is the quaUfication of adapta- 



