Expert Views on Empire Emigration, 



IN our last number we dealt with the greatest of 

 all Iiii[)crial problems — the Imperial organisa- 

 tion of the peopling of the Empire. The article 

 has awakened universal interest, and has shown to 

 us that at the present moment this country and the 

 overseas dominions alike are searching after some 

 adequate means of coping with the twofold problem — 

 the relief of continuing pauperism here and the filling 

 of the empty areas of the Empire with the most suit- 

 able citizens. The solution of this will mean more 

 to the Empire than many Dreadnoughts, since it will 

 enable the dominions across the seas to attain a fuller 

 measure of stren^'th and wealth. We have thought 

 it well to collect the views of some of those actually 

 dealing with the migration of citizens from one 

 part of the Empire to another, and give them 

 below. The main fact is clear and undisputed — 

 that something must be done. There are those 

 who say that the philanthropic societies are to 

 be discouraged, and the bona fide agents, who 

 frankly do their work for so much commission 

 per head, encouraged. There seems no doubt 

 that there is room for both, but they must be 

 adetiuately controlled and subservient to an Imperial 

 machinery for dealing with the whole question. The 

 foundation of Empire-peopling is the education of 

 the young and the continuing of that education when 

 the child reaches his or her destination. The elemen- 

 tary schools arc the great beginning of Empire settle- 

 ment ; but pending the results of an Imperial universal 

 education we must use up existing material. There 

 is much to be karned from the letters given below, 

 and in a sub.scquent article we will endeavour, out 

 of all the needs and existing organisations, to evolve 

 a truly Imperial and practically workable scheme of 

 emigration machinery, which will not only people the 

 Em|)irc systematic:ally and scientifically, but will also 

 bring into being an lm[>crial department, the creation 

 of every new one of which brings closer the day of 

 real Imperial Fcleration. We would just say, however, 

 that while the work of sludyuig needs anil material 

 available should be carried out by an Imperial Board, 

 once the migrants have been allocated their future 

 home they would naturally be dealt with by the 

 \jrious Governments, who possess now in many cases 



an excellent machinery. Then again the Board of 

 Trade Labour E.xchanges should be made more use 

 of, the local post-office should become a centre for 

 the spreading of Empire knowledge, and the various 

 countries seeking population must be prepared to 

 spend money on a large scale to assist passengers to 

 their shores. Recently in Canada a Minister declared 

 that they should spend ^10,000,000 in order to 

 secure 3,000,000 competent farmers— or only over 

 three pounds per head. As immediate steps, pending 

 more complete organisation, the Poor Law authorities 

 should have the right to board out children anywhere 

 in the Empire, not only in this country. That would 

 be a great step. 



Then, again, there is the great question of 

 time-expired men from the army and navy. 

 This is material of the very highest value, even 

 although the men are not agriculturists, nor have 

 they any special line of business. They are, however, 

 physically fit, trained to think, and in the prime of 

 life, while many are married men. To enable them 

 to migrate relieves the labour market here, peoples 

 tracts of our overseas dominions, and supplies a stiffen- 

 ing to the military systems of the various parts of the 

 Empire. In ancient Rome the planting of soldier 

 colonies was an excellent institution, and to-day we 

 should not be above following the Roman example. 

 When we consider that for the next three years no 

 fewer than 24,000 men will be leaving the armv 

 annually — or 72,000 men in all— we must admit that 

 here is a very real and immediate method of supplying 

 good Empire population while waiting for the younger 

 generation. 



It is of interest to note that .Mr. Scamniell 

 has gone to Canada to arrange for some business 

 method of sending over these tens of thousands of 

 men with their families. It is probable that the 

 Canadian Government will give financial assistance 

 in the way of passage money — it would be extra- 

 ordinary were it not so. These few points show us 

 the wonderful variety of the question, and cannot fail 

 to impress upon us the necessity and the Imperial 

 duty which devolves upon us all to lose no time in 

 systematising the peojiling ot the Empire, a problem 

 which, to (|UOto Sir John Henniker Heaton, " is of 

 fust class importance and has never before assumed 

 such importance." 



