The Life Blood of the Empire. 



IMPERIAL ORGANISATION OF IMPERIAL EMIGRATION. 



There is no more vital and pressing Imperial 

 duty than the systematic peopHng of the Empire. Not 

 to do so is as if we created a wonderful irrigation 

 system, and then neglected to let in any water. Rlood 

 may be tliicker than water, but it we do not supply 

 the life-blood to the Empire the relative thickness will 

 be of little account. The sooner the empty spaces are 

 filled with a healthy and self-reliant population the 

 better assured will be the future of the Empire. It is 

 better for the Old Country that she should have her 

 oversea dominions peopled by Englishmen than by 

 foreigners. Occupied land is a national asset ; empty 

 territory is not only worthless, but a danger. It is as 

 much our duty to people the ICmpire as it is to defend 

 it with a powerful navy. Providence has given us an 

 ever-increasing population ; we ignore Providence and 

 flout destiny by not making use of that increase as we 

 should. At present emigration is spasmodic — it is 

 chaotic, and the Empire suffers just as much as would 

 one of us whose heart pumped life-blood without regu- 

 larity and without method. Imperial emigration must 

 not be left to the tender mercies of the various inde- 

 pendent agencies or to the state of the labour market. 

 We may be ready to allow our Army recruiting to 

 depend upon industrial distress, but we cannot afford 

 to take the same course with regard to peopling the 

 Empire. Once it has been understood that a state of 

 things which allows to exist Empire-continents without 

 population and an overpopulated mother country, 

 there must be no delay in organising emigration. There 

 is ignorame at home of the Colonics, and what they 

 ofTer and what they need. There is ignorance overseas 

 of what our surplus labour consists of. 



UNSY.STEMATIC EMIGRATION. 



To-day emigration is carried on by various com- 

 peting agpii' ic^. amongst which are the representative 

 offices of the diflercnl self-governing Colonies. These 

 must advertise, must push themselves if they desire 

 to obtain i migrants, just as under the present system 



the hospitals of London have to advertise themselves 

 and struggle to prevent funds being given to other 

 institutions. The private agencies tout for emigrants 

 and live on the commission per head paid by the 

 shipping companies or others. Can it be wondered at 

 if they do not strain themselves to give too true an 

 idea of the disadvantages ? And thus we find city-bred 

 men, unversed in anything appertaining to the soil, 

 going out into the great lonelinesses of the prairie 

 unprepared and unwarned. And at the same time the 

 very man who would have been ideal in the situation 

 is voyaging to seek work in a Colonial city. Such 

 chaotic methods are bound to bring about disaster to 

 the individual and to the dominions, since those who 

 are disappointed do not hesitate to condemn every- 

 thing without distinction. And this impedes the 

 rational and sane development of the emigration 

 movement. 



VOLUNTEERS, NOT PRESSED MEN. 



We do not deny that much has been done in tho 

 was- of making conditions more favourable for the 

 colonists, notably in Canada ; but we do insist that 

 there should be nothing even remotely resembling a 

 confidence trick in inducing men and women to 

 emigrate. We want volunteers, not pressed men, 

 in the Imperial development of our widespread 

 dominions. 



One advantage of systematised migration would Le 

 that the emigrant would learn to appreciate both 

 aspects of his coming life overseas. At present he 

 is often disillusionised on arrival because he has only 

 seen one side of the picture. Therefore it would often 

 be kind to have a sort of advocatus diaholi, who would 

 meet the emigrant at the door of the Emigration 

 OfHce, and tell him a few useful truths. If he was 

 i)f llie right stuff it would not scare him away, 

 and it he was not, it would save him going 

 across to drag out an existence no i^iur there than 

 here. 



