296 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 
(d) The schools throughout the country seem for the most part to be sadly 
lacking in this initiative, although many of them are circularised by one 
or other of the societies interested in Empire Settlement. 
(e) Many headmasters have expressed themselves in favour of a more practical 
training for a large number of their boys, and believe that many of these 
boys would do better on the land in one of the overseas Dominions than 
shut up in an office in England. 
(f) It is the absence of any organisation for keeping the schools in touch with 
the activities of the societies and the facilities they offer, and for main- 
taining a personal contact with representatives of the Dominions, that 
probably accounts for the general indifference of the schools, and for the 
small number of boys from secondary schools who take advantage of 
settlement schemes to go overseas. 
(g) One of the chief obstacles usually quoted to a free movement amongst 
boys as they leave school towards the adoption of a career overseas lies in 
the opposition, or indifference, of their parents. In all probability this, 
too, is largely due to ignorance of the conditions under which young 
settlers are now started and looked after by responsible persons. 
Memoranda have been included showing : (1) what careers are open for boys who 
have the courage and enterprise to strike out into the new life of the Empire ; (2) what 
careers are open to girls; (3) details of the various organisations concerned in 
migration ; (4) methods whereby 
(a) the school, the pupils and their parents may be brought to a knowledge of 
the many avenues for overseas settlement, and the many facilities that are 
offered of assistance—financial and social—to the young migrant ; 
(b) the parent, or boy, or girl can learn how to set about the matter, where 
to apply for information, whom to consult, how to get the information 
easily and completely. Y 
The Committee believe that a closer co-operation between the various societies and 
institutions interested is essential in order to bring about a better co-ordination of 
effort in all concerned ; further, the Committee believe that the main object of the 
co-ordination should be a more definite and systematic effort to make known to the 
older pupils of our secondary schools, and to their parents, the numerous opportunities 
that exist in our overseas Empire for boys and girls of enterprise and character, and 
to draw their attention to the many societies that offer assistance in establishing the 
beginner in his, or her, new career. 
II. 
OPENINGS FOR BOYS OVERSEAS. 
1. Temporary Drawbacks.—It is of the utmost importance to remember that, in 
dealing with the problem of migration, the primary consideration must be the economic 
condition of the country of settlement and its capacity to absorb new population. 
Immigration to a country in which the supply of labour exceeds the demand at the 
time, or in which staple products are failing to find adequate markets, is likely to lead 
not only to the failure and disappointment of the settler, but, by adding to existing 
difficulties, to engender opposition to immigration in principle. The effects of this 
might be felt even when economic conditions were again favourable. 
At present, economic conditions in Canada and Australia and, to a lesser extent, 
in New Zealand and South Africa, are such as to lead the authorities to the con- 
clusion that for the time being it would be unwise to encourage the settlement in those 
Dominions of the people of this country unless they have definite prospects awaiting 
them overseas. 
This, however, in no way lessens the desirability of bringing the possibility of 
an overseas career before both teachers and pupils, inasmuch as the present depres- 
sion in the Dominions will probably have given place to prosperity by the time the 
majority of the pupils have reached an age suitable for migration. It is, never- 
theless, important to recognise that the present time is, generally speaking, 
unfavourable to successful settlement overseas, and that the reasons for this should 
be understood. Since also the well-being of the settler is dependent on the pros- 
perity of the country in which he settles, and since the prosperity of the Dominions 
is very largely bound up with the problem of securing a market in the United 
