EMPIRE SETTLEMENT BILL. (Hansard, 15 March 1937)

§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (EARL STANHOPE)
My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.

§ VISCOUNT BLEDISLOE
My Lords, as this Bill deals with a subject in which I am intensely interested, and as I was unable to be in my place when the Second Reading was moved nearly a fortnight ago, I would venture to make a few observations upon it. At the same time, I do not propose to occupy more than a few minutes of your Lordships' time, partly because, although I deprecate the reduction in the none too generous Government grant which was provided in the original Empire Settlement Act, 1922, I am conscious that we in this House are powerless 661 to amplify that grant, and partly because the problem of Empire migration is so inextricably interwoven with that of Empire trade and industry, which some of us will be discussing next Wednesday in the debate on the Motion of my noble friend Viscount Elibank. I should, therefore, prefer to postpone detailed comment on Government policy in that connection until then.
There are, however, two widespread arguments against migration to our Dominions overseas which I desire emphatically to refute, and I take this opportunity of doing so. The first, which was very convincingly dealt with by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London during the Second Reading debate, is the alleged inevitability of the decay of our home population and consequent lack of a migrable surplus for overseas settlement. That there should be a present unfortunate trend in that direction is no reason, I would submit, for blandly accepting it as inevitable. Surely to do so is a policy of defeatism and is only presenting to over-populated countries like Germany, Italy and Japan powerful arguments for their constant contention that the British Empire, spread over about a quarter of the globe, is in the territorial sense an incorrigible dog in the manger. Never was it more essential than it is to-day, both for reasons of defence and for the enjoyment and development of our magnificent Imperial heritage, that we should make the basic text of our Empire gospel: "Be fruitful and multiply, and go in and possess the land which by the blessing of a beneficent Providence was given to your fathers."
It may be said that life in flats, facility of pleasure transport and variety of entertainment, coupled with birth control, render a progressive fall in our birth rate inevitable. I, like the right reverend Prelate who addressed you in the debate on the Second Reading, decline to accept such a contention. In my judgment it would be a negation of British statesmanship and indicative of a fateful myopia. Surely the time has come when a definite premium should be placed upon human fertility and the production of sound human stock throughout the British Empire and especially in the homeland. If the form of such premium or premiums be in doubt, the Government might be 662 well advised to set up without delay a Royal Commission to consider and report upon this most vital problem.
The second false argument to which I should like to refer, which is sometimes urged against overseas settlement, especially before popular audiences, is that it is in the nature of banishment: that settlers in our Dominions are unfortunate exiles doomed to a life of hardship, loneliness and discomfort. Nothing can be further from the truth, at least so far as concerns the loyal and lovely Dominion from which I returned some two years ago after representing His late Majesty there. There is indeed no country in the world more conspicuous for its friendly hospitality to British folk of all classes, with its healthy and exceptionally sunny climate, its fertile soil, its magnificent scenery, its excellent sport and, above all, the lovableness of its population belonging to all classes. Incidentally I may also mention, as rendering it peculiarly attractive to those who have had the advantage of a good education, that there is probably no country in the world—at least none with which I am acquainted—where there is a higher average standard of education. I ventured to say with some truth, when commenting upon the grammatical accuracy of conversation that I noticed during the five years that I was in New Zealand, that I never heard anyone leave out an aspirate unless he had come from England. Speaking personally, had I not nowadays unescapable commitments and attachments in this country I should not dream, after five years' experience of New Zealand and her people, of making my future home anywhere else.
I take the opportunity of saying this because nothing distresses me more than to hear it represented to popular audiences that Empire settlement and Empire migration means something in the nature of exile. And finally, my criticism of the reduced Government subsidy for assisting migration is not, I would assure your Lordships, due to any love of subsidies—although there could in my judgment be no more worthy object than assistance to the Fairbridge Farm Schools schemes—but rather to the impression which will be conveyed throughout the world by this Bill that the measure of Great Britain's interest in the development of her Empire is to be gauged by her meagre provision for its encouragement. I do not of course 663 oppose the Bill, but cannot possibly deem its financial scope worthy of a wealthy country, having a glorious heritage for its posterity in the possession of the largest Empire in the world.

§ LORD BARNBY
My Lords, the intervention we have just heard from the noble Viscount who is a former Governor-General of New Zealand is fortunate and opportune, and naturally he speaks with great authority on this subject. There are other noble Lords who, like myself, had the opportunity during his term as Governor-General of appreciating the consideration which he showed in order to enable us to see under better conditions the advantages of the Dominions. I had the opportunity of addressing a few remarks to your Lordships on the Second Reading of this Bill, and as a result I have had representations from several quarters which encourage me to believe that there is definite interest in the idea of Empire settlement being considered as a possibility for private enterprise instead of its being left to the media which have been employed in the past. The evidences of that definite interest, and the fact that the noble Viscount who has just spoken referred also to the Fairbridge Farm schemes, impel me to say that I hope the noble Earl who will speak on behalf of the Government may find it possible to make some remarks on this question of the possibility of machinery of a private character to supplement or substitute the machinery which has been relied on in the past to encourage the flow of migrants from this country to the different Dominions. I should be glad also if he could give some idea as to the limitations, if any exist, to private efforts to expand the type of procedure which is provided for by the Fairbridge Farm Schools.

§ EARL STANHOPE
My Lords, I think the whole House will have welcomed the intervention of my noble friend on the Cross Benches (Lord Bledisloe) who speaks with such great authority on these matters. We have missed him a good deal from our House during his absence on other business on behalf of the Empire, but we knew well of his work there, because it was reported frequently in our Press, and we welcomed the great efforts that he was making so successfully on behalf of New Zealand, and the 664 great assistance he was able to give the people of the Dominion, with his very wide knowledge of farming and of agricultural pursuits, which are of such importance to them. I feel sure that my noble friend will agree that, as I said on the Second Reading of the Bill, this is more a matter for the Dominions than for His Majesty's Government in this country. There is no question of any lack of keenness on our part to assist migration to the utmost possible extent, but our difficulty is that the Dominions, as at present advised, are a little doubtful about taking more immigrants until they have settled their own difficulties in regard to unemployment. As soon as matters improve, as I think they are already improving very rapidly, I feel certain that the Dominions will be anxious to welcome more immigrants from this country, and then there will be no question of the effort that will be made by His Majesty's Government—from whatever Party they may be drawn at that moment—to help emigration to the utmost of our ability.
My noble friend behind me (Lord Barnby) I think rather felt, from the remarks I made on the last occasion, that assistance was limited to such movements as the Fairbridge Farm Schools. That is not so. Of course, we are prepared to assist emigrants in paying a part of their passage money and so on, say in assisting such developments as the Fairbridge Farm Schools, or indeed any approved land settlement schemes. But I think I am right in saying that all through our history unassisted emigration has really been a very much bigger factor than assisted emigration. Many people have gone out on their own, and I rejoice that the noble Viscount, Lord Bledisloe, has made it clear that it is very easy to exaggerate hardships in the Dominions. I think it is wise to say that when a man goes out there—or a woman either—he has to put his back into it and to work, and there is no question of being able to go out to a Dominion and pick up gold off the floor, as some people at one time seemed to think was possible. I quite agree with what my noble friend said about the attractions of New Zealand. I think he will realise that I myself have been there when I refer to a place called Whakarewarewa, which I do not think 665 anybody can quite say unless he has actually been there, and to what I consider the most beautiful walk in the world, the walk across the mountains to Milford Sound. The possibilities of agriculture both in the North and the South Islands are very considerable. There are several men formerly in my employ who are doing very well out there.
Personally I hope and feel that the time is near when we shall be able to start emigration on a much bigger scale. May I make clear that the only reason why this grant has been cut down is to be found in the sums we have been able to spend since the War. Even in 1927, which was our peak period, we were only able to spend something like £1,280,000. Should we find, as we hope, that emigration starts on a much bigger scale than we have experienced since the War I am quite certain that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Dominions will be only too glad to come to Parliament again and ask for an increase of grant to assist that emigration. It is merely to bring the amount that we have put into the Bill into accordance 666 with the probable need that we have reduced the figure. But there is no question of our desire not to reduce emigration, or to be less keen about it than any previous Government, or than anybody else in your Lordships' House.
My noble friend referred to a Royal Commission on the fall in the birth rate. That, I am afraid, is outside my purview. It is a matter for the Ministry of Health; and I will represent to my right honourable friend what my noble friend has said. It is, as he knows, a very thorny question from many points of view, but I will convey to my right honourable friend what has been said in your Lordships' House to-day and its effect on the question of emigration to the Dominions. I think we are all agreed as to the importance of that matter, particularly in view of the claims made from other parts of the world in regard to the paucity of the population that at present exists outside these islands and yet lives under the British flag.