Conditions of Emigration
Mr. Calwell, the Australian Minister of Immigration, when he said in Ottawa last week that those who remain in Britain were "only helping to starve and suffocate each other," seems to have based his statement on the economically unsound assumption that with every pair of hands goes only one mouth. One man's produc- tion has to cover much more consumption than that. This country will hardly profit from the emigration of some of its most virile and enterprising members, who provide, directly or indirectly, for those unable, or not yet able, to work—presumably those whom Mr. Calwell does not want. This is the paradox of any scheme of emigration based on one-sided need ; only if it can be shown that the needs of Imperial defence must be met by a further lowering of the standard of living at home will such a differential movement of population be justified. The seriousness of the threat to British productive capacity is shown by the fact that Mr. Calwell indicated that 400,000 people had already made inquiries at Australia House about emigration to Australia, and that the Dominion was pre- pared to accept at least half that number. Canada, in the first six months of this year, has already received over it,000 British immi- grants ; and both New Zealand and South Africa have extensive settle- ment plans. A Conference held to examine the problem of man-power in the Empire—as suggested by Mr. Calwell—should consider first the effect of such centrifugal migration policies on the British Isles themselves. A good deal might be said for the adoption, by the Dominions, of a scheme of family or community migration, whereby consumption, in the Home Country, would be reduced side by side with productive capacity ; what we cannot afford is reduction of productive power without a corresponding seduction of consumption- demand.
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