Chapter XXIII.
And what of to-morrow?
We in New Zealand are still at the beginning of things. A world-wide movement of population is in progress; last century saw the stream setting strongly towards the United States and Canada, but when their great territories are filled up, it is certain that the overflow must be diverted to Australasia. The time may be even now at hand; while these lines are being written, men are already considering the problems which must follow the conclusion of peace—one of these problems is what is to be done for the millions of young men who have been uprooted from their civil employment to fight for their country. Already it is being suggested that, some of them should be assisted to make their homes in the distant parts of the Empire, and so help to strengthen its defence.
Let us pause a moment to consider what such an influx of population would mean to Christchurch and Canterbury. The population of the South Island of New Zealand, at the last census (1911), numbered 444,477. Yet the area of this island is almost 8,000 square miles greater than that of England, or almost exactly equal to the combined area of England and Wales. Put in another way, the South Island is carrying a population of eight persons to the square mile, as against 669 persons in England. A century ago England and Wales carried a population of over ten millions, who lived on the land, and did not need to import their foodstuffs; moreover, agriculture was primitive then, grain was sown broad-
