CANADA'S PROBLEMS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1927, Page 7

CANADA'S PROBLEMS

VISITOR'S ADDRESS

PROVINCIAL DISSENSION-

"We are keenly interested in New Zealand," said Mr. B. B. Halladay, of Toronto, who addressed the Wellington Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon yesterday at Gamble and Creed's. The president of the chamber (Mr. J. R. Simpson) presided.

Intense interest, said Mr. Halladay-j attended any remarks made in Canada about New Zealand. He congratulated New Zealand on its display at Toronto Exhibition, which was one of the largest exhibitions in the world, with a record daijy attendance of 250,000 people. ; . • A great portion of Canada, he said, was uninhabitable, but iCanada was divided in economic' interest into the grouping of provincial distribution, and there were quite different aspects of the economic problems facing, say, the maritime and prairie provinces. The divergent, clashing interests of provincial trade had recently called for a Commission. There was a great deal of drift on the part of young people to the United States in the same way as the best of Tasmania's young men went to the Australian mainland. This meant that the United States got a readymade, educated, and trained article for nothing, but which had cost Canada real dollars. THE CONSCRIPTION ISSUE, A very disagreeable situation in Quebec, owing to the lack of recruiting in the war, had been brought about, a natural animosity having been aroused against the French in Quebec, who had not responded in the same way as the men in other provinces.. When the conscription, issue was raised the voting in -Quebec'was 99 per .cent, against it. Eegarding Prohibition, Mr. Halladay said, that the police would not enforce it, the judiciary would not: support it, and it became a dead letter. But, the real reason was that Quebec while intensely Canadian in patriotism, was averse to outside interference. They had tariff troubles in the provinces caused by varying problems, as they did not produce the same commodities. Railway matters were another cause of opposite provincial problems. The Canadian National Railway had borrowed 5280 dollars a mile from the Government td build its railway, guaranteed by provincial and national bonds. It was expected that the opening up of the prairies would be reproductive, and another railway company induced the Government to pay for building the unproductive portion of its line, with the result that the accumulated Government and Provincial Government responsibilities over many lines of rail made it imperative for the Government to take over all these lines nationally. Now, Tinder Government supervision, these lines were only jusl beginning to'pay their way. Many people did not like to sec Canada so close to the United States boundary line. In other parts of the world, a Frenchman, say, could not mi grate to England in bad times, but from Canada, Detroit or Buffalo were

tantalisingly close when Canada was in hard times, and many of those who bo migrated never came back. This meant a great loss to Canada of its adventurous, brightest young men. Prohibition was a provincial question. Dnring the war all provinces, except Quebec adopted Prohibition. Later, the three "prairie" provinces had adopted Government liquor storage, which was financially profitable. They had a vote on Continuance or Government liquor stores in Ontario recently, but there was a pronounced majority in favour of Prohibition. "You can get ljquor anywhere in Canada," said Mr. Halladay, "but there is no doubt that its use is gradually becoming discontinued." It was argued that, in view of the "bootlegging," the Government control was the true temperance course, and this had influenced the voting.

AMERICA AND ANNEXATION.

"Annexation" asked Mr. Halladay. 1 "America does not want it, nor do we want it. We are all right up north, and they would not be any better off if there were annexation. Another thing is that we are intensely loyal. Make no mistake. I know that NewZealand prides itself on being loyal to Britain. But Canada is in the same boat. It is true that we use an American accent, and that we use American goods sometimes, but you must take into consideration that the country is flooded with American magazines and advertising. Our people pop into and out of America, and Americans in and out of ouis, with the result that many channels of thought and ways of life are common, but when it comes to the real underlying sentiment and allegiance to the Empire, do not let anybody make you think that Canada is not just as proud of Britain as New Zealand. You might get a few votes for annexation .from American farmers who have recently come across the border to the prairie provinces, but no more. It is true^ that the maritime provinces are talking of pulling out, but it is to form a little dominion of their own, not to pjpm uji with £he JTnited States.?-?