CANADA AND IMMIGRATION

Evening Star, Issue 18046, 14 August 1922, Page 5

CANADA AND IMMIGRATION

- / POSSIBLE DISPUTE WITH BRITAIN.

In an American .paper Frederick William Wile write*-:

Coincident with the enforcement of the now American immigration laws limiting the numbers of aliens who may enter the United States, Canada purposes launching a world-wide campaign for the purpose of attracting emigrants. The plan originates with the Canadian Pacific Railway, itself a pioneer in promoting the settlement of Canada’s vast unoccupied domains by foreign colonists. At last annual meeting of th© railway company in Montreal, its president, Edward \V. Beatty, 1 declared; in effect, that Canada’s future prosperity is wrapped up with a systematic and intensified immigration policy. Compared; to its area (3,600,000 square miles), Canada’s population of a fraction over 10,000,000 is almost insignificant. Mr Beatty made plain that the dominion, cannot reach a position adequate to its resources without a continuous increase in tho number of its inhabitants. He asserted roundly that “a definite and forward immigration policy” has become a vital national necessity. Canada, like other countries, has an unemployment problem on its hands, especially in cities. Tho Canadian Pacific proposal therefore contemplates an organised search throughout Europe for desirable immigrants who will undertake more or less in advance to follow agricultural pursuits in Canada or engage in domestic service. There is the possibility of something of a controversy arising between Canada and Great Britain on emigration issues. The British authorities, shortly afterthe armistice, envisaged the probability that sparsely-settled oversea dominions like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand would bo after young British men and women as settlers, and future citizens, and this led to proposals of drastic legislation to check emigration. During the war such laws virtually were in force as part and parcel of the Conscription Act. What Great Britain and Ireland will say to the new Canadian scheme remains to ho seen. ' Canadians say that, while they would like best for Britishers to come to their land, they are not wholly dependent upon such a source of supply. In tho past Canada has received thousands of desirable immigrants from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, and Hungary. It is the belief of the Canadian- Pacific Railway executive that such “ future Canadians” must now he sought on welldefined lines. To that' end he advises immediate and _ persistent propaganda through the setting up at once of machinery and organisation to attract the peoples of Europe, who will seek new fields elsewhere and be lost to Canada unless efforts are put forth to bring them to that country. As evidence of what organised promotion of immigration into Canada can do, Mr Beatty stated that settlers to; Hie number of 54,000 have been placed upon the Canadian Pacific Railway’s lands elcne. He added that the cost of the company’s activities in land selling, irrigation, and colonisation since its incorporation has been approximately 68,000,000d0i, which is considerably in excess of the total expenditure of the Canadian Government for immigration promotion purposes. Though it may not be generally known, yet it is really no open secret that the immigrants whom ..Canadians are fondest of welcoming are American farmers. During the fiscal! year ended June 30, 1921, 108,000 persons described as “emigrants” departed from American soil. There is no record of the number who crossed ■ the northern frontier of the United States and emigrated into Canada. Canadians say the total is considerable, and thiTt it is an increasing community. Sometimes the border-crossers retain their American citi. zenship, which is their privilege, but in countless cases they become Canadian' citizens and British subjects. The tide in the direction indicated is understood to have its source mainly in the north-western border States, in which farming conditions similar to those existing in adjacent Canada prevail. The Canadian Pacific Railway always has offered attractive inducements to alien colonists, including cheap ocean fares, land grants, and even cash, advances for farming purposes.