OUR CANADIAN LETTER

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16326, 23 August 1913, Page 4

OUR CANADIAN LETTER

NEWS FROM THE DOMINION. INCREASED COST OF LIVING. [From Our Correspondent.] TORONTO, July 15. The , world-wide financial depression lias somewhat affected Canada, and there seems to be no decrease or sign of such in the cost of living. The official figures published by tho Dominion Department of Commerce, for tho past year, shows another material advance in tho cost of almost all the important articles of diet. Canadians are, however, bv no means losing confidence in tho country, and tho fall in the price of Canadian-Pacific railway stock, which is considered the best of Canadian railway securities, is due to influences which are by no means controlled within tho country.

THE FINANCIAL STRINGENCY. Many Canadians are inclined to account ‘for tho financial stringency in purely local causes, hut the recent statistical reports now available for the United Kingdom. United States, Franco and New Zealand seem to show similar advances. Tho year 1912 saw the highest prices that have ever prevailed in Canada—unless possibly during the years of 187 S and 1879, for which the Department of Labour has no exact data. Taking 287 representative articlcs including foodstuffs,, fuel, clothing, the’rise in wholesale prices in 1912 compared with 1911 amounted to 6.5 per cent. There is some hope that tho maximum has been passed, as tho report, though necessarily somewhat incomplete, for tho first two or three months of tho current year shows a slight decline. INCREASED IMMIGRATION.

The justification for tho belief of the ordinary Canadian in his country is to be found in tho ease and certainty with which immigration is pouring settlers into the country, and in the steady expansion of trade and development' of’ tho railways. Though immigration to tho other British colonies seems recently to have declined, that to Canada, shows no decrease, and the stream of settlors from Northern Europe grows by leaps and hounds. Tho first week in May brought three steamers to Canada from Hamburg, landing in all some 2300 passengers. THE EXPORT TRADE.

Canada’s exports to Germany have again in the past three months shown a considerable expansion, and have begun to cut into Australia’s trade with that country. During 1912 Canada sent 2.700,000 bushels of wheat to Germany—more than three times as much ns in tho previous year—while Australia’s export of wheat to Germany fell by half a million bushels. The high cost of many food products in Canada is again reflected in our trade with New Zealand. During tho first five months of the current year Canada imported from that country 50.154 boxes of butter, 60,775 quarters of beef, 1554 carcases of veal and 1291 of mutton. Tho amount of internal trade is indicated by the record traffic through the Sault St Marie Canals, which showed an increase of over two million tons over that of last year, one month’s movement being nearly as great as that for tho entire season of 1894. THE ROYAL GOVERNORGENERAL.

There lias been a general and genuine feeling of satisfaction throughout Canada that H.R.H. the Buko of Connaught has accepted an extension of his term of service as Governor-General for another vear. The country also is glad to hear that the Duchess of Connaught will probably have recovered sufficiently from her serious illness to accompany him. This fooling of satisfaction was, if anything, increased by the enthusiastic praise, of Canada spoken by His Royal Highness in replying to the toast to the Dominion ot Canada at tho regular Dominion Day dinner in London. This toast was proposed by Canada’s oldest and most valuable servant, Lord Strathcona, tlie great High Commissioner of whom wo aro all so proud and fond. In his speech, Lord Strathcona accurately represented how pleased Canadians had been; firstly, at tlie appointment of a member of the Royal family, and, secondly, by the wav in which both the Duke ail'd Duchess showed their interest in all those tilings which interest Canadians —not hesitating to travel many miles to open hospitals or bridges, to see football games or horse races, and never forgetting tho people, so that all classes feel that the Duke lias put himself in possession of the feelings and interests of Canadians of every type and class.