NOVA SCOTIA

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 111, 10 April 1929, Page 2

NOVA SCOTIA

INDUSTRIES AND PEOPLE. AN INTERESTING ADDRESS. The colony of Nova Scotia, itspeopla and jts industries formed the subjects of an interesting address given at tho Citizens’ Lunch Club yesterday by Rev. W. Langston, of, Nova Scotia.. Mr I. L. C. Merton presided. . There was a great deal of misundei;itanding about Nova Scotia,.. and its :ooation, said the speaker. It was one if the oldest and most :firmly jestabfished of British colonies, ■ although it 'rad been colonised by the French tinier the name of Arcadia, with* Port Royal as its capital. However; ,in L 749, the country was ceded to .England and a large number of settlers had taken the oath of allegiance, with the proviso that they would not be required to take arms against France. After the colonists had been faced with several trials, France, in 1762, finally renounced all claims to the oountrv. Since then. Nova Scotia had steadily thrived. The speaker said that he had lived in Novn-Scotia for 10 years. The Indians were very few in numbers and many wero being killed by tuberculosis. So long as the Indians could live in their wigwams they were all right. But in Hie winter they went to the towns and huddled together in cheap hotels and tenements. They were not fond of work and had sold much of their land, including good lumber land. There were still a few French residents, but they were a poor type—one which could not be admired. They were frightful cowards and fatalists. Fishihg was their chief means of livelihood—and it was a poor one indeed, added Mr Langston. There was a fair sprinkling of Germans, who were very industrious. A kind and generous class of resident were those of Ger-man-Dutch origin, who were also industrious. The onlv English people emigrating to Nova Scotia were those who desired to make a pleasant living, such as fruit growing. Above everything else in the colony was the fishing industry, continued the speaker, .and, in that occupation, conditions had greatly improved oyer those a few years ago. Under the old conditions a huge amount of labour was involved, including the salting, drying and marketing of the catches. This was not a very profitable means of livelihood. Now, however, most of the fishermen had engine-driven boats in place of the sailing vessels and the the catches were disposed of to buyers who kept wliat were called, factories. The lumber industry was of importance and employed considerable labour, and there was a good export trade, especially to England. During the war, qfiy old ship that would float was loaded with lumber for England, and considerable money was to be made\out of it by the shippers. There was not much farming along the shores of Nova Scotia, but inland there were som© very fertile areas, and particularly good apples were grown. The farmers did well, but they had to work very hard. Shipbuilding was still carried on, but the absence of hard timbers was causing it .to slacken. Winters were long, cold and snowy, while the autumn and summer weather was splendid. In. winter the ice on the harbours would be from 20 to 26 inches thick. Blocks of this were cut and stored in an “ice house” and a supply was then available all the year round. When there, was a small snowfall, it was surprising to what depth the frosts penetrated the ground. It was amazing how quickly the ground dried up, hotvever. The the ground dried up, however. The cold was not extreme, the lowest temperature experienced by the speaker being 28 degrees below zero. The main precaution in winter was to see that the ears and nose were not frozen—a painful state of affairs when it occurred. On the motion of Mr S. L. Se*rell, the speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks by acclamation.