CANADIAN CONDITIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17112, 18 March 1919, Page 9

CANADIAN CONDITIONS.

WORK OF REPATRIATION.

EMIGRATION OF FOREIGNERS.

PROHIBITION ALTERNATIVE.

[from our own correspondent.]

VANCOUVER, -Feb. 19

Repatriation has become a household word in Canada. Of the many depart-

ments of public service with which this work of readjusting and rebuilding is directly concerned, one of the most valuable is that which links up the patriotic work of all municipalities to co operate with the great repatriation movement for the more effective and speedy return of all machinery, both human and material, to the best footing for peace-time progress. The aim of this department is to secure the ordination in every municipality of all public activities to the one end. Canadian municipalities, during the war, took a fair share in tho work of recruiting. It is now proposed that such personal interest in the soldiers should be continued for the rebuilding of industrial and social relationships. It is believed that if each municipality can be encouraged to broaden its patriotic efforts to meet the important needs of peace, and to add to these public works and other agencies, which would help to create new avenues of employment, there would in a short time be a uniformity of repatriation effort all over Canada. The first procedure of the municipal department was to send a questionnaire to 3690 municipalities in Canada. This questionnaire was calculated to link up every town, rural community and citv over the whole of Canada with the work of repatriation. In effect, it would practically ensure the presence in every community of a working committee of influential citizens stamped with the approval of the municipalities, and extending every effort to the work of repatriation. No Serious Unemployment.

The shutting down of war-time activities | ich as munition manufacture, and the' jncellation of several shipbuilding con- j -acts in Canada, has caused considerable nemployment in the Dominion, but the termination of the war has had another effect on the employed class in the land. The labour situation is being much relieved by the departure of foreigners from Canada. According to reports made to Ottawa, in the Toronto and Hamilton districts alone, within two months after armistice day, more than 5000 labourers left for Europe, mostly via New York. The majority of these are Italians, Serbians, Bulgarians, Roumanians and Austrians. Most of these men have been working in munition factories during tho past three years and have saved sums which will make them independent in their native lands. The emigration has helped greatly to relieve the unskilled labour market. Reports received bv the Department of Labour show that except in several of the larger cities, the situation is not serious, ana munition workers, as well as soldiers are being absorbed faster than was anticipated. It was expected there would be a certain amount of unemployment, but Canada is passing from war to a peace basis with less disturbance than was anticipated. The labour situation is probably worst in Montreal. In Toronto there are reported to be about 8000 unemployed. most of them machinists and men formerly engaged in munition factories. The Labour Department is rapidly organising its Dominion-wide system of employment agencies and there will soon be a chain of bureaux from Halifax to Vancouver. Deportation of Aliens. During recent weeks there have been serious disorders throughout Canada, initiated by returned soldiers enraged at the fact that a large number of leading manufacturers in Canada continue to employ enemy aliens to the exclusion of citizens of Canada. The veterans have felt the pinch of unemployment and taking the law into their own hands, they indulged in a series of violent riots, commencing at Winnipeg. The result has been that the employers' concerned have pleaded that it was previously impossible to obtain other labour, but as the men in iaki were now returning, they were prepared to discharge the aliens and offer be positions to the soldiers. According'y, lumbers of former soldiers 'nave now btained employment and another movement has been inaugurated to deport the liens, for it is freely recognised that these nen have been prominent in Bolshevist meetings, and their language has repeatdly been of a seditious character. From very Canadian province shoals of telerams have deluged Ottawa, and there is iow every promise of the 2500 interned lien enemies being deported shortly, while he government has taken decisive action iy conferring powers upon county and istrict judges to direct the internment as risoners of any undesirable character, •hen evidence has been adduced that such len are a menace to Canada. It is nticipated that in cities or other localities rhere the enemy alien question is pro oking agitation and exceptional difficulty, ommittees of representative citizens will ie constituted to review the case of aliens -f enemy nationality who are living in the ocalitv, and to inform and assist tho udge by bringing to his attention all cases leeding adjudication. In this manner iolshevists, anarchists, and other :tinusy inclined, worthless residents of Canada nay be weeded out. Prohibition. The opponents of prohibition in Canada ire being heard from vigorously. They re making arrangements to bombard 'arliamcnt with what they define as a ' sane alternative to total prohibition." 'his alternative will be along the following ines : Provincial control of the wino and pirit business, with a zone system under vhich registered persons may obtain :ertain quantities of spirit®, wines and leers of particular brands for consumption n their own homes with the penalty for nisruse of the cancellation of their personal icence which would permit the legitimate lolder to purchase from provincial stocks n the zone in wheih he is registered. It s said to be a dignified attempt to offer vhat both labour and the business world lelieve to be a possible and noptilar jtemative to prohibition. The delegations fill unanimously be in favour of complete ibolition of the bars and other drinking places, but hope to force their view on tho rovemment that total prohibition is an nfringement on personal rights and also ;he provincial right under the British tforth America Act. Stay-at-Home Officers. One of the fighting officers who has just returned home, Major Burde, has been sleeted a member of the British Columbia Legislature, and his maiden speech was •emarkable for many features, one of which was condemnation of " stav-at-nome" officers. ■' The Canadian Government wasted not less than a million dollars a month during the war, and a rreat deal of this money went to hundreds )f idle, useless majors in London, who sever did a hand's turn of work." he declared. " These gallant fellows after two years of idleness were asked to revert to lieutenant and go to the front, but the boat that brought home those who declined was crowded. Many of the Canadian j colonels, majors and cantains were not lai useful in civil life as the privates. That I is why. so many of the returned soldiers are home with a grudge. They have seen these soft-soap officers in ease and plenty. They have looked across the ocean to you legis'ators in vain. You have been too ind : fferent to correct this abuse and the profiteering graft and the other conditions under which Canada laboured during the war neriod. "The returned soldier does not want everything his own way, but he wants i action. It is all right to talk about givin? him work pome time and a farm soma time. He wants these things now. I | know cases of men in Victoria who have waited three months for money from the pav and records office, which is apparently too busv promoting some of the stay-at-home officers to send men • their pay. Under proper conditions the returned man will be a highly valuable citizen, but delay is dangerous, and he will be a hard ! person to deal with unless he is helped now | when bo needs ii." J