MIGRANTS TO CANADA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20219, 2 April 1929, Page 11

MIGRANTS TO CANADA.

PARTING OF THE WAYS.

MORE BRITISH STOCK.

FOREIGNERS IN DISFAVOUR.

[from our own correspondent.] VANCOUVER. March 6. Canada has reached the parting of the ways with her immigration policy Swinging toward European immigration for the past four years, in growing volume each year, the Dominion has decided to call a halt, and to swing back toward the British stock again. The agreement between the Federal Government and the two great railways, under which immigrants from Southern Europe could bo procured at sjd each, has been suddenly terminated, two years before it expired. In future Canada will endeavour to got jnore British immigrants. What called the halt was the inglorious figures on immigration for 1928. Tho number of British immigrants entering Canada in 1928 was 47,390, as compared with 84,364 from non-British countries. Entrants from the United States numbered 21,374, and of the 62,990 from other foreign countries 13,727 were Ruthenians, 9710 Germans, 7244 Poles, 5146 Magyars, 3777 Slovaks, 2649 Swedes, 2628 Finns, 2622 Danes, 2603 Yugoslavs, and in lesser numbers Norwegians, Dutch and Lithuanians.

Both railway systems protested against tbo sudden termination of the agreement without notice. Each had made its commitments for more people for some months ahead. It is probable that the authorities at Ottawa will allow the railways to bring in such immigrants for whom commitments had been mad.o. But tho agreement is dead. Canada is not likely to hear more of it. Much of the credit for its determination is due to a churchman, Right Rev. Dr. Exton Lloyd, Anglican Bishop of Saskatchewan, in which province tho population of non-British origin exceeds that of British origin. For two years Dr. Lloyd has been attacking tho agreement in tho papers of Canada and on the public platform, pointing out that it was building up on tho Prairie a "mongrel" Canada. A Blunt Declaration. Dr. Lloyd was called some sharp names, and reminded that ho was a churchman, not a politician, but li^stuck to the task until public interest was really aroused and tho authorities at Ottawa were constrained to move for tho rescission of the agreement. A blunt declaration by the Premier of Alberta that the Cinderella Province had all the foreigners it wanted, and would seek only British in future, helped tho final decision.

A small, but influential, section of the Liberal press, which supports Mr Mackenzie King, is making an effort to have the admissoin of non-British immigrants continued, but the pendulum has swung, and the next tew years will see as determined an effort to get British immigrants as has been made in tho last four to get non-British. Some awkward questions were being asked in Britain, even in the House of Commons, as to the sincerity of declarations in favour of British immigration by tho Prime Minister and his colleagues, especially when they went to England. A growing voice of protest by the press of Canada at the increasing disparity between British and non-British immigrants turned a strong influence against tho Liberal policy. There will be a Federal general election next year; were it this year Mr. Mackenzie King would find it difficult to answer some pertinent questions regarding immigration. Great Flow off Capital.

Capital is flowing into the Dominion in such volume that makes the prospect of settlement, production and national prosperity during the immediate ensuing years very attractive. Immigration follows the flow of productive capital. Both the great railways have enormous construction programmes in hand- Between them there is a dispute that Parliament may have to settle, as to their rights in building new railways in Western Canada. The rails are within 50 miles of Hudson Bay. The 1929 programme comprises an aggregate construction expenditure of £18,000,000. The new transcontinental system will tap enormously rich mineral resources and the productive agricultural sectors of the Peace River and Northern British Columbia.

Two provinces most nearly concerned, Alberta and British Columbia, want only British immigrants for this new development. They aro so determined about it that the Liberal Government at Ottawa will assuredly grant them their wishes. For that, reaoon, the next three years will see a return to tlio pre-war volume of British immigration, if it is not really exceeded.