JOURNALISTS ABROAD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18051, 27 September 1920, Page 8

JOURNALISTS ABROAD

SOME IMPRESSIONS Off CANADA.

'f-tus VASENESS OF T*"" COUNTEY. ; HABNESSING NIAGARA. TEES ERENCH-CANADIAN. OPERATION" OP PROHIBITION. (Sescxai, Coksespondence.) : (Nα 5.) A journey toy train of nearly 3000 miles, from Vancouver to Montreal, impresses ono with, the -fastness of Canadian territory, and onioial statistics showing that its area of 3;VXH,6bS square miles, exceeds that of the United Siatea, including Alaska, that it is aa large ae 30 Unitod Kingdoms and 18 Uermauys, twice the sizo oi India, and almost as large aa Europe, deopous tile impression. Ctt course, tlfcore aro vast areas of Arctio land, mountains and lakes that cannot bo cultivated; nevertheless, it is calculated that 440,000,000 acres aro lit for the plough, of wluoh only a third is now occupied, and only 34,000,000 acres under cultivation. Canada possesses, in Lako Superior, the largest fresh water body in the world—3l,BCo sqoiare miles. Its growth in population and productiveness lias been phenomenal. Ifcj population is now nearly 9,000,000, and of these 55 per cent, aro engaged in rural pursuits. The trade of the dominion has more than doubled in five years. The growth of Canadian cities is noteworthy. Montreal, its chief commercial centre, has now a population of 1,100,0C0, or nearly as many people as there aro in New Zealand; in 1901 tho population was only 277,502. Toronto, which in 1884 had a population of 105,211, now numbers within its city and suburban area 499,278. It has become a great industrial centre. The rapid settlement of the grain-growing areas of the West has built up Winnipeg from a trading post of 215 in 1870 to a wellbuilt city of 262,000. The banking, insurance, and financial institutions of Canada have attained groat magnitude, and are ably conducted. The people have faith in their country, and evidently consider that there ore compensations for climatio extremes, which appear intolerable to residents favoured in this respect. The Can-adian-Pacific Railway Company, commonly known as the C.P.R., own and control 13.772 miles of railway, a fleet of 59 steamers; it employs 30 steamships on trans-Pacific- and trans-Atlantic lines. It owns and operates 15,000 pole miles of telejrraph; owns and conducts 15 firstclaes hotels, from £ho Atlantic to the Pacific, which contain 3500 bedrooms. It has in its employ 70,000 people. It received as subsidy for the construction of the transcontinental linfs 25,000.000 acrres of land in Western Canada, find has still over 6.000.000 acres unsold. The company, as part of its sflhome- of development, irrigated a 3,0fX).000-acre tract in Alberta. ■Tho Canadian National Railways comprise 14.000 miles, which traverse tho preat griiinfrrowimr plains of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, end ATberta. HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEMES. It may be gathered from tho figures abovo enumerated that Canada is a country of big things, and schemes of magnitude find ready acceptance there. The country is deficient in hard coal, although there is a considerable production, of soft coal, which is widely distributed. The lack of good coal no doubt stimulated the development of hydro-electrical works, for which tho great lakes and falls offered exceptional facilities. Niagara leads the way. Commencing in 1895 with an installation which yielded 15,000 horae-power, thero are now three companies operating there with plants capable of generating 435,000 horse-power, and big works are now in process of construction under the public control of the Ontario Hydro-olectrio Commission, which involves the construction of a canal 125 miles long. This gigantio work, which is costing between £8,000,000 and £10,000,000, will yield 300,000 horse-power, capable of being I increased to 450,000 horse-power. All the towns, from Toronto to Buffalo, are sharing iri tho benefits of these electric supplies for power and lighting, and the presence of such an indestructible supply of "white coal" is considered the best possible guarantee of tho industrial prosperity of Ontario. It is estimated that the maximum power capable of development alonjr the Niagara Raver exceeds five million horso-power, ■which is eq.ial to tho aggregate horse-power tised in Great Britain. Another calculation is'-that-tho motive encTgy in tho river and falls J3 «qual to &0 million ton of coal per ennum. But. although tho Niagara olec-tcicaF'-wwks take- thfe lead, hydro-electrical developments are making progress in many parts of the dominion. The town of Winnipeg derives 60,000 horse-power from the Winnipeg: River 75 miles away,, and brings its water: supply 96£ miles through a concrete aquoduct with a capacity of 85,000,000 gallons a day. It is estimated that in various narts of Canada electrio energy developed by: water power represents a total of 2;305,310. horse-power. Apart from the use itiade of this energy industrially, its benefit 5a seen in the brilliant street lighting of Canadian cities. .: THE FREiVOH POPULATION. 'Although the fact that early French settlement hiis loft its mark on the population of Canada-is well known, one experiences some surprise' when brought into direct contact with the. people of cities like Montreal and Quebec;' where a verv large proportion of tho population speak English. Of tho two..'million people in the province of Quobepi-three-fonrth3 are of French origin. is neutralised by the rapid rJjatural increase of the Canadia.nFrench;' who usually have largo families. Roman-'Catholics form 39.31 per cent, of tho total population of Canada, and noble c<it'iedi-ftls in Montreal and Qnobec testify •to the devotion of tho people. Nevertheless tlif> French-Canadian did not manifest any enthusiastic disposition to assist France in tho war. Recruiting among the French ponnVition was moagie, ancl the law of conscription was put into operation largely with the object of making this section of -the Canadian peoplo bror its fair share of the national: burden. It may bo said, howpvor. that, generally spea.ldnp, the .French-Can-adians are lovs.l to the Government of tho dominion. They take a full share in its administration, and rfvilise the advantacrw which its.liber.il constitution, assures to them .•'■■■.: PROHIBITION. The law of prohibition in Canada is very unequally-enforced. (Quebec exempts light wines and beer from its operations, and it is quite lawful for a resident in one province to order a,case of whisky or other alcoholic Lquor tor his- own use, from another province, l'ho law only prohibits tiie local salo oi' alcohol. This system is resisted as unfair, because it deprives people who cannot attorct to purchase in quantities while giving unlimited supplies to those who are butter oti finanaaity. It ia anticipated that the law will cither bo mado more stringent or repealed. Current opinion seems to lavour the latter course. At the publio banquets to tho delegates to tho Imperial lress Conference iced water was chieflv used. Aerated waters seemed to be verv little favoured, although, every kind of temperance drink seems to find patrons at tho numerous places where such liquid refreshments are sold. During our tour of Canada sa- w °no drunken man, although statistics.-show that the country is farfrom bwngvfree. from this offence, and proseou tions for the illicit sale of liquor aro comL non V ,- f sl ? tei nents currently mado may bo; believed, thoso who want alcoholic liquors can get them, but at a very hkrh price, and of a quality that leaves much to bo desired. Thero was a rim on the; doctors for a -while, but a. two-dollar foe for a six-ounce bottle of whisky charged at chemists , ■ rates mado a too expensive beverage to satisfy an overpoworing thirst, and so tho rovemio derived by tho medical profession from this class of " comfort" has become u. diminishing quantity. Tho law has certainly made it very difficult; if not amposabkr, for a stranger to get alcohol in every province except Quebec. Kosidenfa in.-. a.;_town may be familiar with underground /passages, but our imuresaion was that it is not easy for anyone to procure a singlo. bottle of whiaky, and that if procurable at all tho prico is almost prohibiGENERAL ASPECTS OF THE COUNTRY. ~ The., provinces of tho eastern side of Carflda;, notably Ontario, havo a pleasant Bllmi ? e li^ pect - A llK>tor rido "dons the veU-formod concrete road between Niagara ■ and-; Ibronto tokos tho tourist thiWn a counthr not unfciko New Zealand Tho land is undulating, and the orchards and vineyards, comprising apples, peaches, cherries lilnms,. ancl other familiar English fruits are extensive ; and well cultivated. Grapes of the wino-making varieties bear abundantly rhe£<:prp cultivated on tho Italian rather tnarf * on the Australian system. Tho cottages'• are mostly weatherboard structures- -. of a farcrliar Now Zealand tvpd,' which suggest* that this form of architecture originated in America and was reproduced in tho southern colonics, just as tho CiUifornian bungalow is now marking air advance in keeping with tho increased wealth of our communities. The landscapes aro adorned with many beautiful tcoes among which tfie maple, Canada's national omblom, 13 conspicuous; but elms, horso

okestauta, oaks, aah, birch, and other deaauoua treea are common. Looking out upon suoh verdant scenery in summer time, it ia difficult to realise that the entire country is covered by a pall of snow lor several months ia winter, and that tho frost is so severe that the cataract of Niagara, in parts, is frost bound. Because of tho necessity for growing and storing winter food, Canada oan never become a great dairying country, and land cannot roach the extravagant nguros prevalent in New Zealand. But vegetation grows so rapidly under the stimulus of tho hot summer temperatures that tho resources of the country for tho produoban of grain and fruit are almost without limits, and it offera to the immigrant greater attractions than are now presented by the United States, with tho result that there has in recent years been a largo influx of peoplo across the border into the fertllo provinces of the West. JR.F.T.A.TIONS WITH NEW ZEAIiAND. Tho partnership existing between tho Canadian Government and iNew Zealand under which the Pacilio cable and tho Vancouver mail service are maintained has been strengthened by tho reciprocity agreement under which Canadian manufactures gain preferential treatment under the JN'ow Ziealand Customs tariff. But association of our soldiors during tho war has created a new spirit of kinship, which was happily expressed in a letter received in Toronto by tho chairman of tho New Zealand Press delegation, and with which these discursive notes may well be brought to a close. Tho writer says: "Dear Mr Leys,—So many pretty tributes havo been paid Now Zealand by Canadian soldiers that Canada has a ■very kindly feeling towards her sister colony. Our Canadian soldiers of all ranks are unanimous in expressing the high esteem with, which they regard all New Zealanders. This was, perhaps, most typically expressed by a little signaller, who said: ' The English are all right, the Scotch are fine, but every New Zealander is a gentleman to his finger tips!' Wishing you a very pleasant journey and New Zealand peace and prosperity,—Yours truly, A Canadian Girl."