BOERS FOR CANADA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 30

BOERS FOR CANADA.

PROJECT FOR A GREAT TREK. Canada wants the Boers who ?re willing to trek after the war is over. "There is no place where lua will be more K-eleome or better off than in Canada," said Mr W. T. Preston, speaking to a Daily Mail representative. As the official agent of the Ottawa Government to supervise Canadian emigration from Europe, Mr Preston is in a- position to speak authoritatively on the subject. He hs« already laid the suggestion before a Parliamentary Committee on Emigration, and is sanguine that practical results will come of the euggestion. '. " There is no danger of transplanting Boer disaffection from South Afiic'v." raid Mr Preston. "By emigrating to Canada the Boers would find their surroundings in every way desirable, and they would enjoy the greatest possible liberty of government. "I know that invitations have been offered for them to settle in the United States, but (the conditions of those offers are not .so favourable as the Canadian project. " To give an idea of the progress made 'n Canada through the immigration policy of the present Administration, last year r s figure? ore interesting. Out of a total of nearly 50,000 immigrants who settled in Canada, over ] 2,000 came from the United States alone. That cays more than any argument I could bring forward. " We want to .see an Imperial and colonial scheme of emigration on a large scale," continued Mr Preston. "Not only do we want the Boers, but we can find room for all the surplus and unproductive agricultural population of Great Britain. '"Furthermore, if a large number of _ Boers can be induced to come to Canada, it will remove many of the causes of ill-feeling between the two white races more quickly and miora effectively, I think, than any other scheme which has been suggested." In connection with the project, Mr Preston left for Belgium, where he hopes to further Iris scheme of a great Boer trek to Canada.