STEMMING THE TIDE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 166, 9 April 1921, Page 3

STEMMING THE TIDE

CANADA HOLDS IMMIGRATION IN CHECK LAND POLICY TO BE RECAST By "A.P.” Canada, like New Zealand, has found it necessary to pursue a more conservative policy in the matter of immigration. To this end every care is now being taken to stop the rush of settlers to the big Dominion. Bor a number of months past Canada has been feeling some of the pressure of the immigration movement from the poverty-stricken states of Central and South-eastern Europe. The Dominion immigration authorities have been meeting the pressure by rigid enforcement of regulations intended to prevent an influx of surplus 'population to flood * the labour, market, and to bo a charge on the public treasury in one way and -another. During the war and for some time afterwards the flow of immigrants from the Continent of Europe to Canada was alto gether stopped. Of late economic conditions have led to efforts by many people to leave Poland, Ukraine, and other parts of Russia, Czecho-Slovakla. Rumania, and other European countries. Two Classes Arriving. The immigration Canadaward has been of two classes: firstly, a movement of wives and children of men already in the Dominion, and, secondly, a movement of refugees who are leaving tneir own countries because of distressing conditions prevailing. The dependants of men who are already in Canada, and who are able to support their families, may enter freely. Persons in the second or refugee class, however, have to comply with stringent regulations which are strictly enforced. Scores of this class of intending immigrants are consequently being rejected and shipped back to their native lands at the expense of the steamship companies which took them to Canada. The Immigration Department has acted upon the suggestion that intending immigrants be examined at ports of embarkation overseas, instead of merely on their arrival in Canada. Officials having a knowledge of central and south-eastern European tongues have been sent to Antwerp and Havre from the immigration office in London. Requirement* of the Law. To be admitted to Canada, an immigrant must be in good mental and physical health, and must be of goon character. Every immigrant belonging to the mechanic, artisan, or labouring class, whether skilled or unskilled, must possess at least .£5O in cash. This regulation does not, however, apply to peisons going to Canada to assured positions as agricultural labourers or as domestic servants. Every immigrant over 15 years of age must pass a literary test by proving his ability :o read Ins own language. Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, Bulgarians, and Turks, Mennonites, Rut.critl s, and Doukhobors are excluded altogu.her from Canada. Casting Round for Land Policy.

Meanwhile the Government is casting round fol a more progressive land policy, many of the weaknesses of the present system, and past errors, of which the present generation reaps the fruit, having lately been laid bare. It is pointed out- that all the machinery now exists for making land settlement a great success in Canada except the co-ordimiiing machinery, and members of the Association of Dominion Land Surveyors, who have surveyed all the land since the settlement of their organisation, claim that the time has now come when tne old methods must be departed from. '1 ;> this end the Government is considering a more intensive classification of laudas to uses. The surveyors condemn tilt acreage policy of giving, as in the weii, louiesteads of 150 acres to applicants, without considering the nature of the soil, the purposes for which it is required, and the experience and suitability of the intending settler.

Acreage V. Economic Basis,

There are still large arras of Crown .and? available for settlement after considerable improvement is made by way of clearing, draining, and road construction, but a definite recommendation has been made to the Goverhnient that hereafter the acreage basis should be abandoned for an economic basis, Hie area to depend on whether the land is to be used for ranching, grain-growing, cr miked farming. Greater speed m the settlement of the remaining areas of Crown land is also being considered bv the Government. The soldiers’ land settlement scheme adopted in Canada, which .insists on Settlers first of all qualifying for farming the land, has been carefully studied by the authorities, and it is stated that the new plan is lo be an amplification of it. It is estimated that 25,000,000 acres of unoccupied agricultural land are available within 20 miles of .ailroads in the three western provinces. The success of the national railways depends largely upon the development cf these lands. It is intended that the immigration policy should conform with the land settlement policy, and careful selection of settlers is io he a cardinal feature of the. plan, preference being given to farmers, farmers’ sons, and farm labourers. Rural credits are a part of the scheme. In this way. it •« honed .that land settlement in the future will not be marked by the same tragedies as ip the past.