CANADA

Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1928, Page 2

CANADA

A DOMINION WHICH •IS OPTIMISTIC.,

MR NOSWORTHY’S IMPRESSIONS

WELLINGTON, Oct,. 22

The Hon. Air Nosworthy returned' to-day by the Makuia from Canada, where lie’and the other New Zealand delegates (the Hon. Air B. Cow and Messrs T. W. Rhodes and W. J. Jordan) took part in the tour of Canada under the auspices of the Empire Parliamentary Association. The party consisted of fifty delegates, representing all the Parliaments of the Empire, and .nearly all political parties. Almost all of Canada was visited and [a conference was held at the chief centres. The party had mot almost all the lending Parliamentarians and (business men in the principal centres, and bad obtained a wonderful insight into the vast resources of a huge Dominion.

‘‘>Ye found the people of Canada very optimistic indeed regarding the future of their country,” said ’ Mr Noswdrthy. “Capital- and population are their requirements at present, and I think tliat the tour will have done a great deal to stimulate the interest of British investors. As regards population every effort is being made to obtain as large a population as possible of British stock, and a c evidence of this we learned that Canada spends :in immigration propaganda 16 dollars for each assisted passenger from Great Britain, as against 16 cents for each foreigner. Last year, of 158,000 immigrants SSTOO were British, 25.000 American, and •• the remaining 75.030 foreigners. .-.“The handling of the Canadian wheat Prop is a gigantic undertaking,” (continued Air Nosworthy. Tt is nowadays really a branch of engineering. The iground is prepared by tractors and gang ploughs and the sowing is done by motor-tractor.ihe latest harvesting machines are drawn U.v tractors, and in one operation gather up the wheat, thresh it, and deliver it into h'ig motor-lorries running alongside. To give an idea of the transportation problem, the railways had at one time assembled in the west 40,009 big wheat curs and 960 engines', ready to shift the grain, and when operations commenced, were moving over ten million bushels a day. Other industries, which we were shown, were mining, lumbering, news-print-making, ranching, fox-fanning, orcharding, and small farming. .. “The style of architecture and modernness, of the schools and public buildings throughout Canada is very impressive; ‘ /Everyone seems to have faith in tile- future, and all the buildings are planned to fulfil requirements for years to 'come. ■ To a New Zealand er the amounts spent in these directions are amazing. The Federal .Parliament ' Buildings at Ottawa cost in the region of seven million pounds, while the Provincial Parliament Buildings at Winnipeg cost almost two million sterling. The Canadians seem to delight in lavishing money on schools, universities and public buildings', but, at the same time, they demand efficiency.

“The tourist traffic in Canada has become an important economic factor in that country. Every year the Dominion is kisited by millions of Americans, who are generally amply provided with funds, and demand the best of accommodation and service. At the best hotels 'the price of a room, without meals, ranges from eight dollars a day upwards. I was informed that the Banff Hotel, with its swimming baths, golf courses, etc., has cost the Canadian Pacific Railways about fifteen million dollars, and as it is open for only ten weeks in the year, it will be realised that high prices are necessary. However the demand is there, and the railway companies are meeting it.”

As ho the results of the tour of Canada, Air Nosivorthy said that the visit must do a great deal of good in making known to other parts of the Empire the potentialities and problems of Canada.