AN EMIGRATION RECORD.

Shannon News, 1 August 1924, Page 3

AN EMIGRATION RECORD.

WHAT CANADA IS DOLNG

A new record in family emigration was recently established wnen Mr ahd Mr 6 Robert Biyth with their iamily of i 3 left the little'Scottish village of Barnbarroch to embark for Canada. The family consists Ql eight daughters and nvia sons. The ages of the daughters are as follow: 23,.-20, .19, 16, 14, 12, 9 and 6. years, and the boys' ages are—2l, 18, twins of 5 years and the youngest is 3 years. Mr Biyth is an ex-service man, whose calling is wiat of a gardener which he followed on a small estate in Kirkcudbrightshire. Despite his large family, and the heavy responsibility ; attached thereto, Mr Biyth was patriotic enough to become a good ana gallant soldier in the .Great War. So highly respected is this family, that prior to leaving, the many admirers of the Blyths had a farewell concert when they handed over the happy parents a wallet containing over £2O in Treasury Notes. Special arrangements were made for tine- transport of this unique contingent from the station in Glasgow, to. the ship. A special char-a-banc met the family at the station in Glasgow, rousing much interest amongst the Station Officials and others. They were conyieyed to Princes Dock, where they had.a rousing reception from their fellow passengers, and, on passing the Doctor, elicited a high compliment for their wonderful good health and excellent physique. ' INTERESTING FINANCIAL ARRANGE- ■ MENTS.

The financial arrangements which have been made for this party form a very interesting illustration of wmat the Canadian Government is prepared to do in order to encourage the ngiu class to make their home in Canada. Mr Jas. P. Ballahtine, shipping agent, Cumnock, was consulted by Mr Biyth in the beginning of February as to his prospect of getting to Canada, along with his big healthy and active family. As an estate gardenerMr Blyth's wage was never a large one, indeed with such a large family it- was only by very careful management that ends could be made to meet. Mr Ballantine took up the matter with the Ontario" Government and after going into full details was successful in overcoming the great financial difficulty. The total fares for this • family amounted to £224 17s. The Ontario Government > under the Overseas Settlement Scheme were able to. arrange for an advance of £ll4 12 e 6d, to be repaid from wages during the first year, leaving a sum of £l7 17s to be paid in. cash. As the children under 16 years of age of farm hands who have been accepted by tile Government are taken out free, the sum of £lO2 7s 6d' thus became a free gift to them.

The great benefits offered by' the Government do not end here because on the arrival of every British subject in Canada ha receives a grant of 15 dollars, or £3, or in the case of those going, out under an assisted scheme their loan bond is reduced by that amount. In the case of the Biyth family the grant amounted to £4O, 10s, reducing their loan to £74 2s 6d. A still further benefit was available, as the family included five girls presently employed as cooks and housemaids. If these five girls take similar situations on Canadian farms and continue doing so for one year each girl (receives a 'cash (bonus of £6, thereby reducing /the amount to be paid back by the family to £44 2s 6d. With eight members of the family all in receipt'of good wages one can easily contrast (heir position, gay in. three years' time with the conditions they would have still been under if they had remained in their old positions at home.

It is interesting to note that on the eve of sailing Mr Ballantine received a cable message instructing him to forward the whole family to Brightoni. Ontario, where arrangements had been made to settle them all. Brighton is in one of the very best farming centres in Ontario, and is largely populated by settlers and their- descendants from the home country.