Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-02-28
CANADA.
It's Population. Area anu Rate OF
Growth.

| It's reputation, Area anu Rate or
Growth.
Since the political union of Canada Is TO
be discussed as possibility, WEI informed
| persons affirming that il is no longer clear
that the majority of Canadian voters may
not favor the change, it is timely for the
people of this country to gather infcrRa-
ton regarding the area, the population and
the different elements OF the provinces com
posing the Dominion. The enthusiastic
Canadian is in the habit OF saying that the
territory Is greater than that of the United
States, but in no sense is this trne. Some
standard works put the area of Canada at
! 3,200,000 square miles anu others at $780,
| 600, it is true, but the census report makes
the area OF the United States a little over
3,5)0,C0J square miles The ono statement
includes Alaska. but the other includes two
or three times ms much territory less inhab-
tied now, and so far az is known less fit for
| human habitation. +. An enormous port ion of
| the Canadian area is covered with water,
and the extent OF the land surface. though
not even app oNimatcly known, must te
very much less than that of the United
| States.
The entire area OF the provinces, Quebec,
! Ontario, Manitoba, Now Brunswick, Nova
Scotia and Prince Edward Island, is but
4.O,0l4 square miles according 10 Official
statements, but tho area Of Ontario il, ac-
cord.ng 10 somo publications., about $1,000
square miles larger than the figures here
included, while the portion of British North
America, III any sense occupied IS yet. is
nowhere officially stated. Even with n the
area Of the older provinces, by far the great
er part is wilderness, aud hardly one-Beventh
appears TO be occupied at all. For in On
tario the returns OF 1881 showed that L, CO.
500 acres were occupied, out OF l0l, 733 square
miles; in Quebec only G559, 100 acres were
occupied out OF lSS,G% sIuaro miles; and in
all tiie provinces the area occupied at that
time was not over 3O,U00,000 ores, out Of
23,2l2, Ito supposed TO DO embraced within
the provinces named. But since 1851 there
has Uecn some inc. ease: in Ontario, u ,7jS,-
193 acres were occupied in 1885, of which
only lO93S,47l were improved. If the in
crease has been relatively about "a great in
the years 1881 and ISIS, and for tho past
eight years in the other provinces, sill tic
occupied area in al OF them would not now
exceed 3j,0BO,tOO acres. Eight years ago
there were in The state OF Illinois alone more
Land occupied than in all the Dominion of
Canada, and probably there 10 now In Da-
kota alone, not yet state, the public land
sales within the past eight years have cx-
Ceedcd JO,CW,OOO acres, and with the sGieS
Of corporations probably exceed the entire
present occupied acreage in the Dominion OF
Canada.
OF the resources Of the Canadian Provin-
ces. i'll timber IN fertile lend, in fisheries,
mining and salt, il is not necessary here TO
speak, they arc enormous, and 80 little has
been done 10 define or develop them that
they may greatly exceed any estirn@ta.
but resources without men, resources
which human energy AID enterprise have
failed so far TO develop, may not be found
OF much practical valco for the future
Therefore 1t il TO Americans q fact which
needs explanation that tire Canadian Pro
VlnceS have developed so slowly For Can
ada is older Than the rich and powerful
states composing the Union. Quebec was
founded by Champlain Ave years before the
first huts were butt on Manhattan Island
Ont;r rio was settled four years before the
Ohio Company started down tho river in
tatboats 10 make it's first settlement in Mar
tetta. But in and west of Ontario 10 the
Pacific Ocean the inhabitants of Canada
arc now not more than 3,0OO, 900; in and
west OF Ohio the inhabitants are mere than
300J0OOO The entire Province of Cue lec
has only about the population of the City
of New York alcnc. In the absence Of OK.
PLANTATION, mon are liable 20 suppose that
this slownoSs OF growth nusS b. duo TO in
superablc obstacles OF nature, or else 10 in
st.tuiions yet moro rigorocs.
But Canada is essentially free country.
and the institutions and governments have
done much to invite and encourage immi-
grafton, and 70 develop diversified Industry.
In spite OF all these efforts, there were G5,-
OtO people from this country living III Can
ada in 1881, while there are now about l.
Ul,0O Canadians living in the United
States. a fifth Of tho entire present DCpu-
lation OF Canada has sought better opjor u
mites IN this country; about q thOusandth
part OF the population of the United States
have removed to Canada--and some of these
have migrated only because Cxtradition
treaties are defective. The contrast is
startling. And yet a paper read by Mr.
Blue, secretary of the Ontario Eoard of
Industry, about year ago, shovel that
this province would actually have lost popu-
lation during tho previous seven years bat
for immigration. With 2G9UO0 immigrants
and the natural increase OF 234, 600 or ~ 900
in all the province only gained III, 900; 1.-THE
lamentable truth il that we ara growing
men for the United States" Ar. Blue re-
marks.
Ontario is nevertheless the most pro-
gressive OF the oldor provinces, and much
the most pOpulous and productive. More
than two thirds Of tho occupied acreage in
the entire Dominion are within its limits.
Quebec, the next province in population and
area cultivated, gained in tho ton years ISL
1851 only lG1, 800 in population, about twelve
per cont in ten years. The provinces Of
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia gained in
the same ten wears only thirteen per cent
The population OF tho entire Dominion in
Isl was 4,SS24,Sl0, and IL is supposed to have
since increased 20 5,0eO,000 or more But
the growth Of tho United States in ten years
ending with 1880 was over II, 900, 0OO. or
thirty per cent. and its Increase in yopula-
ton since 1850 has been nearly three times
the present popu ation of tho Dominion
New York Tribune.
The Electoral College Vote.