Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-24
ON A TOUR THROUGH CANADA.
One Of the Ambassadors Finds Everything
Lovely and the Other Differs From
Him Totally.
THE PESsIMIST AND THE 0PTIMIST
Show How People Can See the Same Things in Different
Lights
rBY CABLE TO THE DrsPArcH.1

society, IN con1unctlon with the Last End
Emigration Fund, has been sending out to-
Canada hundreds of emigrants, but it only
recently occurred to the managers of these
bodies to find out how the poor people get
on in the country of their compulsory
adoption. The Golfers of the Charity Organ
iEation Society happen ed to be full to over
flowing when the happy thought struck its
officers and forthwith Captain Gretton and
Mr.. I. Gage Gardiner were dispatched to
Canada as special commissioners, in CON-
psny, on the principle that four ewes are
better than two. They spent four or five
weeks in Canada, never leaving each other,
visiting the same districts and seeing the
same people.
This week a special meeting of the Charity
Organization Society had the questionable
advantage of receiving the special commits
sioners' reports. which, instead of agreeing
with each other as might have been reason
ably expected under the circumstances,
were utterly and strikingly contradictory.
Knocked the Commissioners Out.
The commissioners themselves did not
seem to have derived much benefit from
their holiday trip, for Mr. Gardiner, who
put in an appearance, looked anything but
"chipper," and Captain Gretton sent letter
stating that he was too unwell to attend.
Apparently Mr.. John Martineau, who
presided over the meeting, knew of the
nature of the reports, and with his counte-
nance beaming with pleasurable anticipa-
tionS requested that they should be read. |
Captain Gretton's report came first. 1t was |
read for him Sin his regrettable absence
By Mr.. Price, Assistant Secretary of the |
society, and its delightful description of |
the idyllic life led by the settlers created
feeling almost Of envy in the breasts of the
comfortable, well-fed middle-class folks who
listened to it, while several elderly srinsters
present were heard distinctly to sigh.
An optimist in Canada.
Captain Gretton found the society emf
grants, with few exceptions, fourishing,
and thoroughly contented with their coun-
try and new life. and full of gratitude for
the help which had enabled them to ex-
change their grinding poverty in England
Tor abundant food, warm houses and excel
lent clothing, which every SOBER healthy
and industrious settler might confidently
hope TO possess"
the report proceeded to refer to Individual
cases, Captain Gretton waxing especially
eloquent in respect to a servant girl who
earned only e8 a year in England, a wage
which, it NAV be parenthetically observed |
proves that there must have been something
wrong with her either a servant or a girl |
or both. But at the feet of this girl, within
four months of her arrival in Canada, a
prosperous brewer flung his wealth only to
,,a.1 h. LII
with a carpenter who, to Judge from Cap
tain Gretton's report, occupied himself
chiefly in driving her about in a buggy in
summer and sleighing in the winter
months"
a Brilliant Prospect to Hold Out.
To every British workman, if strong, in
Gustrious and sober, the report held out
sure prospect of securing in Canada posi-
tion equal TO that of the blighted brewer or
the happy carpenter while the women
might confidently rely upon obtain
ing husbands at sight Only very few
possessing the qualifications enumerated
failed 10 succeed in Canada and even they
went to the United States and got rich.
Loud cheers punctuated the report as Mr.
Price read it, and there was much clapping
Of hands and stamping of feet when the
Assistant Secretary resumed his scat.
SDeciai commissioners were too often expen-
sive luxuries, but in the society's case the
members evidently thought the money had
been well spent. Then Mr.. Gardiner rose,
and after expressing regret at hearing of
Captain Gretton's illness, announced that
he was going to talk straight" and say
what he would have said had that gallant |
,ficer been present
Mr.. Gardiner squared his shoulders and
ooked fierce, and the charity organizers
eemed pained and surprised. They soon
lad cause for both emotions, for Mr. Gardi-
Ter efaced Captain Gretton's whithwash
18th thick black paint laid on with ]
,rush of generous proportions
Black Paint Laid on Thick
Don't you run away" said he, with the
dea that Canada is a land OF milk and
loney. It's nothing of the kind. found
many of our emigrants living in miserable
mud huts, in frst-class villa residences,
5 ycu would think from the report you ,
ave just heard"
lirrous cases of abject povetty, due among
,'her things to the failure of successive
wheat haruests, and his most optimistic ad-
mission was that people who emigrated to
canada could only hope to live in fair COM
ort !. they were capable of enduring ex-
.essive hardships and able to do any kind of !
work, however hard it might be.
MI. GardIners remarks about child emf
yrstlon were more valuable and are likely
o attract far larger share of public atten-
lon thar his views in regard 20 the failure
II success of the Charity Organization's
migrants S
A Really Di,graceful System.
He declared the system of sending out '
TO canada was abominable and dis II
'raceluL thousands of girls were sent to C
ZONES about which the distributing agents n
new practically nothing, and the so-called n
carried out by the best agencies
ere delnsiye. For instance. children sent
,ut by Miss Macpherson's institution were
to be visited once every wear but
here were 1000 children registered in the :.
looks as being out at homes, and only three a
10 visit them all :,
Mr.. Gardiner advised people IN ENGLAND /
o set their faces against this girl emipra- q
ion business, and concluded his pessimistic
peech with the dismal remark that his in
had been thoroughly disheart.
ming.
The Charity Organization Society has not n
et decided what to do with the two re- g.
orts. 1t is not likely, however. that the :. -
migration business will be Abandoned The n
eneral idea being that the poor creatures n
ent out to the colonies cannot we'll he -
-orse off there than at home But there is
growing feeling, which existed before Mr.
lardiner started on his mission. that the n
ystem of emigrating girls by Charitable Il
ocieties is attended BY fearful evils and II
not improbable that Parliament NAV he
sked to order o special INQUIRY into the
lbject.