The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1892-09-17
CANADIAN FARMERS.


fact will be apparent to all. That this
country is receiving population every
year from our northern neighbor be-
cause of the inducements to mechan-
les, farmers and other wage-earners
has been an established fact for long
time; but Canadians have been unwil-
ling to admit this. Our farming ma
chinery commands ready sale there,
and when farmers cannot send produce
in exchange, it makes them look to-
wards the United States to better their
condition. This causes them to immi-
CRATE, and they are added to the in
dustrial population of the republic.
The Mckinley bill is peculiarly effect
i've In making our farmers, horse
breeders, ETC., more self-reliant and
giving them a greater advantage in the
home market. and, as q matter of
course, works to their benefit. In the
columns of the Montreal Family Her.
aid and Weekly Star, journal largely
devoted to agricultural interests, is a
discussion of this subject from farm
er's standpoint, aud the following let
ter published in the last number of
that paper and dated at Melbourne,
Quebec, treats of this matter fully:
"In reply to your enquiry: is farm
ing more profitable or less profitable
than it was ten years ago9 What are
the reasonsq I would say that in no
time since confederation has there
been so much unrest and dissatisfac-
ton among the farmers of the eastern
townships as at present. Farms have
deprecated in value fully one third
within the last ten years; in fact, it is
almost impossible to dispose Of farm
in this country at present. Now, what
is the cause of this depression2 Has
the tariff anything to do with itY is
question that everybody who takes an
interest in the future prosperity of this
country should carefully consider.
We do not get SO good prices for the
products Of our farms as we did ten
years ago. Prior to the Mckinley bill
becoming law, we did profitable ex-
port trade with the United States,
particularly in horses, but since the
demand has fallen of, we have large
humber of surplus horses on hand that
are unsaleable.
'.The prices of almost all the sur
plus productions of our farms are reg
ulated by foreign demand. 1t makes
little difference to us farmers fnan-
cially whether there is consumed an
nually in the dominion one or ten mil
lions of pounds of cheese SO long as
the demand in England regulates the
price here. What is true in regard to
cheese is also true in regard to all our
other staples. 1t is absurd to say that
the N. P. has given rs home market
for the products of our farms when
70 large proportion Of the people are
engaged in agriculture. Our income,
rs nation, must consist largely for
years to come of agriculture exports.
Should these exports cease for only a
lew years national bankruptcy would
AXE place. I fear that the people
will find when it is too late that they
rave killed the goose that laid the
yolden egg.
"To make farming more profitable it
s necessary to cheaper the cost of pro-
luction. It is unreasonable and un-
ust that we should be taxed from
wenty to forty per cent. for most of
he manufactured articles we use.
Whilst we have vacant farms in all
Iirections, there is no inducement
lnder present conditions, for our young
nen to engage In farming, and the
onsequenoe is that they are leaving
he country. I make this assertion
L
vithout fear of contradiction, that one
alf of the youth that have come to
heir majority in the last fifteen years
n the township Of Melbourne, Co.
are now in the United I
tates"