The Minneapolis journal., 1901-09-07


tario few days ago. They arrived on
the scene just after the census of Canada
had been announced when all the papers
and most of the Canucks we're explaining
how 1t happened that the whole dominion
OF Canada was not able to add as mucn
to It's population during the past ten years
rs any one Of many American states. To
show how slow has been the growth or
Canada in the last decade, 1t Is only nec-
essary to say that a land stretching from
Atlantic to Pacific and from the forty
ninth parallel of latitude to the
Arctic ocean has increased in pop
ulation only 500,0 900 while the state OF
Minnesota alone was adding 450, 600. One
hears much talk in Canada about the
growth OF Manitoba and the territories,
but the Minnesota increase in ten years Is
almost twice as much as the total popu-
lation of Manitoba. 246, 900; and the show
Ing OF the Canadian territories compared
with Oklahoma is very poor. All this is
pointed out not in disparagement to Can
ada, but to explain why the Canadians
have been dissatisfied with the showing
6,S4O, 900 when they had expected at least
5000, ,0O0
What the Bankers Said.
But to return to those Minnesota bank
ers. A Toronto Globe reporter asked
them for an interview and they proceeded
to express some criticisms on the Cana
dian bank system, which is kind of holy
Of holies in Canada and has been viewed
with profound respect by American bank
ers. The men from Minnesota, while will
ing TO acknowledge that when it came to
stability and careful management the
Canadian system was unsurpassed,
thought that it was doubtful if it helped
the growth of Canada as much as Ameri-
Al.e
American west. The Canadian bank sys-
tenn consists of a number of banks with
branches all over the country which take
the place OF the local independent banks
in the United States Local banks are
practically unknown in Canada. The Min
nesota bankers declared that mere agents
could never have the interest in building
up their towns and regions that the local
bankers of the United States have. They
moreover gave it as their opinion that
the branch bank system had an inevitable
tendency to drain capital from the outly-
ing, newly settled regions where it was
most needed and concentrate 1t in bank
ing centers like Montreal. The American
local banker on the other hand, directly
interested in the upbuilding of his own
community, puts out all the money he can
at home, stands ready to help the farmers
out whenever they need a little ready
money, booms his own country on all pos
sible occasions and brings in outside capi-
tai to develop it.
IndOrsed by the Globe.
view at once as touching on a potent cause
of Canada's slow development and at
tackled the Canadian banking system as a
fossilized institution which was content
to boast that it always met its obligations,
but had little to show in the way of de-
of the country. The Globe made
fun of the agents of the Bank of Mon
treal, declaring that their chief object
was to have as good time as possible
in the remote towns to which unkind fate
had assigned them while perfunctorily at
tending to what business forced itself
upon them. Other papers replied to the
Globe and the Globe answered and there
was q merry war of words. In the course
OF this discussion the Globe pointed out
that seventy years ago, in Andrew Jack
sons time, the Americans abandoned much
the same national banking system that the
Canadians now have.
A Merry Row.
In discussing the result of the census
the conservative papers have asked to be
shown the results OF the loudly heralded
immigration policy of the present liberal
regime To this the liberals have replied
with assertions to the effect that Canada
had SO long been cursed by palsying con-
servative rule that it would take time for
the liberal policies to show their good
effects. The conservatives have also point
ed out that the class of immigrants
brought into the country has not been of
the best, in their opinion-being largely
Doukobors and Galcians-w1ile Canada
was losing much of its best blood to the
United States. 1t is estimated that in the
1ast ten years Ontario alone has sent 50,-
go into the United States
OntartO's Fear.
To add to the general irritation there
has come up the possibility that Ontario
may lose number of members of the Can
ad1an parliament, because of its small in
crease in population. The fundamental
law on which the dominion government is
based, corresponding to our constitution,
gives Quebec sixty-fve members of the
parliament and specifies that that province
must always have the same proportion Of
the whole number OF members that it had
at the beginning. In other words, the
basis OF representation is determined by
the ratio the fixed number Of Quebec mem
berE bears to the population OF that prov
tnee. Quebec has increased in population
much more than Ontario and the increased
basis Of representation resulting may re-
There is a chance. though, that Ontario
may be saved this humiliation. because
the law provides that no province shall
lose members unless the relative decline
In population shall exceed one-twentieth
OF; the ratio the population of the province
at the last census bore to the whole pop
ulation of the dominion-whatever that
means. The mathematicians of Canada
are figuring it out in several ways, and
one OF them saves Ontario its present rep
resentation. In the meantime the French
Canadians, at least the liberal part of them
are chuckling, for reduced represents tation
from ontario increases the political power
OF Sir Wtlfrid Laurier. Besides, IT is
gratifying to the French to know that
though Quebec sends more emigrants
across the border than any Of the other
provinces it is still increasing in popula-
tion more than any other part of eastern
Canada. 1t must also be remembered that
whether Ontario loses representation or
not, the maritime provinces which have
either lost in numbers or gained very
slowly are certain to lose some members.
Census Frauds Charged.
The Ontario conservatives in their in
dignation al the poor showing made by the
census have even gone so far as to charge
that, abetted by the Canadian ministry.
special efforts were put forth to make
the census OF Quebec more painstaking
that that of any other province and they
even hint at census frauds and padding
intimating that in Quebec all emigrants
to the United States within year preced-
ing the census were counted as present.
Then again there are assertions that the
census Of ten years ago was padded and
that that is why the apparent increase in
population is so small.
The Movement to the U. s.
The Canadians have been so confident
that they were receiving and retaining a