BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-09-23
Yankee Migration
To Canada.

The present exodus of wertern farm
ers from the United States into Canada
is attracting general attention. The
conditions that have stimulated such a
migration are not extraordinary, yet
any turn OF the tide of population away
from the u. S. is SO unustal that
social theorists have been in search of
some hidden meaning to it; and the
communities most affected by it have
regarded it with no inconsiderable |
alarm. The general financial and So
cial condition of the western people in
Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota
would give no excuse for the exodus
from those localities, for they were
never so prosperous as now. The pres
ent harvests are likely to break all re-
cords, and during the past few years
farm mortgages have been rapidly paid
off.
The migration might be explained if
there were any political unrest, like
that of the silver agitation. But such
is certainly not the case. 1t is not
through any antipathy to American in
stitutions that the best type of western
agriculturists are going forth to take
up new homes in the sparsely settled
land of the north. The outgoers have
only the kindest regard for the republic
and leave their homes with actual re-
gret. In this respect they are peculiar
and do not resemble those who come
from Europe to the United States. The
Canadian principle of government is
distinctly American and this was never
so forcibly brought out as in the reso-
lutte opposition of the premier, Sir Will
frid Laurier to MI. Chmberlains great
scheme of an English colonial naval
and military kriegsverein. This showed
that Canada, like the United States,
was not willing to be entangled in a
militarism or in the quarrels of the old
world.
Special industrial reasons alone seem
to dictate the exodus-inspired some
what perhaps by the restless spirit in
the western people. 1t is only in the
past few years that the immense do
main of western British America has
been discovered. A hundred years ago
it's development began by the officers Of
the Hudson Bay and other great fur
trading companies. These fostered the
impression for many generations that
the territory was wilderness cold, in
hospitable, unfit for man, and of use
only for hunting fur-bearing animals
AS late as 1879 the late James w. Tay
lor, United States consul at Winnipeg
was, thought extravagant and dream
er for saying that three-fourths of the
wheat-growing area of North America
is north of the boundary line between
the United States and Canada THE
future bread supply of America, ane
of the old world too, will be raised
there, Mr. Taylor is evidently being
vindicated In this region there are
100000 acres of farm lands, seven
eights of which are unoccupied. II
Manitoba only 100000 acres were TN
der cultivation, yet the yield in barley
, oats and otter crops was so great thai
the railroads were blocked for months
The opening OF this region has giver
a great impetus to railroad building ii
Canada. The construction of a new
transcontinental railroad is being rush
ed and third has been chartered.
Now that land can no longer he had
in the United States for the squatting
and when railroad lands even bring
high prices, the temptation to the
American farmer to migrate to Can
, ada is very great. In 1901 there were
20 600 Americans who migrated thither
In the first four months of the present
year there were II48o, carrying with
them $1,000 coo worth of property They
are still pouring into the northern re
gion in increasing numbers, and pro
badly the number in 1902 will more
than double that of 1901. The enter
prising Yankee y. as he is called il
Canada, although he may be Swede OF
German, is much in evidence all ovel
the Dominion, and migration of such
proportions is bound to have its infuen
ce On the political relations of Canada
and the United States.