The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-29
practical good from such line and the
Canadians will pay for it.
POPULATION OF WESTERN CANADA


The 1900 census of the United States
throws an interesting sideltght on the
problem. of the future development
of Canada. IN the decade that
ended with that year the number
OF Canadian immigrants into the
United States, officially reported, fell
to 1904 from 392,so2 and 3Ss,269 in the
two preceding decades. ~
1t has been customary to attribute
Canadas slow growth in population to the
large exodus to the United States. In
general there Is reason in this, for there
are more than fifth as many Canadians
living in the United States as In Canada.
But it is obvious that the slow growth Of
the dominion from 1892 to 1901, inclusive,
can not be explained on this hypothesis,
for during those years only 1900 Ca
nadians Joined us. Yet the. whole do
minion increased in population during
that time less than 500, 900.
Good times In the United States, as
we'll as bad, have a very marked effect
on Canadian immigration. Consequently
we may expect much larger number Of
immigrants from that country in this
decade than In the last. When 1t Is TAX
en- into consideration that there was a
considerable immigration into Canada
from Europe during the past decade 1t
appears that the natural increase Of the
Canadian population is very slow, and, as
appears from, the census figures, much
larger among the French than English. 1
From this fact it follows that the
Canadian east Is not equal to the task Of
populating the Canadian west rapidly. It
has very few people to spare for the
new lands. t is not to be expected that
the population of the old provinces will
be reduced to increase that of the new.
The history OF population movements in
the American states shows that the old
states have held their own or gained in
every decade, while sending streams OF
population into new regions. = ": ?
~ On the other hand, the older portions Of
the United States have greater hordes OF
ambitious men and women to send into
new countries than they ever had before.
There Is still a vast amount Of room for
them in the American west, but It Is rea
sonable to expect that the newer Ca
madam west will attract multitudes of
them, as the newest west always has in
the past. Once the movement is we'll
started, it will keep up steadily from year
to year. .-... =..-. -- ~.
The increase of population in the United
States is so great that 1t could contribute
more people to such a population move
ment every year than the dominion has
heretofore gained from all sources in ten
years, and still increase the home popula-
tion million year, or about twice as
many in ten years as the whole present
population of Canada.
The movement has scarcely got head
way yet. The 10000 Americans going into
western Canada this year are merely
drops in the bucket. sands on the sea-
shore, compared with what this country
can send without feeling their loss, and,
in all probability, will. r..
Where Americans 60 in great numbers,
there arises new America. When west
ern Canada is overwhelmingly American
in its population origin it will be even
more American in every respect than at
present. The dominion will grow great
and strong and populous, but its strength
will be in the west and that west will
eventually be as American as the west OF
the United States. + ~. ss5 L.: