Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-04-18
Secure Free Home in the Fertile
Wheat Fields of Western Canada

SECURE q Free Home in the Fertile
wheat Fields OF Western Canada.
To the Editor: The emigration Of
weil-to-do farmers from the United
states to the Canadian Northwest has
assumed such proportions that organ
lZed efforts are now being made by in
terested persons and corporations to
stem the tide. The efforts are being
initiated chiefly by railway and real
estate interests in the States from
winch the bulk of the emigration takes
place. The movement of population
mas taken from numerous States thou
SANDS OF persons whose presence along
railways in these States made bust
ness FOR the transportation companies
The movement has also become so
widely known that it has prevented
the settlement of vacant lands along
these lines. parties who might have To-
Gated there being attracted TO the free
and more fertile lands OF Canada. The
result of the movement has been that
the railway companies not only see
the vacant lands along their lines re
main vacant, but they also see hun
dreds of substantial farmers who have
helped provide business for these rail
ways move away and so cease their
contributions. The farmers have
moved to Canada because they were
convinced that it would be to their
financial interest to do so. In NOV
ing they have been inconsidcrate
enough to place their own financial
interests before those of the financial
interests of the railway corporations.
In addition to the railway corpora
lions "a n ~,
to stem the flow of cmigrantS. OF
course every emigrant who goes to
Canada means the loss of commissions
on land deals by real estate dealers,
Now a person has but to know what
the interests are that are trying TO stop
the flow to know what motive is in
,fiuencng their course. The emigration
means financial loss to railway cOrpo-
rationS and TO real estate men. These
interests therefore are not directing
their opposition efforts out of any love
for the departing emigrants or out of
any high patriotic motives. either.
They are doing 50 purely from selfish
interests. 1t is a matter of dollars ana
cents With them. They are so patriot
ic, they are SO consumed by love for
their fellow citizens. that they want
10 prevent these fellow citizens going
to Canada and getting free farms OF
the best wheat land in the world: ard
instead they want to make them stay
on highpriced farms in the United
States, where they viii continue to
pour money into the pockets Of these
railways and real estate men.
One of the methods employed by
these interests to stem the tide is the
distribution of matter to newspapers,
painting Canada in the darkest coiors.
These articles emanate chiefly from Il
bureau in st. Louis. They are sent
oIt at frequent intervals for simulta-
neous publication. writer is en-,
ployed At 4 high salary to prepare Tie
matter.
Moreover, statements absolutely at
variance with the truth have lately
been published broadcast. These ap-
pear chiefly in what purport to be let.
ters from persons who are alleged
to have gone to Canada and become
Disguised with it. Only Il few of such
have been published, and they con
tain statements that are absurd in
their falsity. Whether the parties
whose names appear in connection
with these letters have ever been TO
Canada, and, if so. their history while
there, is TO be thoroughly looked into.
The discovery of their motive. like the
discovery of the motive of the inter
ests who are engineering the opposi-
ton, may prove illumining In the
meantime, however, it may he pointed
out that only a few of such letters
| have appeared, but since 1897 over
81 900 American settlers have gone to
| the Canadian West. Can any reason
| able person suppose for a moment that
| If Canada was one-quarter as bad as
| represented in these letters, the $1,000
! Americans now there would remain
| in the country; or. if the Canadian
! West had not proved the truth of all
| that WAS claimed for it, the papers Of
| every State in the American North
west would not be filled with letters
/ saying so? Imagine $1,000 aggressive
! Americans deceived and not making
short shrift of their deceivers. The
! fact is, the $1,000 are we'll satisfied
and are encouraging their friends to
follow them.
Anyone who sees any OF these dis
| parag ing letters should remember that
| it is railway and real estate interests
| who have from purely selfish reasons
organized n campaign to stem the flow
70 Canada. If Canada were half as
BAD rs represented there would he no
need of such an organization. The fact
that such exists is of itself a magnifi-
cent tribute to Canada Finally. it
should not be forgotten that the let
ters published are brimful of false
hoods and that $1,000 satisfied Ameri-
a living proof that such is the case
The Canadian Government Agent,
whose name appears in advertisement
elsewhere in this paper is authorized
to give all information as to rates. and
available lands in Western Canada