Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1903-04-18
SECURE A FREE HOME
In the Fertile Wheat Fields Of
Western Canada.

To the Editor: The emigration OIL
well-to-do farmers from the United
States to the Canadian Northwest has
assumed such proportions that organ
lied efforts are now being made by
interested persons and corporations to
stem the tide. The efforts are being
initiated chiefly by railway and rezl
estate interests in the states from
which the bulk of the emigration takes
place. The movement OF population
has taken from mum erous states thou
sands of persons whose presence
along railways in these states made
business for the transportation COM
panies. The movement has also be-
come so widely known that it has pre-
vented the settlement of vacant lands
along these lines, parties who might
have located there being attracted to
the free and more fertile lands OF Can
ada. The result Of the movement has
been that the railway companies not
only see the vacant lands along their
lines remain vacant. but they also see
hundreds of substantial farmers who
have helped provide business for these
railways move away and so cease their
contributions. The farmers have
convinced that it would be to their
financial interest to do so. In moving
they have been inconsiderate enough
TO place their own financial interests
before those of the financial interests
OF the railway corporations.
In addition To the railway corpora
tons, real estate dealers are working
to stem the flow of emigrants. 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 20 know what motive is
influencing their course. The emigra-
ton means financial loss to railway
corporations and to real estate men.
These interests therefore are rot di-
recting their opposition efforts out OF
any love for the departing emigrants
or out of any high patriotic motives
either. They are doing so purely from
selfish interests. 1t is a matter of dol
lars and cents with them. They are so
patriotic, they are so consumed by
love for their fellow-citiZens, that they
want to prevent these fellow-citizens
going to Canada and getting free
farms of the best wheat land in the
world. and instead they want to make
them stay on high-priced farms in the
United States, where they will con-
tinue 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,
I,n
These articles emanate chiefly from a
bureau in St. Louis. They are sent
out at frequent intervals for stimuli
taneous publication. 4 writer is en-
pIoyed at a high salary TO prepare the
matter
Moreover. statements absolutely at
variance with the truth have lately
been published broadcast. These ap-
pear chiefly in what purport to be let
tiers from persons who are alleged to
have gone to Canada and become dis
gusted with it. Only few of such
have been published, and they contain
statements that are absurd in their
falsity. Whether the parties whose
! names appear in connection with these
letters have ever been in Canada, and,
| If so, their history while there, is to
be thoroughly looked into. The dis
covery of their motive, like the dis
covery of the motive of the interests
| who are engineering the opposition,
| may prove illumining. In the mean
| time, however. it may be pointed out
| that only few of such letters have
appeared, but since 1897 over 81 900
! American settlers have gone to the
! Canadian West. Can any reasonable
| person suppose for a moment that If
| Canada was One-Quarter as bad as rep
resented in these letters the $1,000
| Americas 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 Northwest
would not be filed with letters saying
so? Imagine $1,000 aggressive Amer
| leans deceived and not making short
| shift of their deceivers. The fact is
| the $1,000 are well satisfied and are
encouraging their friends to follow
| them.
Anyone who sees any of these dis
| paraging letters should remember that
/ 1t is railway and real estate interests
| who have from purely selfish reasons
J organized a campaign to stem the
! flow to Canada. If Canada were half
as bad as represented there would be
no need OF such an organization. The
fact that such exists is of itself a mag
nifcent tribute to Canada. Finally it
should not be forgotten that the letters
published are brimful of falsehoods,
| and that $1,000 satisfied Americans in
the Canadian West constitute 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
If we all followed the Golden Rule
the lawyers would starve to death.