Newport daily independent., 1903-04-17
SECURE A FREE HOME IN THE FERTILE WHEAT FIELDS OF
 WESTERN CANADA.
To tbe Editor:


 To the Editor:
 The emigration of well-to-do farru- CTS from the United States to the Canadian Northwest has assumed such proportions that organized eff forts are now being made by inter- esyed persons and corporations to stEm the tide. The efforts are being i4itiated chiefly by railway and real estate interests in the States from Which the bulk of the emigration lakes place. The movement of popu- Hation has taken from numerous states thousands of persons whose presence along railways in these states made business for the trans portation companies. The move ment has also become so widely known that it has prevented the set tlement of vacant lands along these lines, parties who might have locat- ed 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 oNC IAiC feNulAO l'iA'ifo bACiS NhASiA 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 moved to Canada be- cause they were 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 rail- way corporations.
 In addition 10 the railway corp E. tions, real estate dealers are work ing to stem the flow of emigrants. Ot course every emigrant who goes tC Canada means the loss of com missions on land deals by real es- tate dealers. Now person has but to know what the interests are that are trying to stop the flow to know what motive is influencing their course. The emigration means finan- cial loss to railway corporations and to real estate men. These interests therefore are not directing their op- position efforts out of any love for the departing emigrants or out of any high patriotic motives either. They are doing so purely from self ish interests. It 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 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 news. papers, painting Canada in the dark, est colors. These articles emanate chiefly from a bureau in St. Louis. They are sent out at frequent inter- vals for simultaneous publication. A writer is employed at a high salary to prepare the matter.
 Moreover, statements absolutely at variance with the truth have lately been published broad cast. These ap- pear chiefly in what purport to be letters from persons who are alleged to have gone to Canada and become disgusted with it. Only few of such have been published and they com tain 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 discovery of their motive, like the discovery of the mo- tive of the interests who are en- gineering the opposition, may prove illumining. In the meantime, however, it may be pointed out that only a few of such letters haWrSappeared but since 1897 over S7,0OO American set tiers have gone to the Canadian West. Can any reasonable person suppose for a moment that if Cana da was one-quarter as bad as repre- scented in these letters the S7,O00 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 s7,OOo aggressive Americans deceived and not making short shift of their deceivers. The fact is the 87oo0 are well satisfied and are encouraging their friends to fCllnNv thnrn