The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-07-27


At the time Of the purchase in 1860. the
white population Of tho entire country
including the officials Of the Hudson's
Bay Company, could be numbered on
four figures.
With the creation Of Manitoba Into
q province year later. and navigation
OF the Red river improved, the attention
Of settlers TO limited extent was drawn
that way: but IL remained for the ap
proach Of the railway ten years later Il
give shape To the marvellous growth that
has since followed. In short. the settle
ment OF the entire country 10 the work
Of but the last y years.
The Western Territories.
In 1882. that part Of the country now
open for settlement was divided into -four
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Alberta. Sas.
katchewan and Athabasca--and an cle-
mentary form Of government conceded "a
them. In the present year these -four
territories were converted iato two prov
inces. with full provincial autonomy aud
admitted 10 full membership in the Ca.
madam confederation with all the pow.
ers aud privileges Of the older prov.
inccs.
Very naturally the agricul;urist Of old
or countries who Is satisfied with present
surroundings, and the man whose intcn'
tions are 10 give agriculture n trial, have
a few leading questions revolving In their
minds. and ever before them for consid
Grafton, such rs climatic conditions, char
ncter Of public institutions, educational
facilities. postal convenicnces. transporta.
ton facilities, and last, but not least, the
nature and extent of the na,ural re-
sources and advantages Of the country In
which they are about TO locate.
Nobody claims that Western Canada
II perfection in every particular. but IL Is
claimed and fully borne out by the cx'
pcrience Of thousands who have settled
there. that there is no country on the
face Of the globe that surpasscs IL In
opportunities for the man Of limited
means who Is content with pioneering foI
a couple Of years.
It's productive capabilities are now
fully past the experimental stage, as the
crop yields, dairy returns, profits OF the
rancher and general satisfaction 10 the
man In mixed farming fully demonstrate
Under territorial or primitive govern
ment, where authority between federal
and local governments was divided. there
could not have been the same liberties
and freedom that now exist when the
whole legislation Of the country Is vested
practically in the hands of tbs people
themselves under manhood suffrage
This gives them the frecst form Of dem
ocratic government under the sun.
Low Taxation.
One OF the terrors of the people Of the
older countries is taxation. In tho prov.
inccs Of Manitoba. Alberta and Saskatch.
evan, which constitute the entire Cana.
dian west that is open for settlement
there IL no taxation but as the settler
imposes Il on himself. On the home.
stead In the unorganiLcd territory, the
tax collector IL never seen. As people
organize municipalities. however. roads
and bridges have TO be built. and schools
have 10 be maintained: hut the govern.
ment defrays much OF the cost Of the
latter, and taxation is necessary for the
former. The taxes for both purposes
however. rarely exceed S. year on q
quarter section 0G0 atrcsl.
Schools are established in every coun,
try section where there are ten or more
pupils 10 attend them. conducted by high
iy certifcatcd teachers under the best
system known 10 the most advanced edu
cationists Of the world. In 1856 there
were but 40 schools in the territory that
now comprises the provinces Of Alberta
and Saskatchewan with n government
suppor, Of $S.9OS. In 1904 there wcr,
sI5 In the same territory with a govern
ment support Of $202.OT0. As the sub
sidies these two provinces are now in re
celpt of from the Dominion government
amount 20 about Si,u93.OOO each. thcy
are A sufficiently large sum 20 carry OF
all the expenses Of the country, includ
ing schools. with but little or no taxation
on the people. As these subsidies In
crease as tho provinces grow in popula
ton, settlers in the Canadian west vii
always have immunity from taxation.
Crop Statistics.
The following statistics az TO crop
and areas under crop of the territor!
now comprised In the two new provinces