The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-07-28

At tho tine OF die purchase in 1868. the
whit" population Of thu entire country.
including the officials uf the IIudSou'S
Bay Company. could be numbered on
four figures.
With the creation Of Manitoba into
a provinc" a year later. ana navigation
OF Tho Red river improved, the attention
of settlers 10 IA limited extent was drawn
that way; but it remained for the al,-
proach of the railway ten years later IN
give shape to the marvellous growth that
has Since followed. In short. the settle
ment of the entire country is the work
of but the last % years.
The Western Territories.
In $ that part of the country now
open for settlement was divided into four
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Alberta. Sns-
katclewan and .A!hahasra-and an cIe-
memtary form of government conceded to
them. In the present year these four
territories were converted into two PROV
incrS. with full provincial autonomy and
admitted to full membership in the Ca
madam confederation With all the pow
ers and privileges Of the older prov
inces.
Very naturally the a@riculturiSt of old
err countries who is satisfied with present
surroundings, and the man whose intrn-
tons are To give agriculture Il trial. have
a few leading questions revolving in their
minds. and ever before them for cOnSid-
GRAFTON. such as climatic conditions. char
ncter of public institutions. educationn!
facilities. postal convelirnces. t%ransporta-
ton facilities. and last. but not least, the
nature and extent of the natural re-
sources and advantages of the country in
which they are about to locate.
Nobody claims that Western Canada
is perfection in every particular. but it is
claimed and fully borne ont by the ex-
| perience of thousands who have settled
there. that there is no country on the
face of the globe that surpasscs it in
opportunities for the man of limited
meaus who is content with pioneering for
a couple of years.
Its productive capabilities are now
fully past the experimental stage. as the
crop yields. dairy returns, profits of the
rancher and general satisfaction to 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 the people
themselves under manhood suffrage.
This gives them the frcest form of dem
ocratic government under the sun.
Low Taxation.
One Of the tcrrorS of the people of the
older countries is taxation. In the PROV
| inces of Manitoba. Alberta and Saskatcll-
evan, which constitute the entire Cana
dian west that is open for settlement.
there is no taxation but as the settler
imposes it on himself. On the home
stead i'll the unorganiZed territory. the
lax collector is never seen. AS people
organize municipalities. however. roads
and bridges have to be built. and schools
have to be maintained: but 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 IS il year on Il
quarter section 16O acreSl.
Schools are established in every coun-
try section where there are ten or more
pupils to attend them. conducted by high
ly certiiicated teachers under the best
system known to the most advanced edu-
-
%cationiSts of the world. In 1856 there
We're but Is schools in the territory that
now comprises the provinces of Alberta
and Saskatchewan with a government
upp of SS,90S. In 1901 there were
S75 in the same territory with a govern
ment support of S292,0 90. AS the sub
sides these two provinces are how in re-
/, ceipt of from the Dominion government
f. mount IN ahout 81 OOo OOO zach thav
are a sufficiently large sun to carry on
all the expenses of the country. includ-
ing schools, with but little or no taxation
on the people. As these subsidies i'll.
crease as the provinces grow in popula-
| ton. settlers in the Canadian west will
always have immunity from taxation.
Crop Statistics.
sThe following statistics as to crops
am, areas Under crop of the territory
Row cQmprisedsin the two new provinces