Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-03-18
The Exodus to Canada.

In another month the annual tide OF
immigration will begin to move from
east to west. The indications are that
the population movement will be con-
siderably larger this year than last
Western Canada, for example, seems
almost certain to have very much
larger population influx than 1t had
last year from the United States.
In many respects Western Canada is
very favorably circumstanced with re-
gard to securing population as a re-
suit of the great annual movement in
the states. The mass of the popula-
ton Of the United States Is In the
northern states. These states fur
nish by far the larger part OF the NOV
ers each year. AS a general rule the
northern born and bred person has a
tendency to stay in the north. The
fact that there is such an abundance
of cheap or free land in Western Can
ada with practically the same climate
as the northwestern states leads to a
great DETECTION Of the stream Of immi-
grafton to the northwest. There is no
doubt that If 1t were not for the OBJ
stacle interposed by the international
line Western Canada would now have
two or three times the population 1t
has. But with each year of the present
large movement of Americans into that
country the natural prejudice against
crossing the line to find a habitation
declines.
1t Is really surprising how little Is
the actual difference to settler be-
tween, let us say, North Dakota and
Assiniboia. Politically the state and
the Canadian territory are equally free.
Social customs are about the same.
True, Assiniboia is part of the British
Empire and North Dakota part OF the
republic. but there Is SO much good
feeling between Canada and the
United States. Canadians are so much
like Americans and so frank in their
admiration of the great republic that
the American settler who Is not In
clined to bring the eagle forth and
make it scream extensively rarely IL
ever encounters anything that goes
against the grain of his American
ISM
One Of the factors that makes 1t
comparatively easy for the American
to move into Western Canada is that
SO large a part Of the actual work of
arousing interest and moving the i'm
migrants is In the hands of American
companies and individuals. Very few
persons have any understanding of
the extent to which the "land bust
ness of Western Canada is In the
hands of citizens Of the United States.
The American mover buys his land of
q fellow citizen and is located by
a fellow citizen. Very likely the store.
keeper. in his market town Is an
American and possibly the man who
buys his grain is also an American
Add to this fact that Canadians of the
West are as like to Americans as two
peas, and it is easy to understand how
perfectly natural becomes a transition
to which at first there is much obiec.
ton.
Naturally there is some ill-will
towards this movement in the minds
of some Americans. On the face of
the situation there is some cause for
regret that the United States while re-
ceiving such a mass of poor material
for citizenship from Europe is sending
SO much good material abroad. But
there is a better way Of looking at the
subject. The spacious and fertile
prairies Of Western Canada are bound
to be settled by someone. Is 1t not
better for Canada and the United
States that the settlers should be
largely Americans, thus drawing close
ly together two countries whose desti.
MES are bound to be inextricably woy.
en- together?
The union of the two countries may
be far away and probably is, but peo.
pie on both sides Of the line should
welcome any tendency toward the OBJ.
liberation of all international i'll Will
and bitterness. and with Western
Canada. soon to be the dominant part