The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-02-13
RESOURCES OF
The DOMINION
Prominent Canadian Discussed
Them at Banquet.
HER SOIL IS VERY FERTILE
Hon. George {. Foster Gave Some Decld-
edly Interesting Information at.
MIdwIntsr Meeting Of CongJ Club

The mdwinter meeting OF the Congre-
gational club was held last evening at the
Trocadero. A banquet was served at Gas
o'clock. at which the president OF the
club, Robert w. Burbank, served as
toastmaster. =
At the business session nine new MEM
bers were voted In. They were H. A.
Breckenridge of Union church. Ira y.
Con of Plymouth church, Edward A.
Stockweil and George A. Deal OF Gen.
trail church. Kamil Miller. John p. Smith.
V. F. Hatch, Ellis l.. Yatman and Her.
bert ]. Humphrey of Pilgrim church.
The speaker OF the evening was Hon.
George e. Foster. member OF the privy
council OF Canada. Mr.. Foster was for
many years professor OF classics at Uni
versity OF New Brunswick. He also served
as minister OF marine IN the government
OF Sir John A. Macdonald and was min
lister of finance in that and the four sue
ceeding ministries.
He proved a fluent talker, well able TO
discuss all phases OF the subject which
seemed uppermost in his heart and mind,
the history and development OF Canada. He
is a Liberal Conservatist in politics. an
imperialist and a leading advocate OF pro-
tection for Canadian industries.
Your Norl-ern Neighbor" was the
subject Mr.. Foster discussed. He men
toned the growth OF the Canadian do
minion and gave a graphic account OF the
Canadian Pacific railroad. He said IN
part:
CANADA YET YOUNG.
Canada is yet young. even in compari-
son with the Un..eu States. which, al
though not yet old in the family OF ma
tions is the Oldest republic in this great
Western Hemisphere. Two octenegarians
together could cover in their recollections
almost the entire space OF her history.
Your nation was born OF a revolution,
bitter struggle which drew TO you the
attention OF the entire world Your birth
as nation and as an independent gov
ernment was a spectacular one. Canada
had no such spectacular birth.
Her progress has been quiet, but none
the less sure. She has gradually evolved
herself from a number OF independent
provinces. each jealous OF the other into a
united dominion in which English and
French speaking people are shoulder
10 shoulder. working for a great cause,
the upbnlolng OF their common coun-
try.
THE rapid growth and prosperity OF
Canada dates from 1867 when some far
men iIlit al the DtSt IN
terest OF the country was TO be enhanced,
all the separate provinces must be united
and brought together. Even after the
union was effected the provinces were
united In little more than name because
OF the impossibility OF getting from one TO
tho other.
There have been several periods irthe
history OF Canada These were the
period OF discovery, the period OF ex-
plorauon. the period of settlement. the
period OF development. None OF these
periods stopped short when the others
commenced The period OF discovery is
not yet ended. II is still going OH and
there is yet room for II TO go on in the
great northwest much of which is sull
unexplored."
THE SOIL is RICH.
The speaker went on to tell Of the vast
richness OF the soil In that part of north
western Canada, which has been explored
and opened up. to cultivation. He told of
the building OF the Canadian Pacific rail-
road and the great results which IL ac-
complished.
Big crops of wheat were produced. he
said, and other grains were raised which.
taken together, would equal the wheat
crop. The average yield per acre OF
wheat is about % bushels per acre as
against 10 bushels In the northwestern
United states
The growth OF the country had been
phenomenal In the past 20 years. he said.
and at the present time immigrants are
coming into the country 100 per cent
faster. in proportion to the present popu-
lation, than they are coming into the
United States.
When the Canadian Pacific railroad was
projected people said II was a mad
project but the stock is now selling on
Wall street for l75, which Mr. Foster re-
garded as very good price. The road
has proved so successful that more roads
are projected, some of the contracts for
which are already let. They will pierce
the Rocky mountains at two points and
afford greatly augmented facilities for
rapid transportation through to the
Pacific coast.