The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-04-27

A Western Canada Farmer
Writes as to Conditions.

A. G. Hansen is farmer living near
Clavet, Sask., and as an old resident
Of Minnesota, takes strong exception
to some of the articles appearing in
American papers disparaging the true
conditions in Western Canada. The
Cottonwood Current" of Cottonwood,
Mimi, an important weekly paper in
the southwestern part of the state, re-
Gently published a letter from Mr..
Hansen, which is interesting reading.
In his letter Mr.. Hansen makes a
splendid case for Western Canada
against those who seek to deter farm
ers in the States from settling in Can
ada. He says:
'The district in which we live is a
fair comparison to any other district
In the country, made up mostly Of set
tiers from the States. The majority
here consists of Americans from Min
nesota, Iowa and the Dakotas, with
few Canadians and an odd English
man. We have been here eleven years,
ever since this part of the country was
settled, and the majority have done
well. If they have not, it is certainly
not the fault of the country.
There has not been crop failure
in this district since settled This
year was the poorest, caused by lack
Of rain, although a fair estimate OF
wheat Is about twelve bushels per
acre, average, and oats about ten.
Some farmers got as much as twenty
five bushels of wheat per acre, and we
all got good prices.
"The laws of Canada are nearly the
same as those of Minnesota, and we
enjoy the same privileges.
$50 far as the European war Is con-
cerned, we suffer to a certain extent
as all the world does. Canada is CIV
ing a helping hand to her Mother
Country, and we NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
firmly believe it is Canada's duty to
do so. I have not heard one Ameri-
can-Canadian who has expressed diff
ferent opinion. Canada is not COM
PEELED to send her soldiers. The serv-
ice rendered is all voluntary service.
"The accusation that old settlers are
considered undesirable citizens and
are forced out of business, even in
danger Of being 'mobbed at their own
freside,' is all false, a mere fabrica-
ton in the mind Of badly Informed
correspondents There are few who
have been discovered carrying letters,
others papers and plans to prove them
spies, and whose object Is to conspire
against the government. These have
justly been arrested. Such a class of
people cannot be considered good citi-
zens, whether living in Canada or in
the United States.
Some people are failures wherever
they are, and as an excuse for failure
in their country it may seem easy to
put the blame on the Canadian people
and the Canadian government. Fact
is, thousands Of people from the United
States are emigrating to Canada at
the present time, which shows they
are not afraid of the Canadian govern
ment.
"The government is giving away,
free of charge, provision through the
winter to farmers in certain districts
affected by the drought, and is also
sending seed grain to those in need
of help. This is very different from
driving settlers away from their own
homes.
Il have always observed that the
people who love their Mother Country
most are those who make the best citi-
Zens of their adopted country. The
glorious Stars and Stripes will al
ways stand for what Is good and noble
to us, though we live in a neighbor
country where we also enjoy life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness -
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