Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1917-05-03
FARM labor IN DEMAND
IN WESTERN CANADA
Extraordinary inducements Being
Offered.

Previous articles have dealt with
the necessity of producing extra guam
titles of foods to feed the world dur
Ing this stress of high consumption
and paucity of production. Instead of
the condition improving it is growing
worse, and unless drastic and immedi-
ate action is taken, prices will con-
tinue to climb higher. 1t is hoped by the
Canadian government that by Offering
extra inducements to secure a home
stead of 100 acres of excellent land in
the homesteading areas of Western
Canada, with the combined effort of the
farmer in extraordinary preparation
of tillage and bigger wages than ever,
that Western Canada, with the assist
ance of Divine Providence, may pro-
duce greater number of million acres
of wheat than ever in the past. The
farm labSrer can now secure a home
stead on easier conditions than ever
before. All the time that he works
for a Western Canadian farmer dur
ing 1917, after he makes his entry or
fling will count as residence on his
homestead for that year, leaving him
but two additional years residence
before getting title to a piece of land
that should then be easily worth
$1,000. The response to this offer has
been wonderful, and hundreds have al
ready taken advantage of it.
The climate of Western Canada is
one that breeds energy, instils life and
buoyancy, and with the soil that the
country possesses, no greater asset
could be desired The country is past the
pioneering stage; its ability to grow
all the smaller grains better than any
other portion of the continent has
been proven so often that it seems
waste of time to speak of it. The high
name that has been given the country
in the splendid class of live stock that
1t raises, has placed it in the high col
umn with the best states of the Union.
And then social conditions, something
that every housewife asks about, are
as nearly perfect as could be wished
for. Thousands of miles of telephone
line connect the remotest HAMLET with
the principal cities of the country and
continent, miles of excellent graded
roads, as well as the perfect natural
roads of the prairie, make driving and
hauling easy. Gridironed as these
provinces are with railway lines
bring the farm near to Atlantic or Pa
cific, or United States markets, rural
mail delivery brings the settler still
closer to the homes abroad. Rural
and consolidated schools everywhere
are easy adjuncts to the colleges and
universities, which are said to be
among the best on the continent.
Taxation is light, and only applied
on the farm land, cattle, implements,
etc, on the farm being exempt. Many
farmers, having realized sufficient
from one crop of wheat to pay for
their entire farm holdings, have in
stalled their own electric light and
heating plants, have their automobiles
and many luxuries they would not
have possessed ON their old home
abroad. Life is comfortable and ex-
.stence enjoyable in Western Canada.
In no country is there a greater per-
centage of contented farmers, and in
no part of the continent is farming
easier or more profitable.
Land there will produce 30 bushels
Of wheat to the acre, while there are
many cases where the yield was
higher, as high as 70 bushels. What
this means to the farm laborer does
not fully appear on the surface. He
will get good wages, he can secure a
homestead worth at the end of three
years about $1,000, while working for
wages he can put in residence duties,
and can also look around, and find
good location.
Besides the homesteading attraction
of Western Canada, there remains the
other fact that other lands can be
purchased at from $15 to $50, while
improved farms may be had at rea-
sonable figures.
The desire to have a piece of land
of ones own Is a natural instinct in
the heart of every properly developed
man and woman. In earlier years, on
account of the great areas of land
available in the United States, no
great difficulty was experienced
by any ambitious settler of that
country who wished to become his
own landholder, but the rapid in
crease in population, combined with
the corresponding rise in the price of
land, has completely changed this con-
dition. Land, which a generation ago
might be had for the demonstrating,
now commands prices ranging to 500
an acre and over. At such prices it is
quite hopeless for the tenant farmer
or the farmers son in moderate cir
cumstances, or the city man with linn
tied capital, to attempt to buy farm
of his own. To pay for it becomes
lifelong task, and the probability IS
that he will never do more than meet
the interest charges. If he is serious
in his desire to secure q farm home,