The Benson signal., 1918-01-26
NEW YEARS GREETINGS.
The Heads of Canada's Western
Provinces, and Their
Message.

the great worlds war for about nine
months, the touch of wars spirit has
permeated the great commonwealth,
and in every hamlet and district is felt
and shown the interest that was to be
expected from people whose love Of
liberty and justice rises supreme to all
else. Day by day their appreciation
OF what it means to give up now for
the future happiness of themselves
and the generations that follow grows
greater and greater. There will be
losses of loved ones, but there will be
no badge of mourning to indicate the
great sorrow that will be felt. 1t is
realized that the sacrifice is the toll
that is demanded for making the whole
is preparation and willingness to sac
rifice until the goal-the defeat and
downfall of despotism-is assured.
When the people look back, and see
what Canada has done, and learn that
Canada today is bigger and better than
ever, they will take heart, and with in
creasingly growing vigor carry on with
q greater courage. Canada has been
in the war for three and half years.
She has sent 100000 out of popula-
ton of eight million, she has sub
scribed to Victory Bonds over and
over again and there is no sound of
whimper. At each demand that is
made upon her resources, she meets 1t,
and gets ready for the next. Recently
her people were asked to subscribe
$3OO,OO0,000. She handed over $780,
100000.
Having already contributed 100000
soldiers, Canada was recently asked to
approve of sending another 100000.
With sweeping majority, consent was
given.
How the war affects Canada is best
shown by the willingness of the people
to contribute. They, too, realize the
great and noble part they are taking
in this great conflict. They are a unit
on making the world better. Canada's
wealth was never shown to better ad-
vantage than in the present struggle.
It possesses great wealth in the soil, in
it's mines, its other natural resources,
and wonderful riches in the tenacity
and courage of it's men and it's women.
The soil and the climate, and the har-
dihood and determination of the farm
ing class to win, by cultivating and
cultivating, growing wheat and raising
cattle to build up the resources so
necessary to carry on the war, are fac
tors that will count.
Probably the best word of encour-
agement. comes from the Premiers of
the three great provinces where the
bulk of the food products will come
from. When one reads what these
men, prominent in their country say, it
gives inspiration. If there are any
who may be pessimistic Of the future.
the message that these gentlemen send
forward should remove all doubt.
Three and a half years in the war, able
to speak as they do, the future should
look bright to those who may have
their seasons of doubt!
Hon. T. G. Norris, Premier of Mani
toba, says:
Manitoba has prospered exceeding
ly during the year 1917, and the new
year finds us not only still ready and
willing, but increasingly able to bear
whatever burdens the fourth year of
the war may bring.
Manitoba farmers, generally speak
ing, have never been in better cOndi-
ton to carry on. Out of her prosperity
Manitoba is giving lavishly toward the
winning of the war. Every appeal for
funds has met with quick and generous
response. The people of the Province
are we'll settled into the collar in all
war efforts. There's a spirit of deter
mination, of willingness to make sac
rifices, of confidence in the certain out
come, of which there is no room for
pessimism. Manitoba will carry on"
Saskatchewan had prosperous and
successful year in 1917, and when Pre-
mier Martin sent out his New Year
message it was filled with an optimism
that was fully warranted.
"There is no doubt that the province
today is in a better condition finan-
cially than ever before. True, the eff
,fects of the town and city real estate
boom have not altogether passed away,
but speaking generally, the farmers on
the plains and the merchants in the
towns are in a better financial position
today than at any previous time. Our
people are Industrious and progressive.
"While we have in some portions of
the Province a mixed population, edu-
cation and scientific methods are max
ing rapid strides and we are looking
forward with every confidence to
glorious future and the development of
a people on the central plains of Can
ada, of which the whole Dominion and
the British Empire will have every
reason to be proud"
While Alberta has given over to the
war thousands of her virile manhood,
thus taking from the farmer a large
percentage of it's producers, it still
stands up big and buoyant. The farm