The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-02-02
new YEARS GREETINGS
The Heads of Canada's Western
Provinces, and Their
Message.

months, the touch of wars spirit has
permeated the great commonwealth,
and in every hamlet and district is felt
and shown the interest that vas to be
expected from a 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. It is
realized that the sacrifice is the toll
that is demanded for making the whole
world better, and, sensing this, there
Is preparation and willingness to sac
rifice until the goai-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
creasingIy growing vigOr carry on with
a 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
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
100000, 900. 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 hest
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 unit
on making the world better. Canada's
wealth was never shown to better ad-
vantage than in the present struggle.
1t possesses great wealth in the soil, in
its mines. its other natural resources,
ami wonderful riches in the tenacity
and courage of its men and its 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
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 a prosperous and
successful year in 1917, and when Pre-
mier Martin sent out his New Year
message il was filed with an optimism
that was fully warranted.
'"There is no doubt that the province
today is in 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.
"WhiIe we have in some portions of
the Province mixed population, edu-
cation and scientific methods are max
ing rapid strides and we are looking
forward with every confidence to a
glorious future and the development of
q 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 large
percentage of its producers, it still
stands up big and buoyant- The farm
help thus temporarily removed means
a demand for farm help and increased
farm effort to till its highly productive
acres. Hon. Chas. Stewart, Premier OF
Alberta, in message TO the people on
the 1st of January, speaks with such
buoyancy and hope of the future and
so highly Of the work of the past year,
that his statement is reproduced. He
says:
.'Phe prosperity of the farming COM
munities is reflected in the towns and
cities by increased wholesale business
and bank cIearances. Wholesalers re-
mort increases from 20 per cent to %