The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-01
AMERICANS MOVE
TO WEST CANADA
Farmers Cross Border and
Buy Land for Permanent
Settlement.
IRRIGATION rs URGED
Price Of Lumber Continues
High and Duty May Be
Removed.
IRRIGATION rs URGED

W1NNIPEo, March 2e.-During the last
couple of months there has been a very
marked Increase In immigration from
the United States into the agricultural
districts of western Canada. A large
portion OF these settlers, according to
dispatches from various sections Of thu
West, are from Kansas and Oklahoma.
Scarcely a train crosses the border now
but carries It's quota OF one or more Of
these homeseekers. and in many cases as
much as full car of settlers effects
and $4,000 In cash are carried into the
country.
These people are not homesteaders in
the ordinary acceptance OF the word
They are purchasers of land. In Janu-
airy of this year Ss,759 acres OF irrigated
farm lands were sold TO this class of
settlers and in February these immi-
grants from the United States purchased
an additional 26,SS6 acres. Most Of
these purchases have been conducted on
a strictly cash basis and reflect the
soundness Of the transactions and the
permanency of the new settlements.
Southern Alberta farmers are urging
the Dominion Government to cooperate
with the Provincial Government to bring
"''"a~ '--'gation stretch of 400. 900
acres Of land IN that part Of the West.
WnIch means the expenditure of some
Sl0.000,000 and the diversion or partial
diversion of four rivers. two of them in
ternational waterways. In southern
Saskatchewan a similar movement Is un-
der way backed by the Grain Growers
Association.
Lesson Taught by Drought.
The farmers in these two sections
were taught a severe lesson by the
drought OF last year. Those on irrigated
lands harvested fair crops. but their
neighbors not under the irrigation Guilt
walton were virtually burned out. The
southern halves OF both provinces want
the Government to handle the projects
as national enterprise which will as
sure returns on the capital invested
They prefer to pay their toll for water
in the form of a tax assessment rather
than to a private water company in an
annual toll form.
Tho lumber market all through the
prairie section Is in desperate circum-
stances. so desperate in fact that invest
ors and employees alike are seriously
concerned as TO the future. There is
much talk OF admitting American lumber
free on the prairies. and this prospect Is
said TO be chiefly responsible for the re-
fusal OF the consumer and the small re-
taller to make purchases of lumber now.
Through the winter millions OF dollars
are invested by men in the vast lumber
tracts of this section, and the spring or
dinarily is their harvest period. Now,
however. they are experiencing unprece-
denied difficulty in disposing of their
products because OF the refusal to buy
at current prices. Parliament Is about
to declare the customs tariff on lumber
off, the consumer believes. and II this be
done the prairies will be literally flooded
with the cheaper grade of lumber from
the United States and elsewhere which
will greatly undersell the Canadian prod
uct.
I. r. Poole, secretary OF the Noun
tain Lumbermen's Association. declares
that he does not believe the lumber i'm
post will be removed. The members OF
this association have an aggregate IN
vestment of more than ten million
dollars in this section and they believe
that the removal OF this import tax
would be nothing short of dire
calamity to the industry. especially in
view OF tremendous stocks of lumber
now in the hands OF the mill operators
lumber which was produced chiefly at
high war costs.
100 Per Cent. Advance in Rents.
Another economic factor which Is de-
cidedly disturbing to the authorities OF
the Province is the assertion Of T.. II.
Shanks OF the Civic Board OF Naluators
before the Provincial Taxation Commits
sion that advances OF just 100 per cent.
in rents in Winnipeg will be necessary
this spring to enable investors TO secure
fair return on their money. With
Twenty-Five houses as concrete ex-