The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-01-29
CANADA SOLVES
FOOD PROBLEM;
SHUNs |DLERs
IN. E. A. Specially

tN. g. -. specially
Winnipeg, Man, Jan. 28.-As a part
of it's reconstruction and rehabilitation
program, Canada has decided to
abolish land idleness.
Every acre of publicly owned arabic
land Is going to be made to produce.
Every privately owned fertile tract
withheld from use is going to be tax
ed till it becomes liability to it's spec
ulative owner and he let's it go or cul-
tivates it.
Settlers who go upon the land will
be able to buy 1t either from the gov
eminent direct or at prices fixed by
the government. They will have 20
years to complete their payments, and
viii be supplied with money to help
them in getting a start.
This is not the promotion scheme OF
speculative land sellers. but is a gov
eminent plan to help solve the world
food problem by increased production.
The plan is more radical in Some re-
spects than the most advanced gov
ernmenta1 ideas of New ZZealand and
Australia.
J. A. Calder. dominion minister of
immigration and colonization is re-
sponsible for the new Canadian land
plan, which has been Endorsed by the
provisional premiers. It's provisions
are simple, but sweeping.
All government lands have been list
ed. surveyed and appraised. All
privately owned. uncuItivated lands
have been appraised by the govern
ment-
Il the settlers choose piece OF
government land. he does business di-
rect with the government. If the land
he prefers is privately owned. the
government seeks to secure it for him
rra isers.
sticks for n higher price. the govern
ment says:
Keep your idle land but yorr taxes
on it hereafter will he upon The valu-
alton YOU Yourself have set"
In the three prairie prairie prov
innes of Manitoba Snska trhewan and
Alberta there are 272 600 eco acres Of
lind. OF this area only 22.e00,o03
ceres are cultivated. It is for the
most part, strong soil with a wonder
fn1 crop capacity. BESIDES this ire
naendous area. there are 10 900 600 un-
cultivated acres in Ontario. 100000
aorns in Quebec : zoo. GOO acres in
P-ftfvh Columbia and oo0n acres in
nastern maritime provinces. Some
% this is timber land and other areas
hear spruce, valuable in paper max
inr.
Pilrcha 9ers must nav down 10 ner
cont of the full price of thar lands
Then thew ray nothing till the end OF
the second year. when their first paw
lent of interest. ut nov cent is due
the end of tho third year thew
r,a,a tho fret navmant against rr;n-
c'nal which he has II years more To
my off entirely. They must make
improvements equivalent to 10 per
cent of their land - Inc in the first
year. per cent the second wear, -
re- cent the third veer and 5 per
{ ~ m the fourth and fifth years.
To help the settle do this. the gov
ernrnent will lend him $500 for house
and $1,000 for livestock. The land it
self is the only security for these
loans.
1t looks as if Canada were going 70
swing in heavily on food production.
for. in addition to the settlers the gen
eral land plan will attract from
friendly overseas nations and the
States, there are thousands of return
ed soldiers who will go to farming. In
fact. AZ per cent of the Canadian SOL
diers have sIenified a desire to go
upon the land. and free homesteads
await them.
There are already a million Ameri-
can farmers in Canada. but the United
States need not fear its own produc-
ton will be decreased by the new
movement across the line which the
Calder plan will induce. The center
OF gravity OF quantity production may
be shifted somewhat. but the results
will only tend to increase intensive,
specialized, more profitable agricu1-
ture In the older areas. This has been
the history of similar movements
wholly within our own country