Evening star., 1933-12-01
DESERTED FARMS
LURE CANADIANS
Government Stakes Families
Trapped in Cities by
Depression.
NJ SIR pERC1vAL PHILLIPS.

WINNIPEG. Manitoba, December l
(NANA)-Poverty In the towns Is re-
sponsible for back-to-the e-land move
ment in the Western provinces OF can
ada.
Farming may not pay, but at least
Il offers security against the hunger
and privationS suffered by worKieSS
dwellers in the cities.
This fact is realized by the ex-farm-
ers. who were tempted to exchange the
lonely life of the prairie for the bright
lights and amusementS of Winnipeg, or
one of her sister communities, only to
join the unemployed when hard times
came.
They look with envy on their wiser
brethren, who stuck to their holdings.
The latter face a hard Winter with
equanimity. They are not prosperous,
but at the same time they are far from
destitute.
They have been stocking their cellars
with vegetables, preserved fruits and
other foodstuffs which in good years
they would have sold in the nearest
market. and have husbanded other sup
plies in the form of poultry, hogs and
cattle.
passed many of these modest refugees
as I Travelled from Edmonton to Winni-
peg through bleak hills and valleys,
covered with snow and clumps of for
lorn trees.
A dilapidated little cottage. perhaps
as full of patches as an old coat. and
overshadowed by rambling barn and
other storehouses, would suddenly rise
up on the deSolate skyline.
There was usually no sign of life,
save few cows sheltering on the lee
side of pile of hay, and perhaps two
or three little children in woollen caps
and shaggy coats, merrily snoWballing
each other on a playground that had
no limit.
No scene could be more depressing,
viewed from an armchair in a we'll
heated train, yet every humble dwelling
harbored well-fed. contented family. !
Secure in Depression.
Cities may starve the Winter through
but these scattered inhabitants of
Manitoba will rest secure against the |
depression until Spring
They have been joined in the last |
few months by more than 400 families |
that were subSisting miserably on food |
tickets in Winnipeg. All of them are
returned agr.culturiSts who have had
surfeit of town life
Relief gwen them in cash has been |
capitalized by advancing the equivalent |
of two years maintenance, with max
jmurn of about 5000, to resettle them !
en- cultivated farms abandoned or left |
derelict through confiscaticn for nom |
payment of taxes.
This meager capital is just sufficient |
to cover the purchase of the necessary |
equipment and stock to keep going until |
the land begins to produce a living.
All the heads of these families are |
experienced farmers. They go back to |
the wilderness prepared to stay, realiz-
S,,rr ,,,;11
least will be self-supporting. and their |
joint creditors, the municipal, provin |
clal and Dominion authorities, feel they
is no chance of the resettled farmers
ever repeating their adventure in the
towns.
Clothing Supplied.
women's assistance committees have
been formed TO supply clothing, furni-
ture and other essentials for which no
provision is made In the budget.
1t is hoped that the scheme will be
extended to relieve unemployment by
further advances Of s4OO per family Tor
the utilization of unimpreved land to
enable the settler to build house and
The municipality of Winnipeg is
ready to pay one-third of the cost of |
settling another 100 families, but the
provincial and Dominion treasures have |
such demands on their resources that |
they have hesitated to join in the plan |
Another back to- the-land movement |
organized by the colonization depart-
ment of the Dominion government and |
the railways has put 1929 families, q
total of 81 $40 persons, on farms |
throughout Canada in the last three
years, including 1882 families in Mani
toba alone; but none has been given
financial assistance
The next few years will see an amas-
Ing transformation in the province
Copyright, 1898 by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. Inc. by Advancement |
With the London Daily Mail)