Corporation with Mr. L. Ernest Ouimet as 

 president and managing director. The purpose 

 is to produce stories in California with a special 

 Canadian interest and appeal. The Crescent 

 Films, Ltd., was also organized at Montreal and 

 will handle "Talking Moving Pictures." The 

 Lellan Film Syndicate of Montreal plans to 

 erect a studio in that city for the production of 

 Canadian scenarios. Several U.S. producing 

 companies have travelled to Canada to "shoot" 

 scenes on particularly desirable locations. Ottawa 

 reports a real "film colony"; and if production 

 activities continue to be as active in the coming 

 year as the past, we will have film colonies 

 throughout the Dominion. 



Manitoba's New Premier 



The selection of John Bracken to head the 

 new farmers' government in the Province of 

 Manitoba is a further triumph for Canadian 

 agriculture and for Dominion agricultural edu- 

 cational establishments, for the early life of the 

 new Premier was spent on the farm, his maturer 

 years devoted to the promotion of farm education 

 and rural betterment, and his entire existence 

 since boyhood compassed by matters of the soil. 

 Though only thirty-nine years of age, with one 

 exception the youngest Premier to lead a 

 government in Canada, he has been provincial 

 Livestock Commissioner of Saskatchewan, pro- 

 fessor at the University of the same province, 

 and President of the Manitoba Agricultural 

 College, which latter post he relinquishes only 

 to preside over the future destinies of the Pro- 

 vince of Manitoba. 



Unlike his fellow farm premiers of Alberta 

 and Saskatchewan, who are Englishmen and 

 graduated to the farm from city life, John 

 Bracken is both a Canadian and the product of 

 generations of real farming stock. He was born 

 and raised on a large dairy farm in the county 

 of Leeds, Ontario, and whilst still in his teens 

 became warden of the county. After four years 

 of farm management he went to the Ontario 

 Agricultural College at Guelph, where he gradu- 

 ated with honors, taking three scholarships and 

 one proficiency medal. He was a member of the 

 first livestock judging team at the International 

 Livestock Show at Chicago to bring to Canada 

 the coveted trophy. As an example of his diverse 

 qualities and ready adaptability, it is stated that 

 though he had never played games of any kind 

 prior to attending college, he was, within a few 

 months, the best Rugby player it had, and is still 

 considered one of the best athletes the college 

 has produced. 



Ably Filled Many Prominent Positions 



After a series of post-graduate courses at 

 United States universities, Mr. Bracken went to 

 Manitoba as representative of the Dominion 

 Seed Branch and did excellent work in stimulat- 

 ing interest in the production of better seed. 

 On the formation of the Province of Saskatche- 

 wan in 1905, he was made Superintendent of 

 Institutes and Fairs combined with the position 

 of Livestock Commissioner. 



His ascension after this was rapid. The 

 opening of the University of Saskatchewan at 

 Saskatoon found him installed as Professor of 

 Field Husbandry, where his work made him 

 known all over the continent as an authority 

 jui the production of field crops under dry 

 conditions. He is the author of two books 

 considered standard works on the subject, 

 and in addition he has written no less than 

 twenty-five pamphlets on various subjects per- 

 taining to field husbandry. From the University 

 of Saskatchewan he went to Manitoba Agricul- 

 tural College as President. 



The triumph of the farmers' party in Mani- 

 toba was followed by his unanimous selection as 

 Premier of the new government, this in spite of 

 the fact that he had never taken any active part 

 in politics and had never attended a single 

 session of parliament. His election was an 

 acknowledgment of his sterling qualities as a 

 leader, a recognition of his unceasing toil and 

 achievement for the farmers of the province and 

 an unqualified judgment as to his fitness to guide 

 the government of a province whose prosperity 

 lies mainly in the soil and the pursuit of farming. 

 The qualities which made him the college's best 

 Rugby player in spite of his ignorance of the 

 game, should make him a good farmers' leader 

 in spite of his lack of experience in parliamentary 

 affairs. 



Good Roads 



The difference between national progress and 

 retrogression may be pithily summed up in 

 facilities of travel and transportation, and the 

 maintenance of good roads is a matter which 

 demands the unswerving attention of a modern 

 country in no matter what direction it is making 

 a bid for world prominence. National prosperity 

 lies in a network of comfortable, easily travelled 

 roads, and a country ranks among progressive 

 nations according to its conveniences in accessi- 

 bility and marketing. 



The construction and maintenance of roads 

 in Canada constitutes a problem that is peculiarly 

 difficult. Canada is a land of tremendous area 

 and small and scattered population. To ade- 

 quately link up the settled areas of the country 

 a network of roads is required which would be 

 sufficient to render the same efficient service to 



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