Homesteading 



and information from grain growers and farmers' 

 associations and school trustees, either separ- 

 ately or in groups, visit some at least of the dis- 

 tricts. My own feeling is that the machinery 

 should work in connection with the schools. It 

 seems to me that, on the whole, the population 

 have worked the School Act well, and had the 

 necessary machinery for nursing and medical 

 purposes been incorporated in the School Act, 

 they would have worked that equally well too, 

 and not only saved enormous loss of life and 

 suffering, but incidentally this would have proved 

 a much more satisfactory advertisement, and 

 one more tempting to the better class of emigrant, 

 than so much mere booming literature. 



In the district of which I am writing there 

 are within a radius of about ten miles five school- 

 houses, which should mean at least fifty children, 

 yet there is no doctor or regular nurse within 

 twenty miles or more of the centre. 



The presence of these schoolhouses is pretty 

 clear evidence of a considerable amount of public 

 spirit among the people, as the trustees are un- 

 paid and a part at least of the expense is raised 

 by local taxation. 



The schoolhouses, too, are often the centres 

 of a healthy social life, and it does seem to me 

 that, with some Government help and encour- 



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