RURAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT 183 



be made to direct such system as we have, or can employ, so that the 

 final purpose of securing conservation and development of human 

 resources will be kept more prominently in view. 



PROPOSALS FOR NEW FEDERAL DEPARTMENT 



From other quarters suggestions have been made as to the need 

 for setting up a new Federal department to deal with settlement 

 and immigration. In order to obtain uniformity throughout the 

 Dominion, and get over the difficulties created by dual Federal and 

 Provincial control in the different provinces, it has been proposed 

 that a consultative or land settlement board, representative of the 

 Dominion and each of the provinces, should be appointed to act 

 as an advisory council to the proposed new department or commis- 

 sion. Mr. C. A. Magrath, Chairman of the International Joint 

 Commission, suggests that such a commission should comprise three 

 members and be non-political in its personnel. A feature of some of 

 the proposals is that a Director-General of Emigration, with head- 

 quarters in London, should be attached to the department to direct 

 emigration from Europe. The need for attention being given to 

 this question of government organization is undoubtedly pressing 

 and of vital importance to the country. Social and economic ques- 

 tions in Canada are only now coming to the front; after the war 

 they are certain to be forced upon the attention of every statesman 

 and party. 



It has been declared that the Federal immigration policy has 

 failed to secure appreciable results to fill up vacant lands which are 

 owned by speculators.* Obviously, however, it is no easy task to 

 formulate a policy which will be practicable, equitable to owners, 

 and of certain public benefit. That an inventory and classification 

 of such lands should be made goes without saying and that some 

 policy of purchasing, sub-dividing and re-selling vacant lands should 

 be adopted as a matter requiring careful consideration after the in- 

 ventory and classification is completed. But between the two stages 

 of making the inventory and re-selling the land the most important 

 duty of re-planning them under expert advice, so as to make settle- 

 ment permanent and stable, should not be neglected. The variety 

 and complexity of the problems to be dealt with during all these 

 stages have been indicated throughout this report. 



Sir George Murray, in the report already alluded to, referred to 

 the wealth of the natural resources of the country and expressed the 



* Regina Leader, April 12, 1917. 



