186 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



of towns and the establishing of agricultural and pastoral colonies.' 1 

 The work of directing settlement in Brazil comes under the Board of 

 Immigration and Colonization. Before lots are colonized a field 

 survey has to be made and a general plan drawn up. Where build- 

 ing development is likely to occur a proper town plan has to be pre- 

 pared. The government of Brazil recognizes the importance of 

 selecting land with a view to securing its full economic use and the 

 health of the settlers. Colonies are established on the most fertile 

 lands, with facilities for water supply and means of communication 

 and occupying "an economical location." Among other forms of aid 

 rendered by the government is the giving of free food, free medical 

 care, free seed, etc., during periods of varied length. Homesteads 

 vary in size according to character and location. Those near a 

 railway do not exceed 61.78 acres and in other cases the size is 123.6 

 acres. In 1914 the Board had established twenty colonies, which are 

 reported to be very satisfactory. 



Experience in colonization in all the new countries referred to 

 has apparently led them to devote a large amount of government 

 attention and effort in recent years to secure closer settlement, and to 

 plan and select land that can be put to profitable use. The 

 point that seems to have been originally overlooked in all new coun- 

 tries and still is, to a large extent has been that land settlement 

 was a great business requiring scientific organization and the guidance 

 and direction of experts, just as much as any other great enterprise. 

 The anxiety to get settlers was greater than the anxiety to get land 

 properly settled; it was easy to hand out titles to homesteads and to 

 select rectangular areas on paper plans; and what happened to the 

 settlers afterwards was regarded as the business of the settlers them- 

 selves, so long as they fulfilled their paper obligations. All these 

 countries are beginning to learn that different methods are needed 

 to secure prosperous settlement. They are realizing that the evils 

 produced by the easy-going methods of the past, are trifling compared 

 to what they will be in the future. National competition is going to 

 be keener in the coming years and the nations which will prosper most 

 will be those which, having adequate natural resources, will use science 

 and skill to manipulate them to the best advantage. Science and 

 skill coupled with sound business organization needs first to be applied 

 to the seemingly simple, but really difficult and complex, problems 

 of land settlement. 



The development of our rural civilization in Canada requires 

 that one of the most urgent duties of the governments is to assist 

 to a greater extent than hitherto in making the business of agriculture 



