428 



The Review of Reviews. 



back by their want of a Land Scheme, or they 

 have sold large blocks to syndicates who do 

 not put the land on the market. I know a 

 valley in British Columbia where this has been 

 done, and the people are crying out for more 

 settlers; they have no one to associate with 

 or trade with. Many hands make light work, 

 especially in agriculture, hay-making and har- 

 vest, and settlers help each other to make money, 

 so the large block sale system adopted in British 

 Columbia is a bad one ; it puts money quickly in 

 the hands of a young Government, no doubt, but 



it would be better to put emigrants quickly on 

 the land. It would not even be so bad if they 

 used the money thus got to bring emigrants on 

 to the land, but they do not. I advocated that 

 years ago, and told them they ought to spend 

 ;^ioo,ooo a year in getting out Englishmen by 

 assisted passages. I don't think there are a 

 quarter of a million people in British Columbia, 

 a country as large as France. Of course, what 

 I have said about Australia and assisted pas- 

 sages applies also to many other of our Colonies 

 or divisions of them. 



PRIVATE ORGANISATION OR STATE DEPARTMENT .? 



By MRS. E.MILY CHARRINGTON, East End Emigr.ition Society. 



I SEE that you advocate an Imperial Board 

 (not merely an Emigrants' Information Office, 

 such as we have had hitherto), but if you wish 

 it to put an end to " touting " agents, there 

 must be country branches to be in touch with 

 applicants who cannot come to London. Alto- 

 gether it would be a very huge and very expen- 

 sive aifair. I am not enamoured of Govern- 

 ment management, as a rule, I am afraid. 



May I, shortly, tell you the method of pro- 

 cedure that our Society 

 adopts and finds effectual? 



1. There is no need to tout, 

 the people come in large num- 

 bers and beg us to send them. 



2. Enquiries are made, 

 either by the Charity Organi- 

 sation Society or by other 

 responsible persons, and a 

 form is given to the appli- 

 cants to fill with very search- 

 ing questions as to hcfilth, 

 capabilities, age, how much 

 they can contribute. Refer- 

 ences as to character must be 

 given, marriage certificate, 

 and name of landlord, what 

 debts, etc. A visit is made to 

 the house to see whether the 

 wife is clean and tidy and 

 keeps her children so, and the 

 wants in the way of clothing 

 are ascertained. The papers 

 containing all particulars are then sint to two 

 referees (members of our Committee), who read 

 them carefully and write an epitome of the 

 whole history. Then all go back to the office 

 and come up at our next committee meeting. 

 Ivach case is much discussed .itid, if passed, 

 they go on to the Canadian Ernigr.itinn Office 

 for Mr. Obed Smith to see, and he either .sees 

 the applicants himself or deputes someone to 

 do so. 



THE SOCIETIES TAKE MORE PAINS. 



I do not think a Government Board could 

 take half the time or pains taken by charitable 

 societies, such as ours and the Self-Help and 

 Salvation Army — I mention this last although I 

 believe the methods are rather different in some 

 respects, but what the Salvation Army has which 

 gives it such an advantage is a network of 

 agencies and (I think) homes in Canada — if not 

 in all the Colonies — so that I do not think it has 



Future Empire Mothers : Girls leaving for Canada sent by 

 Dr. Barnardo's Homes. 



lo depend on the Canadian Government agents 

 for placing the people as we do. Sometimes a 

 good clergyman will do this work for us, but 

 the people are never stranded and helpless 

 unless they refuse the help of the agents m 

 Canada. A very large number of emigrants go 

 to friends alre.idy established there. These 

 friends house them at first and find them suit- 

 able work. Australia's bid for English emi- 

 grants has perhaps made Can.ula rather less 



