The Life-Blood of the Empire. 



429 



over-exacting. At one time it really seemed 

 that she did not wish for emigrants. No one 

 was to be sent by societies who was not a farm 

 labourer or a servant, and the regulations even 

 prevented girls from taking any but farm ser- 

 vants' places, and also prevented wives from 

 joining their husbands unless the latter were 

 working on farms ! These two last restrictions 

 were relaxed soon after they were made. They 

 were outrageous, made evidently in the interest 

 of the farmers, who seem the most important 

 members of the community. Perhaps also the 

 Trade Unions have something to do with keep- 

 ing out artisans. 



TJIE EMIGRATION OF CHILDREN. 



I would also say a word about the children, 

 whose emigration is so much advocated. Great 

 care, of course, must be taken about placing 

 them with kind and moral people, and I think 

 myself that no better means of ensuring their 

 well-being and happiness could be found than 

 the putting of them in the care of Dr. Bar- 

 nardo's workers or the Waifs and Strays 

 Society, both of which have branches in Canada. 

 I have heard a man who had lived there say that 

 often these f)oor little children were worked far 

 too hard for their age. No doubt farmers like 

 to adopt them. They only have to feed, clothe 

 and house them, and then work them like 

 slaves ! In Canada the work goes on and on 

 (except in winter) from 4.30 a.m. 10 8 p.m. It 

 is healthy for adults, but far too much for 

 children, whose education is, I believe, very 

 much neglected in consequence, schools being 

 far away. 



It seems grievous that English people should 

 not take more interest in these vast possessions 



that have literally fallen into their hands. The 

 .Americans from the States are swarming by 

 thousands into the country, taking up the best 

 land — land that will hardly want manure for 

 thirty years or more, virgin soil ! They have 

 exhausted their own and know what is good ! 

 Englishmen will not even see how we over here 

 benefit by sending out the people who will grow 

 wheat and other foodstuffs for our consumption. 

 Some day we shall want it even more than now. 



USE THE EXISTING MACHINERY. 



Please excuse this. I may not have made my 

 chief point quite clear. It is this. While State 

 aid on a large scale would be very desirable in- 

 deed, yet (in my opinion) the State would do 

 well to use the machinery already to hand — 

 namely, the experienced charitable societies. 

 Paid officials would be very costly, and would 

 not work with half the ardour of volunteers, and 

 it would take them many years to learn all that 

 the societies already know about emigration. 

 Some members of our committee know the 

 Colonies well ; others (like myself) have been to 

 Canada for a longer or shorter period, and are 

 in touch with her, having relations there. We 

 are all enthusiastic in a way that Government 

 officials could not possibly be. I did not men- 

 tion that there are separate societies for helping 

 single women, for whom great safeguards are 

 needed. It is absolutely necessary that they 

 should travel with, and under the care of, 

 women superintendents. Putting them in 

 charge of stewardesses is quite useless, as these 

 do not dare interfere with the conduct of any 

 passengers, for fear of complaints to head- 

 (^iinrtcrs. 



A inucti rcuJ uijj aiucti reviled ru&tcr. 



