CHAPTER XII 



Growth of trade — Official returns — Great Britain — 

 Canada — United States — France and Germany — Imports and 

 exports — Attractions for settlers — Capital brought into the 

 Dominion — Increased cost of living — Government inquiry — 

 Causes of the increase — Plain living and high thinking — 

 Emigration Amendment Bill — Protests and criticisms — Lord 

 Crewe's protest — Modifications of the Bill — Tariff and Recipro- 

 city — Petition to the Government — The statement of the case 

 by experts — Sir Wilfred Laurier's reply — A counterblast — 

 The general election, 



THE growth of trade in Canada has made vast 

 strides, each decade showing a substantial 

 increase on the previous one, and nearly doubling 

 between 1900 and 19 10. Taking the year 1870 as 

 a basis, the march of prosperity is shown in the 

 following official returns : 



1870 total trade ;{; 29,677, 565 



1880 „ „ ;^34,88o,24i 



1890 „ „ ;^43,72 1,478 



1900 » » £7^,303,447 



1910 » » ;^I38,642,244 



An analysis of the trade operations shows that the 

 largest was transacted with the United States, being 

 4970 per cent. Great Britain comes next with 36*16 



172 



