RURAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT 



11 



scheme of distribution of human and material resources. Vigilance 

 in preventing selfish exploitation of these resources, science in the 

 system of planning and developing them for right use and, above 

 all, conservation and development of the energy and intelligence of 

 the people must underlie our imperial and social policies. 



Land Settlement in Canada 



The development of the land resources of Canada, and the skill 

 and constructive ability which have been applied to the building up 

 of the population and industries of the country during the past twenty 

 years, combine to make one of the most remarkable achievements in 

 the modern history of nations. The enormous increase in popula- 

 tion and the settlement of the Western provinces between the years 

 1891 and 1914 were the result of a combination of circumstances, 

 among which two of the most important were the development of 

 the transportation system of the country and the skillful organiza- 

 tion of the Canadian governments. This has to be recognized no 

 matter to what extent it may now be found that the absence of pro- 

 per planning and a more scientific organization of settlement might 

 have secured a greater measure of success in connection with the de- 

 velopment that has taken place. 



The defects in the system of land settlement in Canada have 

 only become evident or at least pronounced in recent years. Even 

 in the United States, where a similar system has been in operation 

 for a much longer period of time, it is only lately that the people have 

 begun to recognize the fact that a scientific plan of development 

 prepared in advance of settlement is essential to enable a sound 

 economic structure to be built up. 



Whatever may be said as to the success of the system of land 

 settlement in Canada up to a certain point, the time has come to 

 abandon careless methods of placing people on the land without pro- 

 per organization and careful planning. If the farmer is to be kept 

 on the land he must have the kind of organization and facilities 

 provided for him to enable him to make profitable use of the land. 



In other words, the farmer requires a stronger tie than what is 

 provided by the "magic of property" to keep him on the land. He re- 

 quires the facilities and means to live as well as to exist; the enjoy- 

 ment of better social conditions for his wife and family as well as 

 for himself; the use of capital at a reasonable rate of interest, and the 

 satisfaction that the facilities for distributing his products and for 

 utilizing the natural resources of the country are not controlled to 

 the disadvantage of his class. We have relied too much on the magnet 



