ous Allied Governments, these including steel and wooden freighters, submarines, coastal patrol boats, lighters, drifters, etc. During the war period not only was wooden shipbuilding revived but the steel shipbuilding industry was placed firmly on its feet; for whereas in 1914 Canada had only two thoroughly up-to-date steel shipbuilding plants, in 1918 she had seventeen. In 1919 25,000 men were employed in the industry. The Department of Naval Service secured many of the first of these orders.
The Imperial Munitions Board, acting as the agent for the Imperial and Allied Governments, placed contracts with Cana- dian yards for $70,000,000 worth of shipping. In 1918 the Dominion Government, through the Department of Marine and Fisheries, launched its shipbuilding programme, which in its en- tirety called for 63 steel vessels having a deadweight tonnage of 375,000, constituting its own mercantile marine. The approxi- mate value of these orders was $75,000,000. The first contract was signed on March 4 1918. All these vessels were built in Canadian yards and of Canadian material.
Canada became thoroughly and quickly organized for carrying on the war in all its phases. There were a number of committees, commissions, boards, etc., formed for various purposes, the members of which worked voluntarily. These were the Shell Committee, the Imperial Munitions Board (which had a wide scope of usefulness and responsibility), War Trade Board, Board of Grain Supervisors, War Mission to Washington, the Food Board (under the direction of a food controller), Fuel Control (under the direction of a fuel controller), and the Canadian Railway War Board.
Canadians gave liberally to all the organizations engaged in relief and help of any kind. The following is a summary of gifts for various war purposes from the Dominion and Provincial Gov- ernments, from municipalities, societies, universities, business houses and other corporations, and from private individuals: Canadian Patriotic Fund (to Feb. 28 1921) . Manitoba Patriotic Fund (to March 31 1918) Canadian Red Cross Society (to Dec. 31 1920) :
Contributions in cash
Gjfts in supplies (estimated)
British Red Cross Society (to Dec. 31 1919) Belgian Relief Fund (to Dec. 19 1918):
Contributions in cash
Gifts in supplies (estimated) ... Contributions from Canada to Y.M.C.A. for military
work
Gifts from Dominion and Provincial Governments to
Government of United Kingdom
Miscellaneous gifts
Total $104,184,954
Of the various war organizations working in Canada, or among Canadian troops overseas, the most extensive in their operations were the Canadian Patriotic Fund, the Canadian Red Cross Society, and the military branch of the Y.M.C.A. The Canadian St. John Ambulance Association and Brigade, which were branch- es of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England, coordinated their war work with the Canadian Red Cross Society. The Asso- ciation during the five years of the war instructed 61,612 Cana- dians in first aid and home nursing, for volunteer work either in Canada or overseas. In addition courses in first aid were given to 200,000 troops while in training in Canada.
Statistics, however complete, can give only an imperfect im- pression of the services which Canadian women rendered during the war. Women to the number of 2,400 went overseas in the C.E.F. and served in England, France, Belgium, Egypt, Greece and Russia. They were posted for duty in base hospitals, clearing stations, ambulance trains and hospital ships. There were also 527 on duty in Canada.
The casualties suffered by nurses were:
Killed in action 2
Died at sea 13
Died of wounds 5
Died of disease (out of Canada) 17
Died in Canada 17
The number of V.A.D.s who went overseas was 342; these served in hospitals in England and France. Many hundreds of Canadian women served in Canada as volunteer hospital
$48,704,663 3,957,042
9,074,208
15,000,000
6,250,000
1,642,104 1,512,800
4,574,821
5,469,316 8,000,000
probationers in military hospitals and in England, under the Joint War Committee's Women's V.A.D. Department.
Returned Soldiers. Some time before the close of the war provision was made by the Government by repeated Acts for the care of the returned soldiers. The Military Hospitals Commission was appointed in June 1915. It provided 16 hospital cars and had hospital accommodation at the commencement of 1917 for 1,500 patients. It provided during 1917 10,000 beds in 40 centres. Vocational training for disabled men was organized in 1916. The number who commenced courses was 50,521, those who completed 36,826, and those who discontinued 8,981. In Feb. 1918 a Department of Soldiers' Civil Reestablishment was organized to take over the work of the Hospitals Commission. An arrangement was made for the treatment of all invalided soldiers returned except those suffering from tuberculosis, epilepsy, paralysis, insanity and mental deficiency, which came directly under the D.S.C.R. The total of clinical treatments was 586,185. The information and service branch in connexion with the Department placed in employment 101,000 men. The number of situations found was 174,789. The pension branch rendered a most important service in connexion with permanently maimed soldiers, widows, mothers and children of soldiers who were killed. The total number to whom pensions were awarded was 110,702, and the aggregate of pensions paid to Dec. 1920 amounted to $81 ,659,636. The number of pensions in force at the end of 1920 was 73,620, and the amount in force on that date was $31,169,520. At various times from 1914 to 1920 the rate of pen- sions was substantially increased. For instance in 1914 the rate per annum for disability was $264, and in 1920 it was $900, with $300 for the wife, $180 for one child and a lesser amount for sub- sequent children. The annual rate for dependents of deceased soldiers increased practically in the same proportion. In addition to pensions, war service gratuities were paid to the amount of $164,000,000. Added to the pension system was a provision made for Government insurance of returned soldiers, including naval and air forces. The amount of insurance in force in 1921 was $5,225,000. Applications received amounted to 1,705.
The Soldier Settlement Act made provision for the settlement of returned soldiers on the land. It empowered a board consisting of three members to make a soldier grant of 160 ac. of Dominion land in the Western Provinces, and returned men were also eligible for a civilian homestead of another 1 60 acres. The Act also empowered the board to make loans to enable returned men to settle in any province. Loans might be granted up to $7,500 to qualified settlers purchasing land through the board, the settler to pay down 10% of the cash value of the land; up to $3,000 for equipment and improvements, and up to $5,000 lo settlers who already owned land to enable them to pay off old mortgages and to purchase live stock and implements and to erect buildings. Up to March 31 1921 the board received 59,331 applications: 43,063 were granted certificates; 25,443 had gone on the land, 19,771 of whom received financial assistance amounting to $80,371,750.48. The total area of land occupied by soldier settlers under the Act was 4,854,799 ac. purchased land 2,153,184 ac., encumbered land 360,227 ac., soldier grants (with loans) 980,108 ac., soldier grants (without loans) 1,361,280 acres. The value of the main crops produced by soldier settlers in 1920 was $13,953,178.
The following figures show the amounts by provinces :
the number of loans approved and
Province
Number of Loans Appr'ed
Total Amount of Loans Approved
Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia New Brunswick
34 399 522
456
$ 819,507 1,310,049 1.487,680 1 ,903 .340
1,423
6,163,808
Manitoba Saskatchewan . . .' . Alberta . .' ' 1 British Columbia ....
3.3" 4,963 5-79 2,954
13,420,640 20,319,360
23,233,342 12,697,222
20,122
$81,354,948
