come from many countries and speak many tongues. Proportionately, at the present time, one-third are from Great Britain, one-third from the United States, and one-third from other countries.
Why do they come? Because Canada is known to possess and to offer free to the willing worker of any nationality a great domain of first-class agricultural land where the frugal and industrious man may speedily become an independent proprietor, a self-supporting and self-respecting citizen of a free British country, where life and property are absolutely protected, and where desirable religious, social, and material conditions surround the family. Our 150,000 settlers, with a few exceptions, are taken from the point where they reach Canada, and at once placed in touch with conditions that enable them to realize their ambition. They settle upon land and become producers. They immediately begin the process of enriching the country, adding to its production of wealth, increasing the commerce, furnishing traffic for the railways and steamships, giving occupation to middlemen by the thousand. Contrast this with what is happening in the United States. There the 800,000 immigrants who enter the United States never see the possibility of independence. They are dumped into the cities and towns, they bear upon the already overcrowded labour-market, and increasing the means of livelihood of the inhabitants of the country, they divide up that which exists with those who were previously hard set to make ends meet, and so reduce the general standard of comfort and living.
A moment's consideration of the facts shows that for Canada its immigration policy spells wealth and development. Therefore we welcome the industrious homeseeker, and if he be of British origin, the welcome is on that account the heartier.
I have so far spoken only of material progress. A word as to the other matters.
From the earliest settlement Canada has taken advanced ground on the subject of education. No-
