THE CONNAUGHT EMIGRATION.
• [TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1
Srs.,—In your very interesting article of March 24th on the question of emigration from the West of Ireland, you refer to- an offer made to the Government to remove 50,000 persons from thence, and to settle them on railway lots in the North-West of Canada. Will you allow me, as the author of the proposal, to correct some misapprehensions you appear to be under as to the exact nature of my proposal P I did not propose to take 50,000 persons "at once "—it would be physically impossible to arrange for their transport—but I am confident I could create an organisation which could arrange for their transport to, and settlement in, the North-West in two years, and on terms satisfactory to her Majesty's Government_ Nordo I wish to settle these emigrants on "railway lots," but upon the 160 acres of free land granted by the Dominion Govern- ment to each able-bodied emigrant.
I do not expect each emigrant to cultivate at first anything like the whole of his allotment ; but it is easy for any man to till enough land of his own to supply his family with food, and then, in the great amount of spare time he will have on his hands, to earn handsome wages, either as a railway labourer, or by hiring himself out to work on some of the large wheat farms which are springing up with incredible rapidity throughout the
North-West territory.—I am, Sir, &C., GEORGE STEPHEN, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway. 7 Seamore Place, Curzon Street, March 26th.
Previous page
