EMIGRATION AND THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.
[To TIM EDITOR. OF Tax "6YECTATOR.1 STR,—I heard lately that a lad was leaving onr village here to try his luck in Canada. He had been recommended to go first
to Ripley, Ontario, but he had no actual employment in view, had no letters of introduction, and knew not a single soul in the country, except, as he naively remarked, another lad from the same village who is now in Alberta! I was told that the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (North- umberland Avenue, S.W.) made arrangements to assist friendless emigrants, and immediately on hearing the facts of
the case went to their office to see what I could do. This is the result: The lad was seen off at the London Docks ; directly he landed at St. John, New Brunswick, he was met by the Society's emigration officer, who had a chat with him, supplied him with useful information, and gave him a letter
of introduction to the Rector at Ripley. The lad has now got a job at a farm near Ripley, and has been commended by the Rector of Ripley to the care of his employer and also to the Rector of his parish. Thus from the moment of his leaving his Surrey village to the time when he began work in an out- lying parish in Ontario this otherwise friendless and quite inexperienced boy has met with constant help and kindness. I should like to add that both the emigration officer at St.
John and the Rector of Ripley have been good enough to write to me and tell me of the boy's progress. The latter writes :—
" The lad will be kept in touch with his Church and also with other men who are in the district he lives in, which will no doubt help to make his life brighter than that of the average Englishman out here for the first year or so. I have written also to his em- ployer, who is a friend of mine, commending him to his care ; so that between the interest of us all the lad should have a good chance of making friends in Canada and of keeping in touch with his Church. I thank you for advising us of his coming."
I think, Sir, you may be glad to give some publicity to this case, in the hopes that others may know what an admirable organisation this Society puts freely at the disposal of those who are anxious to help inexperienced emigrants to our over-
[We are delighted to give publicity to this most beneficial and Imperial work—En. Spectator.]
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