It is good news that the vast majority of the
8,500 'unemployed inen who left England about five weeks ago to work in the Canadian harvest are contented with their treatment and their pay. Far too much was made of the alleged grievances of about three hundred of the men, who announced their intention of throwing up their jobs and returning home. Work in a Canadian harvest is notoriously severe, and, apart from that, it was only to be expected that out of the large number of unemployed who went to Canada there would be some misfits. The chief misfortune was that some Labour Members of the Empire Parliamentary Delega- tion, which is now in Canada, notably Mr. Tom Johnston and Mr. Shaw, made serious charges against the Canadian Government without verifying their facts. This was ungracious, as the Canadian Government had nobly responded to the appeal of distress from England. When the Labour Members had more experience of harvesters' work they withdrew, for the most part, what they had said. The pay of four dollars a day for a harvester is not inconsiderable. But we look beyond the mere qiiestion of pay ; for Many of the visitors to Canada new windows must have been opened on the world, and we hope that they may find in Canada opportunities which they awaited in vain in England.
* * *
Previous page
