England, among other things has the following to say on the immigration of Americans into the Canadian Northwest: Not the least among the many factors that are contributing to the quite unprecedented prosperity now enjoyed by Canada is the steady flow of immigration which is pouring into her western Provinces from the United States. There is not the slightest doubt but that it forms one of the most substantial assets that Canada has received within recent memory, and that its high-water mark has in all probability not been reached. In the past year as many immigrants have gone into the Northwest from the United States as from Great Britain, to wit, nearly 40,000 in each case. These Americans of the second, third or fourth generations are for reasons tolerably obvious the very best immigrants that Canada has ever received. As to this I have heard but one opinion, and, with my own knowledge of the States and Canada, never for a moment expected to hear any other. The curious thing is that, while all former immigration into this great Northwest has come in timidly in isolated and ill-organized fashions, these shrewd Americans come in boldly, confidently, and in large companies. Now that they have made up their minds the country is a fine one-and of judges in such a matter there can be none better on earth-there is no halting, no half-hearted measures; they come by thousands, and from the very best classes in the Western and Northwestern States.

The subject, I am aware, is not wholly new in England; but let us recall once more the conditions which cause the movement. The first lies in the simple fact that all the free or cheap lands of really good quality in the States and worthy of a skillful farmer's labor have been occupied. Furthermore, the Canadian Northwest has now proved itself beyond any question a much better wheat country not merely than the Northwestern States are today, but than they ever were. These immigrants come mainly from Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Iowa, and in a less degree from Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, and even Missouri. Every Canadian I have seen-and they are many-who has had to do with them speaks of them with unqualified praise. The mass of these men own farms in one or another of the States above mentioned, which were bought at prairie value or homesteaded in the seventies or early eighties, and are now worth $40 to $75 an acre-improved, well-cultivated farms, accessible to towns and railroads. It is a notorious fact that American immigration westward has leaped forward during periods of prosperity and each successive frontier remained comparatively stationary during the intervening periods of depression. Just now prosperity is rolling its tide westward. Buyers from the East and Middle West are stirring among the improved farms of the belt beyond them, which twenty to thirty years ago was the frontier. Prosperity, too, in America produces a certain

demand for farms among the newly enriched business men of the newer towns and cities. Still, it may fairly be asked why the owner of a fine improved farm of 300 acres in Iowa should wish to leave it, even though he gets a good price, and move on to the cheap lands of remoter prairies. The answer is simple enough as regards a certain number of such peoplenamely, those who have sons-in that the old farm provides only for one, while for the rest of the family there is no local opening of new land whatever, except in the purchase, at a high price, of a neighboring farm which has presumably approached or reached its limit of value; but the Iowa or Dakota farmer, blessed with sons and looking prudently into the future, reflects that with the money derived from the sale of his farm he can acquire enough virgin land to settle all his family in life and have abundant capital left to build and to buy stock with.

I have talked with scores of these American immigrants, both on trains and in hotels, and with many of those who have been here a year or two on their own farms. Most of them seem to have from $10,000 to $15,000, some much more. Two car loads, for instance, of these people with stock, furniture, and effects went up the Edmonton line one day in the past season, representing a cash capital, so one of their number told me, of $300,000. Nor is it only the money these Americans bring in, but quite as much the men behind the money. Anything more widely different than these men from the $10,000 or $15,000 amateurs from the old country could hardly be imagined.

Perhaps the most curious thing about this immigration is the methods by which it is worked. For nearly all of it is controlled and moved by land companies founded for purposes of profit by American capitalists. A big company is formed in the first instance and purchases a block of several hundred thousand acres. Small companies then buy smaller blocks from the former and retail it in farms, through real estate agents, who go among the farmers in the various districts of Iowa, Dakota, or wherever the field is most promising. As stated above, these American companies buy immense blocks of land wherever they can secure it of good quality and within easy reach of railroads. In all these tracts, however, every alternate section (640 acres) is the property of the government, available only as a free grant on the homestead conditions. Some of these may be already occupied, but as a rule there is very little settlement where the American companies have purchased. They acquire their land at, say, $3 an acre, and either directly or through subcompanies bring in their settlers in wholesale fashion from south of the line. These last buy at, say, $7, but, settling thus in communities, by the very force of their own numbers they make the land at once worth that much or more. Many, if not most of them, take up the alternate section or part of a section if available, according as the numerical

strength of their family admits of a homestead or free grant. The retention of this involves at the end of three years' probation an oath of allegiance to the Brit

ish crown, and there does not seem to be the least reluctance on the part of the Americans to assume this role of British subject.

In conclusion, I will indicate roughly the districts of the Northwest to which

these American immigrants are chiefly proceeding. Manitoba, which is still mainly a wheat-growing Province, has attracted comparatively few. Probably there are not sufficiently large blocks of cheap land any longer available for the American companies. Assiniboia has been largely patronized. In the southeast over thirty townships have been acquired by the Americans. All along the line running from the American border

to Moose Jaw, near Regina, the capital

of the Territories, the newcomers are settling thickly. Up the Prince Albert line from Regina, through northern Assiniboia and Saskatchewan, are three great blocks of land-one of them, I believe, a million acres-acquired by Americans for actual settlement, not to speak of smaller colonies. Alberta, however, seems upon the whole the favorite "stamping ground" -that belt of country within 100 miles of the Rockies and in sight of them, where ranching, small and great, is the main industry and grain a supplement. Edmonton, at the terminus of the branch line, some 200 miles long, running north from Calgary, on the Canadian Pacific Railroad, is a popular center with its grain-growing facilities. And, again, south of Calgary, in the direction and in the neighborhood of Fort McLeod, there has been considerable American investment. Several thousand Mormons, too, are to be found nearer the border, the best of settlers. In another place 5,000 acres are being prepared by an American syndicate for the cultivation of the sugar beet, a totally new experiment.

Population, Wealth and Industries of the United States.

"The Progress of the United States in Its Material Industries" is the title of a statistical statement presented by the Department of Commerce and Labor through the annual report of the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics. The table pictures conditions in the great industries and material interests of the United States in 1903, where such figures are available, and compares those conditions with those of earlier years, running back, where possible, to the year 1800.

Area, population, wealth, public debt and the interest thereon, gold and silver production, money in circulation, savings bank deposits and depositors, value of money of the country, value of farm prod

ucts, imports and exports of principal articles and total of imports and exports, railways in operation, number of postoffices, receipts of the Postoffice Department, and many other subjects indicating in various ways the financial, industrial and commercial condition of the country are included in the tables, which give opportunity to compare present conditions with those of earlier years. In area, for example, the total in 1903 is 3,025,600 square miles, against 2,980,959 square miles in 1850 and 827,844 square miles in 1800. These figures do not include Alaska or the islands belonging to the United States.

The population in 1903 is stated at

80,372,000, against 23,191,876 in 1850

and 5,308,483 in 1800. The wealth of the country is stated at 94 billions of dollars in 1900, and presumably 100 billions would not be an unreasonable estimate for 1903, while for 1850 the wealth of the country stood at 7 billion dollars, no estimate being given for any year earlier than 1850. The per capita wealth 1850, having thus more than quadrupled is set down at $1,235 in 1900 and $307 in meantime. The interest-bearing debt in 1903 is 914 million dollars, against 1,724 millions in 1880 and 2,046 millions in 1870. The per capita indebtedness of the country in 1903 is $11.51, against $60.46 in 1870, and the interest per capita, 32 cents in 1903, against $3.08 in 1870.

Gold and gold certificates in circulation in 1903 for the first time exceeded one billion dollars, or, to be exact, 1,031 millicns, against 810 millions in 1900, 232 millions in 1880, and 25 millions in 1870. The total money in circulation in 1903 is 2,367 million dollars, against 1,429 millions in 1890, 973 millions in 1880, 675 millions in 1870, and 435 millions in 1860. The per capita money in circulation in 1903 is $30.21, against $26.94 in 1900, $19.41 in 1880, and $13.85 in 1860. Deposits in savings banks in 1903 are 2,935 million dollars, against 1,524 millions in 1890, 550 millions in 1870, and 149 millions in 1860. The value of manufactures for the census year 1900 is given at 13 billions of dollars, against 5% billions in 1880, and less than 2 billions in 1860. Railways in operation in 1902 are 203,132 miles, against 166,703 miles in 1890, 93,262 miles in 1880, 52,922 miles in 1870, 30,626 miles in 1860, and 9,021 miles in 1850.

The table which follows presents some of the more striking figures for 1903, compared with 1893 and 1883:

Report of Ohio State Legislative Board of the B. of L. F.

The meeting of the Board was called to order by Chairman P. S. Brown, of Ashtabula, Ohio, at Davidson's Hotel, January 5, 1904, at 2 p. m. The committee appointed to form a new set of by-laws for the Board was as follows: Bros. Wm. W. Weissell, J. N. Brown, Geo. Utley, O. E. Carson and Geo. Poor, Bro. Utley being the Chairman. The committee formulated a set of by-laws, which were adopted by the Board with some amendments, subject to the approval of the Grand Lodge. Next came the election of officers, with the following result: For Chairman, O. E. Carson, of Lodge 583, Columbus; for Vice Chairman, F. B. McDonald, of Lodge 537, Columbus; for Treasurer, A. H. Tripp, of Lodge 142, Toledo; for Secretary, Wm. W. Weissel, of Lodge 248, Ashtabula; for Legislative Representative, O. E. Carson, of Lodge 583, Columbus.

It was regularly moved and seconded that Bro. Carson remain in Columbus, as Chairman of the Board of Legislative Representatives, until the Legislature adjourns.

Chairman O. E. Carson appointed the following committee to draw up proposed legislation: Bros. T. F. Roberts, W. H. Eckroate, Jas. Tousley, P. S. Brown and Bro. Leonard. Resolutions were adopted and the convention adjourned sine die at 1 p. m. Friday, January 8, 1904.

Edw. Lamb, of Massillon, was endorsed for railway commissioner.

The following is a synopsis of the proposed legislation desired:

That any employe whatever, of any or all railroads in the State of Ohio, whose duty it is to flag on maintenance of way, must be able to read, write and speak the English language.

That all mail cranes when opened in serviceable position shall clear the widest engine cab not less than eighteen inches.

That all stock chutes and waterspouts along the line of road shall clear the cabs of all engines two feet.

All railway tunnels in the State of Ohio over five hundred feet in length shall be provided with necessary ventilation.

That no engine be allowed to back over any line of road a distance of ten miles or over without a headlight or pilot on tender.

That all engines running through or in the State of Ohio shall be equipped with automatic ash dump pans, and it shall be unlawful for any fireman to be compelled to go under engine to clean ash pans.

Penalties. Any officers, agents or employes of any railway or railroad company or companies doing business in the State of Ohio that violate or cause to be violated any of the provisions of this act shall be fined in any sum not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars and the cost of prosecution, and each day that any of the provisions of this act are violated shall constitute a separate offense, and it is hereby made the duty of the prosecuting attorney of each county in the State where this act is violated, to prosecute the company violating same upon his attention being called to it by any citizen of said county, and any such railroad company shall be held liable in damage for any injuries resulting to any persons therefrom.

O. E. CARSON, Chm. and Legislative Representative.

The Battle of Need and Greed.

There will be a great battle in this Congress over the repeal of the land laws. It is a question of direct personal interest to every American citizen, and every American citizen should make it his business to understand the merits of it.

Under the Desert Land Law, an individual can take up 320 acres without living upon it a day or an hour. A man and his wife can take up 640 acres, equal to a square mile, of the most fertile soil in the world in this way.

The first question is, do the American people want to give their land to anybody save an actual resident who locates for the purpose of making a home and realizing an independent living? Is it good public policy to encourage the acquisition of land by enterprising speculators who expect to sell it at a large profit to the real settler, or to rent it to a tenant farmer, or to consolidate it with

other cheaply-acquired holdings into a large estate?

These are questions which are being asked of Congressmen and Senators at Washington. They are questions which affect the people of the East as well as those living where the public lands are located.

Now, why does this question come home to every fireside in this country? Simply because this land now belongs to all the people. It is the heritage of every American child. It is such in no merely sentimental sense, but in the most downright practical way. It represents his hope of getting a chance to work for himself on his own land, of making a competency for old age, and of leaving productive property for his children.

This hope is defeated by existing laws under which the most valuable agricultural lands are being absorbed at an unprecedented rate for speculation and monopoly. And there is no way of preventing it so long as these laws remain upon the statute books. They were not intended to foster real home-making, except by a most uncertain and indirect process, and in their actual application they do not usually produce this result.

This is the truth about the Desert Land Law, as it is known to everybody who has seen it in operation. If it was necessary once, as a means of tempting capital to speculate in the development of new countries, it is no longer necessary because Uncle Sam himself has taken off his coat and gone digging ditches in order to assist the masses of the people in getting homes on his big estate.

What is proposed as a substitute for the present law? An amendment to the Homestead Law, by which a settler may initiate his filing before the water is on the land, and obtain title only when he has lived upon and cultivated the land in good faith for five years. This plan will work no hardship whatever upon the actual settler, but it will shut the door on the speculator and render it extremely difficult for syndicates to consolidate many small holdings into a few large

ones.

Here is another question which some of the Western legislators will have to answer: Why should anybody be permitted to acquire 320 acres of irrigated land? Why should a single family be permitted to take 640 acres through the filing of husband and wife? Is that amount of irrigated land essential for a prosperous home?

In Utah, according to the census figures, the average farm unit is 27 acres. And Utah is in the temperate zone, with a much shorter growing season than many other parts of the arid region. The utmost limit which any single family should be permitted to acquire is a quarter-section, or 160 acres of irrigated land. There are many places where a limitation of 80 acres, or even of 40 acres, would be far more reasonable.

Is it good public policy to give a single family an amount of irrigated land which would comfortably support from eight to sixteen families? That is what we are doing when the law is strictly complied with, while there are instances where single families have acquired the ownership of lands which would support ten thousand people. This has been done, of course, through the shameless abuse of the law.

The question is before the country, awaiting the decision of the people's representatives in Congress. It is a live issue today, but it is one which time will remove from the field of discussion. That is to say, all the best lands will be gone unless action is taken without much more delay. They are being taken now at the rate of about 7,000 acres a day.

The battle is between human need and human greed. Every man who wants his country to be as wise as the most ordinary business man, and every man who wants his share of the public land for himself or his children, should stand by the President of the United States in his demand for the immediate reform of this crying evil. WILLIAM E. SMYTH.

Texas Legislative Board of the B. of L. F.

The third biennial meeting of the Texas Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen will be held in Fort Worth on the first Monday in April, 1904. Following are the names of the legislative representatives: F. E. Stearns, Amarillo, 573; E. E. Clappert, Austin, 491; W. E. Mangum, Beaumont, 590; M. J. Lally, Big Springs, 372; Ed. Fitzgerald, Bonham, 616; B. H. Messer, Clarendon, 325; Geo. L. Wilson, Cleburne, 449; J. A. Hightower, Commerce, 548; J. K. Fairley, Denison, 8; H. F. Gaul, El Paso, 135; J. H. Dunkin, Ennis, 226; L. M. Mann, Fort Worth, 83; Jos. S. Myers, Fort Worth, 382; W. M. Dixon, Gainesville, 324; Fred Oehlert,