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Canada Excels in Moral Tone and People’s Fibre, Says Blake Halliday. Some of the most serious problems facing Canadians are those of en deavoring to bring about a better un derstanding between the rural and urban forces, dealing with the flow of Canadian citizens to the United States, and fostering a better feel ing between the French and English speaking races, stated Blake Halliday of Toronto, Lieut.-Governor of Ki wanis in this district, speaking to the Kiwanis Club at their weekly lunch eon on Friday. ‘Canadian Citizen ship” was the subject of Mr. Halli day’s address and in his ‘introductory remarks he said that his choice of a topic was influenced by the fact that it is at this time of year that Kiwanis asks the clubs to emphasize citizen ship. “Before one can properly apprec iate the advantages of being Canad ian, it is well to know something of conditions in other British colonies,” said Mr. Halliday, and he proceeded to outline the social, political and in dustrial phases of India, South Af rica, Australia and New Zealand. India, he said, is not a colony in the same sense as the others, in that it is not self-governed. The natives are clamoring for self-government, but Britain does not consider them fitted for the task, having witnessed that chaos resulting when republics were formed by ignorant masses in China and Russia. India is even worse than either China or Russia, because of the power of caste. South Africa is in somewhat the same position as Canada, said Mr. Halliday, but her problems are dif ferent. This colony has wonderful resources of gold, diamonds, coal, etc., but the great drawback is that the land is occupied by the Boers, who do not improve it, and there is no development. The great problem of the country is one of race—Brit on, Boer and Black. Unscrupulous politicians are cultivating an anti- British feeling among the Boers and recently the Labor party, who re mained loyal to Britain during the war at a great political sacrifice, are now aligned with the anti-British forces. There is an election pending and the result is doubtful. Australia has wonderfully diversi fied resources of: minerals, fruit, grain, sugar, cotton, cattle, sheep and rabbits. The Labor party is very strong, which is_ not to be wondered at since more than half the population lives in the cities, and everything is unionized. Mr. Halliday had even known the in surance agents to go on strike. Labor is not as patriotic as it was in South Africa, one of their leaders being an acknowledged Sinn Feiner, but they were defeated at the last election and Australia now has the Nationalist party. The Farmers’ party was tried, but it proved a fail ure there. New Zealand is almost ideal. Dairying is the chief industry and it can be carried on very cheaply be cause there is pasture the year round. There is little manufacturing and no large centres of population. Packing plants are situated on the coast and, as the islands are long and narrow, animals can be driven to them with a saving of freight rates. Favors Export Duties Speaking of Canada, Mr. Halliday said that New Zealand is the only country than can compare with it. The wonderful resources of our own land are largely undeveloped. Can ada has the greatest gold mines, one of the few nickel deposits and the only asbestos deposit in the world. On a mineral standpoint no other country is in the same class,” said Mr. Halliday, ‘But these resources should ‘be’ developed by Canadians with Canadian capital. I do not agree with Roger Babson, who, speaking in Canada recently, said we should bend all our efforts to getting our wonderful resources out. That may be very well from the American viewpoint, but it is not very good for Canada. The United States has not an import duty of 42 cents on Can adian wheat. Why should not we put on an export duty on wheat, nickel asbestos and pulpwood? I believe we could make the other fellow pay our debt and taxes.” Speaking of the West, Mr. Halli day said he believed we would see the day when thousands of acres of rairie land will be sown with sun owers. A great deal of the prairie land is so dry, he said, that it will not grow wheat or ordinary stock foods, but sun-flowers will grow any where and sun-flower onsilage has been proved to be as good as any. Farmer Gets Short End “In addition to its resources, Can ada has its problems, different from those of other countries,” said Mr. Halliday. ‘One of these is to try to settle the differences between the rural and urban forces. We nearly all believe that the farmer is getting the short end of the stick. He gets low prices for his products, while wages are still high in the cities. The day is coming when we must pay the penalty.” __ Another great problem to meet to day is that of the emigration of num bers of our citizens. Mr. Halliday stated that a church official told him of a church in Western Ontario which lost 800 members and adherents of emigration. (Continued on page 2)
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Barrie Examiner
Barrie, Ontario, CA
Thu, May 29, 1924
Page 1
Full Page
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Peggy B.
CA 26 Jul 2026
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