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CANADIAN JEWISH
AN IMPARTIAL MEDIUM FOR THE DISSEMlNATlbN OF JEWISH
NEWS AND VIEWS Published Weekly by the Canadian Jewish Review
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canadian jewish review invites correspondence on subjects of interest to the Jewish people, but disclaims responsibility for indorsement of the views expressed by the writers. all correspondence must be signed with the full name of the writer.
september 15, 1922
volume II. number 20
editorial
A new wrinkle in CANADIAN IMMIGRATION
After months of anxious waiting the government has enunciated a policy of immigration. in conjunction with the canada colonization association it will attempt a national land settlement plan. the scheme has for its object the stimulation of immigration, through the careful selection of agricultural workers only, from england, scotland, ireland, and from the other northern european countries. the plan also aims to entice former canadian and american farmers now located in the united states, to settle on the soil here. an elaborate welfare programme, the cost to be borne by the imperial and the federal governments and the association, is to be inaugurated. it is frankly a plan of state-aided immigration.
we rejoice that after considerable bungling, a clear-cut plan has finally been proposed by the government. a careful study and analysis of the lengthy statement made public in the press by the canadian colonization association, leaves one with honest doubts as to its practicability.
the motive of the whole scheme i< clear. it is based on the popular belief that so long as canada has an unemployment problem and people stand in bread lines, she does not want any immigrants who will further augment the already large number of unemployed. furthermore, there is the cry of overcrowded cities, which follows directly from the unemployment situation. under cover is the fear that immigrants from southern and liastern europe are infected with the virus of bolshevism and radicalism.
it is good to find all parties agreeing on one thing that we have always advocated, namely, that only through immigration can the "country's social, economic and financial problems be solved." this conclusion is inevitable. now the problem arises, what kind of immigrants does canada need and how and where can they be obtained? the canada colonization association answers that the only desirable type of immigrants for canada are agricultural workers. we are in consonance with this plan, with a slight modification. instead of only agricultural workers we would add industrial workers also. t� be sure canada's vast agricultural opportunities should be exploited, but not at the expense of her industrial possibilities. we have several times pointed out that the unemployment situation is not the result of immigration, no? is it in any way affected by, or related to it. both immigration and unemployment are the result of the same economic forces working in opposite directions. those economic forces that produce business expansion, reduce unemployment and attract immigrants, whereas those economic conditions that produce business depression, increase unemployment and reduce immigration.
the analysis of the united states immigration statistics recently published by the national industrial Conference Board for the first complete fiscal year of operation of the present restriction laws, shows that the return movement of immigrants has been almost e4ual to the number arriving. In this connection the occupational classification of the immigration statistics is enlightening.
"During the year 1920-21 there was a net increase of 7,642 of the professional class, 35,630 skilled workers, 39,309 servants, and 76,106 of no occupation, including women and children, while there
the country gained 10,479 immigrants classed a8.^f4rrner9'anu � farfrv.- �.�..[}, laborers. including only those of m
who are a'direct relation to-the'labor ^supply of american'manu-. ' factoring industry, �he'<�mi^igratt^ new laws' operation represehts'a net loss of $t;883 .workers." : � -�[H&$M . "under the law, 355,825 immigrant aliens' were admissible . \\'rXA during the first fiscal year, but only ^9j356' entetedrft
� <>.y:
the numbers coming from denmark* finland, germany,- \jvorwayj ': sweden' and great britain fell far :short of. th^ c|i^ota '. admissab|e^^.;^ the report cortcluses .with the statement t^atim'migraat^ nordic european countries are not available. they- will not;eorrie^^�^ especially in times of unermployment. secondly, t&^wardng/ given that the decrease in wofkers, both/skilled a^
by the alarming return of tflese workers to europe coupled ^ithr>/^ the restriction- laws,; represent a serious menace to-ameribari *hd try, as soon as business depression ceases" and workers' :ar6 /^e^de^%;'>^y the statistics of the national1- industrial conference-.' Bo^'rrj ''tji^v^1.^? to be seriously at .variance with the prpmise"';m'acle: iri; tfo 'publish^r^,^ statement of the national'colonization 'association''that "a fi'hve.;'t^^v':-^vi of immigrants, more especially agriculturists, are available'^vpfn'X^Xx great britain and northern european countries.'* -we have' jus^^f read that norway and sweden have put an embargo aga^inst-^'th^^m emigration of their .people, -because they are heeded "in their; own ji'^ country. we have serious doubts about the possibilities. .even^itk^^i-the inducement of state aid, that farm'owners in northern eurdpfe'^^ will be beguiled to give up" their farms and homes to come over here1 to speculate with their fortune, whereas.over there-they are pr^ps perous. s ^ '.'
is it not a fact that the average english industrial worker^'whos^^? way is paid over here to become a farm hand, ultimately'drifts ;in'tp-*} -.v-^ the city because there is no steady remunerative, employment avail-able for him on1 the farm? it is this type'of immigrant that swells;.';;.;-'^ the bread line. whereas the jewish immigrant,"~.who, 'comingtp-v:--.-'^? canada, makes no pretense at becoming a farmer, is seldom'-: if 'evfer'''';'^':(r> found in the bread line. he does n,ot swell the horde oi unemp\oy^^_: instead, he discovers some opportunity for earning a livelihood,-:. %y which the native population neglects. if-it had not been fpr the ;:1@ jewish immigrant, canada would to-day have no flourishing needle , *-/:^ trade. the jewish immigrant, who'.is indirectly discriminated .'.v-;^ against in this new plan, makes it possible for thousands of canadians to find employment in these trades. the jews have developed the "made in canada" garment, which successfully competes with" the american product, and helps to keep out the latter, and ^ur :1: ' money in canada. '".-'.>
canada's only hope for agricultural immigrants is to open her y-\ gates, not merely to the dwellers of northern europe, but also to. the peoples from eastern, central and-southern europe, who are farmers through long years of training,-and who, with the rjroper inducements and prospects, will be glad to go. on -the canadian farms. the fear of bolshevism from these peoples is foolish and unwarranted. those who would come here are the very-people who are fleeing from bolshevism.
canada has had some unfortunate experience with mass immi- , gration of east european peoples, who settled in large numbers jn colonies out west, and who have failed to assimilate. for thiscon- \ dition canada has only herself to blame. if she had made the proper efforts at the proper- distribution of these immigrants, and had developed sound methods of incorporating these elements into, the body politic through a thorough-going process of canadianiz-ation, these immigrants would to-day not present the problem--in v assimilation that they do. instead, canada remained satisfied to neglect these immigrants and left them to work out-their own sofu- / tion. this they did, but not to the best interests of the country.
there is another phase of this problem of jand colonization j-that endangers the whole scheme and that is the holding of vast stretches of the best lands by absentee land speculators, who are . demanding unwarranted high prices. the government dare not confiscate this land.. moral suasion will not suffice to move these specu-v lators to give up their lands. the free lands available are miles from the railroads and most of it is unirrigated and arid prairie country. the complete industrialization of modern agriculture and farfmng makes it well nigh impossible for a family man or even a \ single man to make a living as a farm hand. .unless the government is prepared to subvent the incoming farmer and farmjtand, with land, implements, a house, live stock and some money, for several years, it is doubtful whether- any such plan of immigration as is 1 suggested will succeed. :'
on the other hand we fail to realize why canada, which' de-' ��� clares herself in need of immigrants, and expresses a preference for icelanders, swedes, finns and others, practically excludes the jewish' immigrant anri seems not to regard them as desirable. a certain percentage of' the jewish immigrants, under proper direction, could even be induced to go on the farm if the social and religious aspects of jewish colonization were carefully considered and. the propef.
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