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BY /\LFRED THOMAS, C.E., AutlKtr of "('Min]';irisons ol Imi-HsU and Anicrioan Furniing.' • I ••» ••»> • •••« ••'.•••■" • !• i.'.i' . ».. t « t • « . > • • ' • • • ! • • • • ••• •••• C »• II • « , • .1 ••t«t «'> t , t UATJFAX', N. S. Pt>30.97/t T 3bli *• • . • • • . r • •• » • • • • .* • • « « • J • • « • • • • • • i " Iiiiliraoticablc theories grow out of tliouglit vvitliout liibor. The man wlio \visli(.'s to rofonii ihe woild must bear a part in tlie world's interests and occupations, ho most do liis sliaro in the labor of the world us it is, or he eiinuot hojie in any degree to make the world as it should h(i."-~/''(tmi/.f/ Herald, May I'.'ith," I88G. In bringing this panij)hl('t lieforo the public, the writer would beg to make a few explanations and lemarks as, it is now Ix'ing used for a purpose for whi(;h it was not originally intcnided ; the writer was much iiii|iress('d last windr by the high tnu»f taken by many of the magazines, I'^nglisli and Anu-rican, in llieir various and generally amusing and instructive articles ; it then occurred to him that he might bring his great practical experience of over a cpiarter oi a century to bear in helping to forward a noble cause, besides earning some fair remunera- tion during the long winter months ; the article grew under hi*: pen into a spnce not originally anticipated ; which, considering the subject, could not be well lielped, and tliis combined with other reasons may liave caused its rejection by the magazine to which it was sent. The manuscript was then sent to Ottawa, and submitted to the Imperial Federation Lengue, and again rejected, I think, without having a perusal, on aocountof the title; the writer's oVnect in taking this action will b(! ajjparent to the ordinarily ititelligent reader upon reading the ])aniphlet, and the rejection hns fidly comfirmed him in his ))revious opinion of the great wisdom of tin; late Air. John Bright and other eminent men, the Premier himself being among the number, unless he is mistaken, in attaching very little importance to tke influence the League in accomplishing its avowed object. / An energetic IVicnd at Ottawa who hud himself been an unsuccessful farmer owir)g, no doubt, in })art, at all events, to the want of the legitin)ate support th it had so (!Md>arrassed the present writer, then, on his own resi)onsibi- lity, presiMited the maniiscri[)t to tlui Minister of Agriculture ; who acted in a most /pidicious niiumer, doing all that could be expected or ])nssil)le, by rely, to leview it. So T am advised, ollicially. Under these circumstances the writer will feel himself justihed in asking for a small gi'ant at the ne:t meeting of the Legislature, as it is a fact well known, that of all literary productions, pamphlets of th(^ slightest philosophical tendency, no mutter how well written, or by whom, are the most diilicult of works to get any fail" i-cmuneratiou for, and a rising countiy like the Dominion would scarcely dinnand .so great a self-sacrilice of tinn', labor and ability as such a pam[)hlet, even if liaiUy written, inu.'it i^ecpiire; neither does the writer anticipate any trouble, in this way, )iartic(darly after the (exceedingly liberal way in which lie was treateil by the Ijocal Legislature of Nova Scotia, on a similar occasion, wh(!nthe subject, altho' the .same, was necessarily more \ I 619^ localised, and the writer had not that experience which notliing hut the constant use of the pen can give; although the productions, accord- ing to the advice given by Lockart to young writers, may be sacrificed to that great receptacle of disappointed ambition — the waste basket. The foregoing remarks are made mainly for this ]mrpose : that the public are so accustomed to look for a strong paitizanship in any liter- ary production, that but few can conceive how politics can possibly be even touched on without it; that this has fairly been carried, I leave the reader to judge, but it must be apjiarent that under the ciicum- stances it was impossible to localize them for party purpsoes. The subject is so important, and already pamphlets are being spread abroad, facts figures and ideas so distorted, and misrepresented to influence the public, that the writer will if possible endeavor to have ii few thousand copies struck off so that at least he may start fair in the line of reasoning, and before the public mind becomes too much biased and prejudiced. The writer has presented his views regarding the great question that should be uj)permost in the public mind pending the next elect'-^n ; but as the letters cannot well be printed in this production, he merely reiterates what he has before stated, and which 1 j thinks he can now prove, that the financial state of the country, and the bearing of its institutions on our different industries must be the great questions of the day, and take precedence of all others; that this subject is net at all understood can be proved by a fair criticism of the productions beCoie referred to ; also, that from a want of the ap])lication of the principles herein enunciated, all the troubles of the Maritime Provinces spring, and that until the matter is thoroughly understood the evil cannot in any way be rectified. It is no slur on the ability and characters of our legislators and representatives to state that even if onniii»otent they are not omniscient, neither do they pretend to be so, at all events those that I have come across. They are always open to conviction, and I believe at heart have more sincere patriotism than they get credit for ; but what can they do, they can only give eflect by legislation to mea- sures that we farmers show to 1)0 necessary and advis;ibl(> ; tlu; initiative must proceed from us, and what do we ever do to give (Mther them or the capitalists the least confidence inns? Kothijig ! we aie as full of impractical fads as an egg is of meat, as the saying is ; but I. must not anticipate the pamphlet itself, but I will remark only that of all the old, rotten, leaky boats, that you faimers expect to land you on tli(! shores of ]»ros|)erity, low taxation, low rates of interest, and forced markets, are the worst. You lose more in one year by the misapplica- tion of your little cajntal, than a revision of the three foi-nier to the lowest extremity would ever make up for, lesides which, you havo no direct control over the matter at all and never will have ; get money as cheap as you can by all means, liut don't discuss imijossibilitic^s : believe me, as an experienced farmer, the only r-.-medy for your iiositiou is first to thoroughly realize it; be candid to yourself; there i« no occa- *^ >• '? 4 m '* sion to expose your private affairs at all ; it doos not take a great deal of deep tliinlcing to shows that it is bad enough ; as General Butler says, you aie poor (inaneieis ; this is true, l)ut it is unjust to lay the bhvmo entirely on yon, and I don't think that my pamphlet would be out of place even in the legislative halls. Referring to the productions that have come before the public to inlluenco them I shall only refer to two, as I wish to be as concise as possible. One pamphlet is issued on behalf of the reciprocity party and Ibnuded on tli<; speeches of Hon. Erasmus Wiman. Now mind, reader, I don't pretend to j'idgo on th(; merits of the question itself at all, and hud the writer con lined himself to that question he would have done better, but the pamphet itself is such a mass of mistatements, S|)ecial pleading, inconsistencies, and shows such an entire ignorance of the whole subject on which it pretends to advise, that were it not for the capital op[)ortunity it gives me of strengthening my own case — in the way that a learned judge once decided a case very rapidly : " I decide it in favor of brother A, on the strength of brother B's argument" — I should pass it over in silence. It merely offers the United States as a market in exchange for certain privileges. Now the great trouble with us farmers is that we have literally nothing to sell, at all events that anyone wants. What we want is capital to develope our agricultural resources, and that the Americans cannot supply us with. Nova Scotia is a great grass and apple country, and her proximity to England gives great oppoitunities for supplying that country with beef, V)ut owing to our absurd financial system we cannot even supply our own market ; for the same reason the fruit trade is not half developed. The pam})hlet also conlirnis my opinion that the American financial system lias boeiv as erratic as our own, altho* a great deal more liberal, and diflerent from that of Ontario, which is ideally founded on the basis of the tenant and landlord management. This is a very important fact to know, as it meets another misrepresentation, that is of our loyalty being nothing but a l)liiid attachment to old, played-out, antiquated association, and if 1 am really correct in iny siirmises, whic! [ think the pani])hlet proves, it then turns the tables on the enen.y ^ith a veng<'ani'e, showing that they are the parties prejudiced, not us, and wIkmi we read of tlui deploiable state that these institutions have left the irnit(>d States in, by their own admission, we wonder at men like Prof, (lolilwin Smith, and otheis, and feel very much inclined to tell tlieni to stay in the laud of their •vlo[)tion, and mind their own busi- nes«. Tlu'ie is anotliei- feature of this wonderful production that is worthy of notice. After calling attention to the extreme poverty of the farmers of the I'nited Stales, the writer pl-ads with us to deal with them, on the ground that Great ilrit'.in deals with poor countries. Now what nonsense all this is, as t' anyone care;) whether tlii'y are rich or poor, lis long" as they i»;iy for what they get ; but as to whether it is worth whilt! to have very iutiniatlain(ul to me many things that liave hitherto been a n>yst(!ry, and almost incomprchensibh'. I can now begin to understand how it is that my own life has hitherto been an almost uninterupted struggle for existence, why those v,ho were bound by all honor and princi[)le to assist me and my family, have been my most determined opponents I d(\st)()ying tlus whoh^ ha;)piness of a large portion of our lives. I can under.stand nosy why the highest court in the land, although ultimately acceding to my request, made proi)ositions to nit) so unjust, so insulting that my lawyers rejected them at once : in I that fc lias those cause iiiier, tliat )•, tlie their effect, til us, 31' one great iter is uliics.s I i fact, 1 have settled in a foreign land. Tls true the people speak the same language, and some of the laws are pretty much the same that one has been used to, but as for the institntions, ideas of right and wrong, and frcncral principles of life that ought to govern us in our conduct through life — where they originated heaven only knows, and how they evtn' niaiutainod themselves under the British Flag is to me a mystery. I well recollect the last words of an old uncle and guardian, one of the old type of English clergymen, p.s intimate with the worldly affairs of his parishioners as their spiritual, and as capable of guiding them, in ])resenting his last gift, a bible, he remarked : " Now there is not the slightest occasion for your leaving your native land, but if you must go, be a man, be a credit to your country." So I have tried to be, according to my lights anyway, but it appears that I have been mistaken. Instead of using my capital, brains, and energy to develope nay adopted country, the former should have been invested at a high rate of interest, and I myself should have become one of those excresences that spring out of our present s}stem, and eat at the foundation of all morality, a fat office- holder. I presume that the publication above referred to is intending to show how unprosperous the country is under confederation ; it has appeared in papers representing both sides of politics, and I have looked in vain for an answer. Were the matter not so serious, involving men homes, ha[)piness, and the whole fate of the rising generation, it would be amusing to watch the paper warfare that will issue. As it is, I must anticipate ; the answer per contra will be in all probability : How much better would Nova Scotia have been off under the old state of affairs? Look at the general progress of the Dominion, etc., etc., and, as far as Nova Scotia is concerned, the old Bo Peep advice will be reiterated. Now, let us look into the matter fairly and see what an amount of fallacy there is all round, I admit that the judgments in con- nection with tlie bills of sale look, to say the least, tishy ; and Unowing the way business is done in Nova Scotia, the record is l)y no means satisfactory ; but by far the worst feature in the whole matter is tlie fact that statistics that might and would in another country and under a diffeient state of affairs, indicate the greate.st commercial and agricultural activity and prosperity, should be looked upon in such a light. To illustrate the matter fairly ; a man may own a manganese mine, gold mine, or plaster rock or even a farm without a miirtgago on it. The reader will haidly believe me when I say that I actually know cases where these are encumbrances, although not legally classed as such, as they coat more to keep up than the revenue obtained, now, my mine proprietor wishes to convert his encumbrance into a profit ; he dances attendance at Wall Street, swill- ing gin cocktails between interviews to sustain his courage till he feels utterly ilemoralized, and gets things so mixed up that he hardly knows right from wrong; he started from home feeling an inde[)endent man; was he not going to l)ring capital and intelligence to bear to develop raw material I In one week's time he wishes his quarries at the bottom of 8 tlin sea ; ho fools like a man tiyin,!? to ))ahs a fraiululoni noV, doubts whotluT 1h! has a (juairy at all, and if ho does not suctciod ho boies mII )iis friends for tho next twolvomonth with complaints of tlie want of (nitorpriso in tlio world. If ho is lucky and soils out, woll and ,1,'ood, he comes lionio and plays bi;,' Indian and hunts for anotlu*)- quany. But suj^jKJSo our mining friend is a bit of an ex))ort, recognizes fully tho value of ids ])roporty and feels inclined to work it himself; if lio is judicious he will get a thorough set of plans and sections and estimates made by a competent engineer. Armed with these ho ap[)roaches tho capitalist, and if the article is really good and in demand the chances aie that he gets his money. A mortgage is tiled and lie adds an encumbrance to his encumbrance ; the work then com- mences, wliarves are built, shafts sunk, rails laid, pumping api)aratus purchased, earth removed, and each Saturday night tho men artf paid with the promises to pay of institutions that have not advanced a single cent towards the success of the work ; however it proceeds, and tho capital is exJmusted without producing anything that can be immediately turned into cash. Our friend then, again, ap])eals to his engineer who marks the exact progress made on the original plan, he then again approaches the capitalist who, on deliberation, declines to advance any more on the fee simple of tho property, but agrees to advance on a bill of sale of the .stock, &c. This is done, and another incumbrance filed ; so the work proceeds, the capital is again exhausted, and still they don't " strike ilo ;" the capitalist then requires his intere.st, and not to embarra.ss his mortgagor, and to save himself a juilgment is entered by mutual conscnit, and this may be tho whole solution of this great Tomjiopt in a Teajjot. But on the other hand, suj)- pose tho desired consummation is not arrived at, and the work is c1os(h1, j)erhaps by a sheriff's sale, the capitalist is reimbursed, and the mine owner loses his property, and has wasted a good [lart of his lifetime, liis credit is more or less shaken, and things look black indeed ; the chances are, having neglected all other business for this, he may want a little temporary acconunodation to almost keep his family from .starving; ho gets an endorsement from some brother in adversity for a few paltry dollars, for tho jioor only help tho pooi', and it is refused by these; very institutions that his own ])luck and energy has; mad(! theii- " promises to pay" anything but waste paper, and at the same time young Scrooge, who has started a li(iuor and grocoiy .store round tho cornel', exchanging endor.sements with young Marlcy, doing a sin:ilar business, is gladly ))assed, and respfctablo .shareholders draw a dividend therefrom, and then go away and preach ])rohibition. The mine itself may tlun pass into other hands, lu'cominir e([ual to a profiH'cntial security, if even h^ft untouched. So much has been done for the pros- perity of th(! country of which no ac(!ount whate\or is taken in tho oilicial leturns, no valuation is made of the ])roporty befoin; and aftoi', it is simply classed as (moiinbcrixl. As for our frifnid, tho minor, his future is not worth looking into : " Let him go. he is a failure, not the 9 viglit kind of man," that's tlin toini ; lio has only exhibited those fjualities that won Albreia and Waterloo, and made and will sustain the Uritish Em})ire to the last, and how many men in Hants County iilone have we who have gone through this experience 'i I now will endeavor to illustKite my ])oint from farming exj)erience, and, fortun- ately or the reverse, I hardly kr.ow which, I need not go beyond the boundaries of my own ]Moperty for our illustration. It is not pleasant for anyone not endowed Avith a superfluous amount of egotism to bring their private affairs before the public, but in the present instance the writer feels justified. Taking this view of the case, the remarks made will bear only on the point at issue, as much as jiossible. Undertaking farming in Nova Scotia, as the writer did some twenty- five years ago, and with considerable capital, and commencing as a ]n'actical engineer, it did not take him very long to see plainly that agricultuie, as a profession, was utterly unrecognized ; his profession told him that no farmer, no matter what his education and practical knowledge could ever achieve success. "Chance," or what we deli- berately call chance, then drew the writer's attention to the value of underdrainage. Acting himself on his own preconceivedideas, he then undertook to drain his farm ; this he accomplished. Of course, inaugu- rating new work meant encountering great difficulties. These were overcome ! How 1 By sacrificing his own life, capital, family and worldly happiness. At the time that the present writer was undertaking this great work, on which the whole agricultural success of the country depends, the L<>gislatiire was deliberately embarrusing him, by making him pay a duty on tiles. What was Ontario doing 1 Loaning money for the same purpose, to be )»aid by instalments, covering twenty years. But why go into d(!tails at all 1 Ontario liai been encouraging agriculture for a, century or more. Nova Scotia doing nothing. Ontaiio is now solving the greatest problem of pure independence in connection with land tenure. L(!t our politicians solve the great incongruity of Ontario, with a population of 2^ millions, 20 millions of bank stock, 90 millions loan s(jcioty money, mostly creative capital. Nova Scotia not one cent of the latter. After twenty-five years of labor the writer sees others enjoying the fVuits of his laboi- and industry, still for all that lie considers that he can class liiniseU' as at least one of tin; indepcindenfc and I'cially successful farmers in the country ; he has been forced into the position of a land- lord, having been coiiip(OIed to lock up his capital, thereby losing two- lliirds of his K-gitiiuate income. It has been hinted to the writer that it. would !)(> good (asle to alter the title of his pamphlet, but hi! writes only as a practical man, who has dealt with natun; all his lifetime, and recognizes fully the beneficence of a higher jiower in laying out our work for us, which we ourselves in our own narrow-minded obstinacy 10 are making obnoxious, distasteful and burdensome in a way uover intended, diveitino healthy, purifying pursuits into channels just the reverse. When the only financi'.il institutions of the country will support men supplying articles, the sale of which are actucilly lesjislated against, and frowned down by the wiiole of the professing religious men of the country ; while we, under any circumstances, are denied the legitimate fruits of our industry and any f lir return for our invested capital, as any intelligent reader must see is the case on perusing the pamphlet, then I say he is justified in appealing to the sound, moral sentiment of the country. However, the writer anticipates no trouhle whatever in having the matter rectified, provided it is gone about in a ]>roper way. We are all interested in making our country a success, l)ut it must he done in the proper way, and not by wringing the very life-blood out of our best men, the producers. 1 have illustrated the position of the unsucce.s.sful miner, and the same mav be said of the farmer. If a thousand enterprising young men, Nova Hcotians or strangers, settled in Hants County to-morrow, comr ncing as the present writer did, an enormous impetus would be given to tiado, large dividends declared by the banks, and the country declared to be progressing, and yet, it is as certain as I am wiiting this, that not on3 of them could ever realize the fruits of their laV)or, and if this is the principle on which our country is to be made, I say let it fall. The fact is, we all mean well but are working at sixes and sevens Tlie motto at the head of this article is too much ignored. I have refeired to the industries started in Hants County ; let me rejieat conversations that actually have taken placn witli some of the originators. " Don't you thiidc, Mr. Mounce, that goo 1 sn|>(M'pliosphate will pay a hundred piir cent, to tlui farmer ? It would paj a hirgo percentage t > you on you:' land. Why 'I liecause of the thorough drainage and pulverization it wouM be .all a^similati*;!. But wh:it advantage does a farmei' get by using your phosphate ami selling the hay produced at present prices ! Nothing, (except the stimulus given in sowing down " Again to Mr. Pi:lgeon : " \ supposn you think you aie conferring a gieat benefit on the country in circulating 'i first-class articli* of food plant! Wei!, F ceitainly do, why not? and the banks ai(! lulping in this noble work. Well, I will just tell you the eft'eot ; the banks and you are lienefitti'd temporarily, and the farmer is giving his time, land, labor, for literally nothing; he sells hay to meet a note, at about tli(> value of the original elements that you supfjly him with, no more. Then you would argue that aitifieial manures ate no good, (^'itainly not, they are one oi the greatest blessing of modcMU scienei;, but like anythir.g (dse, borrowed money or anything, can lie tuiinvl into curses by misa|t[)lication. A ton of first-class malting barley utilizes no more phosphat" potash, ammonia, than a ton of hay, yet one is worth as many p lUiids as (he other is dollars. Tlien why not all grow l.arley, ami accept the proU'eiiMl ussis- tuK.'e of the minist'r of ag;icutur' f Here wi- ai-e ag.un all workin.; in 14 ay never just thft iitry will l(!2;islated i;ious tnen eniecl tho invested :'nsin draining properly, that is so as not to emlarrass the farmer, you can safdy add in valuation one hundred [XT cent, to the value of the commonwealth for es-ery dollar borrowed and this will not anything like mee^, the ease ; the s'.il)soil plough follows the drainage, phosphates and fel ism, and the lOnglish llag is pretty well biandied about, and is .suppossed to cover everything for good or for evil, you I'ojgetting that it is merely an inanimate jiieee of i)unting symboloal of a poucr to enforce good and retard evil, but, that good and evil must lif ri'picsente»l to the power it represents in a pri)[)er way. To state that Movu Scotia is perfectly loyal, and to (juote the past, as was lately done ill Lniidiin, is nn'iely talk. Is she satisfied with the present condition of things? that is tln^ point, and to this 1 .say no, and I should Ik; very Sony that shi; should be, as it wouM b' one of the saddest sight.s that one eoulil {Mtssibly imagine, and show that the c mntiy was ninrally and sdi'ially deyiaded bryond all redemption. If ill" iMiglish llag doc-; not cover priinii)h's uud ideas tliat make it superior lo those of other iiatioiuilitie.s, it is not wy governments, and private individuals, have been so ventilatc^d by the writer for tl'e last quarter of a centiiry, from his first ]»ublic article, published by the Jourwd of Aijr'icnlturp, and entitled : " On the applica- tion of farm capital," and some years after comparisons of English and American farming, up to date, that the public can have no doubt al)Out his thorongh coincidence in opinion with Sir.l(»hnon this great point, but at the .same tim(^ it should l)e, borne in mind that capital (^mii be abused, and tluit without being jmt to any r(!ally bad uses, and this system (if imputing the worst motives to whit may only \w an error of judgnufnt is one of the unfortunate outcrops of our ])olitical sy.stem, and belongs e(pialiy to botli parties, but the world discriminates but little between an eiror of judgment, caused often by enthusiasm, and a positive sin, as the writer but too well knows ; it looks oidy to the linid result. And this Jipplies cipially to countries and privat;' individuals ; consecpicntly in all legislation wts should be guided as much as possible by the motto at tht^ liead of this aHiele. while t iking cai'e at the same time that all the strict piim-iples of Vmv play, justice and moralitA' are carried cait. The local govci nmeiit, in boi rowing a large sum of money for the public loads were .si'verely censured, .and whether justly or not J am un])repare(l to s.ay, as so miu-h dejiends nji a delinite answer to the (piestion I an> now propoiniding, and the same ride may apply to the gfuieiid action of the government at Ottawa. Sir .lohn makes a v(!ry natural and common ndstake in s\ipposing th.at the whole confederation is nni under the s.aine generid laws and in ;tit ntion^•, while ini'ealily the linancial institutions ofll.e Province of Ontario am so dilli'icnt ami so supriior to those of th(! Maritime I'rovinees, ihiit what might lie ijuite right and justiliable in rme en'^e would not Ic in the otiier ; a whole net work of railways .and macadanii/ed loads all ovi r the i'lovince do's not meet till.' emergency of GUI' necessilies in the slighti^sL degree, it meridy facilitates the transportation to market of what we ha\e to produmi our to we of 13 ty, she fully )LICY I visit from >licy for thn tisf.ictory to IS far as tlio eially it is in_<^ that no einorgeiicy, lit l>y past ;fMior of this anticipated. Lpy, botli Ity dod by the blie article, the apj)lica- of Enji;lish i'e no doubt I tliis piy to i]\n ikcs a very iift'ilcr.ition I reality the lent ami so ;ht lie ([uitc whole net lOo do's not ", it merely to product! I ]»y the absorption of our workii capital and the unrequited labor of our sons and dauin;hters, the ,^ o system being entirely antagonistic to all British ideas of i'ah- \ .nt it being a success, it will be entinOy our own ineiipaeity and bad legislation ; if we choose to ignore all good sound moral teaching and then fail, we at least have no right to drag the J»rilish Empire into the nu\s.s. Sir .lohn admires Jh'itish institu- tions, :ind in pr.ictiet; utterly igtiores tluMu, or iit least the most valuable of (hem, those that gi\c the lainnr tin; control of his cai)ital. Wo have now had a visit from th(! leader of one party, and will soon in all prob.ibility have another visit from the oppositi(m h'ader, and we will set" wli'u. he has to say about the n\atter. in the mean time, that is before a jjeueral election, >\e owe our duties to ourselves and faujiliua It to j)Ost ourselves tlioroughly. T'atriotism and loyalty aro terms altogether too thoughtlessly iised and abused. No iiiau can give a greater or more acceptablB ofFering, at least I take it to be so, to the giver of all than the results of a suooesst'ul life. A life based on pure moral work ; work that elevates the whole country, and that all can jjarticipate in. Agreat writer calls success a sacrament ; is it so] 1 don't like to tread on dangerous grounds, Ijut 1 should like to call the atten- tion of my readers to the wonderful allegorical story of Cain and Abel ; how often has it been misinterpi eted. The Almighty plainly blames Cain for his want of success, not refusing his best, as is generally thought for his best was bail, and if we cannot take these teachings to heart, and act on them in the practical every day ali'airs oi' life what a farce religion becomes. \V(i are legislating now not for C'anada, but for the future of the whole North American Continent, to go no further, and the wretched, miserable way in which the whole matter is being undertaken is enough to make anyone who really believes in anything at all fairly heart sick. However, I trust a great deal to the sound moral feeling of the people, that only wants awidccning. Alfued C. Thomas, C.E. A great many suggestions are being given as the best means of averting the evils caused by the pass:;age of the McKinloy Bill, and etnenating as they mostly do, from inex[)erienced men, they are vision- ary and impractical. One man has made tin wonderful discovery that too much hay is sold off the firm, another that too many hens are kept, and so on, and the remoditis jii-oposed are easier talked of than carried out. Without a thorough knowledge of our subject, both practically and theoretically we can do nothing of any value and this remark applies particulary to our legislature, at the present time. To commence at the theoretical part. What is the reason, that from almost time immemorial, our farmers have continued so manifestly unprotital)le a business in everyway as hay selling nnist be under any ordinary circumstances? Simply for the reason that under our present financial system they could not, and even now cinnot ludp themselves. Were they to attempt feeding on any scale as thinL,'s now stand, in one year they would be insolvent. Why ! JJecause, selling even as they do now, at the ])rice of the original elem(>nts, only plus the unpaid labor of their famili(!S, and exhausting th-.ii' land, it is iiilinitely mon^ [)rotitable than feeding. 'Tis true the (nil day is only put olf until the i)ri)|>i'rty lias to be settled up by death or foieclosure. Then the old, old, story is told again, sons are turned adrift in a jioorer condition than any work- ing man, with a life's la'jor lost, and a repetition of the .same initpiitous business conniience.s, to end in the .same way. and yet the writ(;r of this has l»een accused of want of j)ati'iotism Itecause, in answer to an Knglish maga/.ine, in which (Muigrants with mc.ins are ad vised to pjiss tlii'ongh Nova Scotia, he fully justilles tlie r(Miiiirks of the elilor, piiusing the country, but condemning the linaneial institutions. The (act is that the i; % 15 f arc terms 1 can give a bo so, to tlin asod on pure that all can t so ? I don't U tlie attou- n and Abel ; lainly blames is jfonerally teachings to life what a Canada, but t, to <,'o no kdiolo matter ally believes a great deal wakening. IS, C.E. ist moans of oy Dill, and y are vision- d discovery ny hens are Iced of than ubject, both Lie and this ; time. To •om almost nprofi table ny ordinary nt flnanoial HMnselves. nd, in one as thi;y do •aid lal)or l»rolitable ' [)rt)|t('rty I, stoi'y is any work- ini([uitoiis tor of this Hi Knglish ss thivtiigh tisiiig the is that the m idea so pievalent in this Province that everything must be done for us ]iy otiitrs while we look on and enjoy the Ixmefit, must be thoroughly eradicated by sound reason and common sense before we can enjoy any amount of pri'sperity. Were it possible for emigrants or even natives with skill and capital to meet success as agriculturists, it might iie a diilerent matter, Imt it is simply an arithmetical impossibility, as the writer's pamplilet plainly show ; so each must do their share — legislature, fi\rMU :•, woiking man, and last and perhaps least of all the capitalist; as mom y \\'\i\\ proper knowledge and measures for security is at a tremen- dous discount everywheie. Hefoi'e continuing the practical di.scussiofi on hay selling, I will merely remark, that after years of cor federation it is at h;a.st uncomfortabh' suggestive that it should be left to the Premier as Hie only one to (!ndor.se \ lews that have been so faithfully and consist! nUy advocatt'd by the wiiter foia (juarter of a century. That these thoroughly sound and constitution;!] measures have only boon in practice in one section of the Dominion is a very gra\e rellection, to say the least, on some of our legislators, if the system of lo:in.s, as carried on in Ontario is I'ight and i)roper and can be justified, then we in Nova tScolia have licen treated most disgracefully. I merely e.stal)lishing the principle of tenant and landlord, without its advantages and none of its objections, in fact ajtproaching the great desideratum of all good thinking philantliroj»ists, that every poor man who wishes can share the benefits of the land equally with tiie rich, and to do that he must have the means to nnike that land valuable or anything but a burden, and these nu ans can only be furnished by institutions constitutionally established for that purpose. At present, we in the Maritime Province are pretty much in the same state as our neighbors in the neigh- boring lle|iul)lic, whether in attempting to avoid an aristocratic scylht, they are in danger of stianding on a plutocratic Charybdis, as a sound oligarchy is our only salvation, and this can be establisheJ l)y a sound system of finance. To exemplify the hay .story by illustration : an ox weighing seven hundred weight of Ijcef an I put up in say November, would consume tin; twenty pounds of hay per diem for 200 day.s, and would cqme out in the sj)ring exactly as he went in, if not poorer, the food merely supjilying tlu^ heat of the body and ordinary waste of the lij^.sr.es. (-ouM he lie mad'.^ to eonsum(; douljle the quantity, which on acciaii.t of its bulk would be impossible, then a fair p 'olit would be made or at all events, the faruKM' would be paid a fair nuirket vnlue for his hay plus the uianuri'. That he can coiulense that surplus hay is almo.st an inqiossibiliiy, conse(pu'ntly \n\ is eompt'lled to go into supplimentary feidiiig, giving moic coni'cntrated food, and this food has to lie pur- chased, and a cash price paid, which is an investment that our farmer does not feel inclined to go into. Now wh:it is tin; result of all this ? that the hay er gniss cro|»s is completely sacrificed as raw material, and this in a country that prides itself on its capacity for protecting manu- factiiring interests. " " " V.S.- • • •• • •• • •> • « "* t * * • • • • • •• • • • • t • I • • • • • t I " • • • • « . - • < * I '. • • • • > • • I • •J