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Ipiia
mTRODUCTION TO A PAMPHLET
ENTITLED
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liiiHiicKiIliJ nni
|i|oriilIi| AtiHiilereil/'
BEAMING ON THE
PRESENT POLITR!AL CRISIS.
BY /\LFRED THOMAS, C.E.,
AutlKtr of "('Min]';irisons ol Imi-HsU and Anicrioan Furniing.'
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" 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 re<pu!sting Dr. Saunders, tli(i iieud of the Experimental
J'^arin, who pronounced most favoral>ly, 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
\
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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-
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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 iutiniat<! commercial tran.sactions with u country
J
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that has completely paralysed its f;voiites;t industry by institutions that
■we utterly condemn, find that to the detiiiuent of u country that lias
enriched and cnobhid herself, and can do the sunie ; to us tlirouyh those
very institutions. That is another story :ilto_i,'otlior ; tlio i-cniedy and cause
of this state of niliiirs arc etiuidly absurd nud illosioal. As to the forni(n*,
it is about on a paralhl with tliat yivi^n to little l5o Peep on that
celebrated occMsion well known to cliildi'en. and as to th(j latter, the
writer altogether mistakes cause for eileet ; the youiiij; men Iciiving their
farms was not the cause of the depression in agriculture but the effect.
In plain terms, they saw no chance ahead ; i\nd so it would be with us,
if there was any ])lace to go to. Don't let tiie render imagine for one
moment that 1 am attempting to cast relleotiou or ridicule on the great
American nation, that I have so great a respect for. Tlie matter is
altogether too serious, and for my jiart I never can forget the kindness
and delicately concealed attention shown me as a small boy when first
crossing the Atlantic— things done for me without even my knowledge
which 1 doubfc vei y mucli whether many cf njy own countrymen would
have thought of unless the case was |)rominently brought before them.
Again quite lately I have heard Ameiicans defending Knglishmeu and
English institutions when unjustly attacked in a way that the writer
would hardly dare to. The self-reliance and independence of J^higlish-
men, aijd which our ])resBnt aysttnn would deprive; us of, a[)pear particu-
larly to have impressed these gentlemen present. Still you are not real-
izing Charles Dickens' expectations us expressed in the finale of
Martin (Jhezzlewit, and there is no getting over tlie fact that you
are too prejudiced and insular ; yes, I use the term although it is
a ])retty big island ; your ])reju(iiee against the landeil aristocracy
of England may only amuse them, but it certainly hurts you. I am
not defending them by any means ; they are perfectly able to take care
of themselves, always clever, experienced in land management, and now
adversity has sharpened their wits we hail better take care that they
are not too much for us. So much for the pamphlet ; may it be well
read.
I now come to tin? other production referred to — the statement of
the number of mortgage.s, bills of sale and judgments on i-ecord.
Several gentlemen, knowing that J. study this subject, have asked me
what ] think of the matter, and the answer is, I. really don't know. 1
have not investigatc^d it or looked at it from the point of vicnv that you
do at all ; but it certainly has ex|>lain(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
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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<T the
lid, nionil
trouble
bout in a
1 success,
the very
rated the
id of the
otians or
g iis the
to trade,
red to he
t not on3
lis is the
The fact
! motto at
r ; lot nio
ae of tho
jhosphato
) a hirgo
thorough
\\\\; what
'iling the
his given
hinlv you
tirst-class
iiiid tile
tell you
and the
hiiig ; he
origiual
lid ai'gue
nw ol the
borrowed
I. A toil
iiiinionia,
nth<'r is
It'll iissis-
)rlciii ' ill
harmoniously. Tf, as a leading Halifax paper states, we could throw all
rotation over, then it might work, but unfortunately, that would entail
the feeding of weeds of which you would grow any amount, and
rotations require through drainage, and it is perhaps necessary more in
N(»va Scotia than anywhei-e,a!id even wli(;re rotations are fully e .taMished
as they must be in some [)yits of Onr.ario, I Avouid say to be cautioas,
an<l do not ignore the sound rule of agiicultuial tinanoial economy, but
sul)stitute stulFs inferior as food for man, but rich in manurial
ingredients ; you will make slightly inferior meat in quality but you
will not l)e exhausting your capital. With (J.itario selling her apatite
and coprolites to enrich Mnglish estates, lean cattle to be finislied off
on the same jiroperties, malting barleys exported without an ecjuivalent
return : tin; great north-west export uig wheat at a cost of thirty cents
per bushel deterioration, Nova Scotia literally sacrificing her grass crop
for want of (tapital to manufacture it, nothing but the most judicious
and enliy;ht(!ned leijislation can save us from the sad fate of our neigh-
bors, and yet in the face of these facts we have ignorant and self
conceited m^n constantly interfering in our business, attempting, as
they call it to eheciv the borrowing propensity of the farmers which
means, in diverting English capital into other countries; even
Ontario has a tremendous competitor in the English farmer who can
use all his resources as working capital I refer again to the story of
incumbrances as indicating the state of the c juntry ; could the present
writer have borrowed money for the purchase of lean cattle to fatten on
his grass, a bill of s de would have been filed for the amount, and old
mother (iiundv, sitting in her i)ank parlor, would have refused him any
temporary accommodation on these grounds, and yet the writer declares,
that it would have at least tn^bled his income. If Ontario is borrowing
money for the ])urpose of t;l(> 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 fe<!ding .stuils are liberally used,
and your laniier berone'S a niiinufactiiicr. A great deal is talked about
loyalty and jia(i'it>l 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 w<iilh lM)wiiig obeiliei c(.'
12
to at all, and no ono recoj^nises tliis more than Hei' Msijesty, she fully
recognising her power and where it cnionates from.
THE PEEMIEil AND THE GOVl^llNMENT POLICY
REVIEWED.
Since writing the preceeding pages, we have received a visit from
the Premier, who has generally doclnied the government policy for th(!
future, also justiryiug the past action. Whether it will be satisfactory to
the county at large or not, I am \inpie]»ared to say, and a*s far as the
writer is concerned he would merely 'i^'mark, that g<nera!Iy it is
entirely in accordance with his ideas ; the only trouble licing that no
system of legislation for the future to meet the present emergency,
caused, not only by the action of the United States, but l)y past
neglect, is even as much as hinted at. This as the whole tenor of this
brochure will show is perhaps (juite excusable, and might be anticipated.
The remarks made regarding the system of borrowing money, both l>y
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 <i;i'0;»t
capital cM\
?s, ami this
an error of
cal system,
uimitos but
iasm, and a
to the final
ndivi(lu:ils ;
as possible
t the same
iiirality aro
II (if money
istly or not
swor to the
,|>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- \ .<y and sound political economy, as
we aic legislating for the country, and indirectly for party, instead
of for the people, literally opening up the country, for you cannot
eall it developing, at the cost of happy homes and lives of the people.
The r(?.sult may be seen in the almost innumerable homesteads occupied
by strangers, and each of which can tell its own story of a household's
v.reck, and still this work goes on. As a neighboring farmer remarked
to the present writer only the other day, " What in the name of
common sense i.s the use of the showing the effect of their tile
draining at Nappnnf Have Ave not seen the same work skillfully
carried on for ten years consecutively under our own eyes? and
the result bettei- to the land than ever we anticipated, but disas-
trous to you in the extreme ; con.'-e({uently, in carrying this opening
up system, und(!r jiresent circumstances, we are legislating for a future
generation, as far as the real producers of the country are concerned,
and the worst of the matter is that the non-producers, the mere hangers-
on, are benefitted immediately, the same as they are V)y the banking
system, which does not produce a blade of grass, a barrel of apples or a
pound of beef. It must b(? plain to the reader from the foregoing
lemavks, that the general government are far more justified in borrow-
ing money foi- expenditure on public works that are non-productive
than the local are sim))]y for the reason that they may not be
altogether unproductive ; tliey also eome out of the general expenditure.
It must also be patent that to justify the expenditure of both the local
and the general government, the ])roducing capacity of the country
must be looked to and not thrown on those utterly unable to sustain
the ijurden. This has not been done excej)t in Ontario, and our local
government declares that it lias neither the means or the ])ower to
accomj'li.sh anything in this way : if this is really the case, then any
system that reduces the <luties and res})onsibilities to so limited a
spliere is altogether too ex[)ensive as at present for the country ; if on
the other luind, it is within their power and means to place this pro-
vince on the same footing as Ontaiio, they have been guilty of negli-
gence and extiavagaiu'C.
If there is anything at all that will h.xvo a tendency to break down
the confederation and piev;>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.-
• • ••
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• • • • t •
I • • • •
• t
I " • •
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