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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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Reference :-
C.O. 885
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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Mrs. Close hopes to be able to move in the matter again when she returns to England in the autumn.
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Among the passengers on the "Empress of Britain Warden of Bradfield. His primary object was to attend the meeting of the British was Dr. H. B. Gray, the Association at Winnipeg. But he was charged with a mission on behalf of the Headmasters' Conference, viz., to try to start in Winnipeg, Montreal, and possibly Vancouver, local advisory committees who would assist with advice and informa- tion public school boys wishing to settle in Canada. The idea is that these com- mittees should work through and with an association in this country run by the Headmasters' Conference. Through this machinery a public school boy thinking of going to Canada would get good general advice as to the best method of procedure and the best field for his activities, and possibly also detailed information as to land which he could purchase or farms on which he could acquire experience. The local committees would also act as friendly advisers to boys on their arrival and during their career in Canada. I gave Dr. Gray a copy of the "Canada Handbook and discussed the subject with him generally. We shall hear rough Mr. W. A. Evans, the Secretary of the movement, what measure of success has been attained.
STEERAGE Passengers.
One morning I accompanied the captain in his inspection of the ship. I looked attentively at the steerage accommodation, and found it good. The cabins were very comfortable, some containing four berths, some six. These were allotted to families and women travelling alone. The residue of the men had “ perhaps twenty berths in a block, with a canvas screen about 18 inches high open berths," separating each berth from its neighbours, and gangways between the blocks. The lavatories and bathrooms were fully adequate. Under the forecastle was a large space used as a playroom in wet weather. There was a smoking room on one side and a children's room on the other. These were, of course, in addition to the deck space available for steerage passengers, which is extensive, and is made full use of by the emigrants. The food was plentiful and good.
I stayed in the steerage a couple of hours, talking to individuals haphazard. None had any complaint to make of their treatment, except that one or two men spoke with some feeling against the "o. b's." (open berths).
I also had a talk with the Inspector on the boat. independence who makes his report direct to the head office of the Company on He is an official of some the conclusion of each voyage. passengers, especially those of the 2nd and 3rd class.
He is responsible for the good conduct of the Sergeant-at-Arms," who may hope in the ordinary course to be promoted to the He is assisted by a rank of Inspector. They are both practically in the position of policemen. The Inspector was a retired member of the Liverpool Police Force, and was a fine specimen of a man, standing about 6 feet 3 inches and being broad in proportion. He informed me that he had practically no trouble with the third-class passengers. He had no regular heat, but was among them at all hours, sleeping perhaps for a couple of hours at a time during the night, and making rounds among the passengers in the intervals. The women in the 3rd class had to go below at The
9 p.m.. and were not allowed out of their cabins after that hour. men went down at 10, and were not allowed to move about subsequently. He was quite satisfied that the utmost good conduct prevailed, and he was quite satisfied that nothing could go seriously wrong without his knowing of it. He said that the improvement in the character and standing of the third-class passengers during the last two years or eighteen months was most marked. He volunteered the information that he had more trouble with the second-class pas- sengers, especially the women, than with the third class. He also said that he was often checked in the performance of his duties by agents of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company who embark as ordinary passengers in all three classes, and with whom he was unacquainted by sight or name. changed frequently from boat to boat to prevent their getting too friendly with The inspectors are the crew and so being tempted to wink at malpractices.
QUEBEC.
We reached Quebec about 7 p.m. on Thursday, the 5th of August. I spent the evening in the Immigration Building, watching the 800 3rd-class passengers handled by the immigration authorities. Dr. Lavoie, the Immigration Officer, courteously took me through the whole process, from the waiting hall, past the
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two doctors, one for general health and one specially for eyes, then past the officers conducting the civil examination, and so into the hall in which the emigrants, with their landing cards properly stamped by both medical and civil officers, find themselves at liberty to go and look after their baggage, and generally do as they please until their train starts. I had a talk with the five or six emigration chaplains of different denominations, and with Miss Cornell, the matron of the building, who has been engaged in this work for more than twenty years. The chaplains meet every steamer, and, between them, accost every emigrant as he comes from his examination, and offer him a card of introduction to some clergyman in the district to which he is going. It would really require great ingenuity on the part of an emigrant to escape some kindly word or offer of an introduction on landing in Quebec, apart from anything that is done by the Government officials.
The path of the emigrant is also smoothed in the matter of food. There is a counter at which for 10 cents he can get a big cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa, and a large sandwich of ham and sausage, and a dining-room where, for 25 cents, he can get a pretty substantial meal. I sampled both places in the company of emigrants, having had no other opportunity of getting dinner. There is also a big store at which emigrants can buy pretty well anything in the way of food and household utensils that they may want for the railway journey and immediately afterwards. The store is under Government supervision, though it is run by a private proprietor. The list of prices is revised, and ultimately settled, by the Government officials and the emigration chaplains in concert, and printed lists of prices are posted up all over the hall so that there is no chance of an emigrant being charged unfairly. I had a talk with the proprietor of the store and obtained a copy of the list of prices. They are, naturally, subject to variation from time to time.
All to whom I spoke, both officials and voluntary workers, were unanimous in declaring that the type of immigrant had improved greatly within the last eighteen months. I was told that the two "Empress" boats in particular always brought an excellent lot of 3rd-class passengers. Mr. Caffin, the senior Church of England emigration chaplain, had come across in the "Empress of Britain," and he confirmed my own impression of the high level of respectability among the 3rd-class passengers on that boat. I was told that, if I could get down to the Building at 6 o'clock the next morning, I should see emigrants from the Continent landed from the "Corinthian" who would he of a distinctly inferior type. I did not reach the Building next morning until the 140 emigrants from the "Corinthian" and 400 from the Tunisian" (which we had passed on the voyage) had been examined. But there were numbers of the emigrants still about, and I was again agreeably surprised at their respectable and clean appearance. I was told that out of all three boats there had been only four or five detentions among those whose final destination was Canada, and twenty among those who were bound for the United States. Immigrants of the latter class are dealt with in a separate building by officials of the United States.
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I saw a party of fifty or sixty children bound for Miss MacPherson's Home at Stratford. They looked very healthy, clean, and intelligent.
I had a talk with Captain le Bel, the Provincial Immigration Agent, and watched him handling emigrants, who, having satisfied the Dominion officials, wanted to settle in the Province of Quebec. It was the usual story. There was plenty of demand for farm labourers and domestic servants, and these he could place at once. There was also a certain demand for artisans, and, as a rule, he could place them also in moderate numbers. But the demand was not great.
I found that Mr. Fyles had retired from the post of emigration chaplain. Mr. Caffin, who succeeded him, was about to be transferred to Vancouver. I therefore arranged with the Reverend W. H. Cassap, who was to take over Mr. Caffin's work in Quebec, that he should act as the local correspondent of the Emigrants' Information Office in that town.
I had not time to visit the Immigration Hospital, which is about two miles from the docks, before leaving for Montreal at midday.
MONTREAL
arrived in Montreal on the evening of Friday, the 6th of August. The next morning I called on Mr. Marquette, the Provincial Immigration Agent. He spoke very forcibly and definitely about the necessity of the regulations as to the posses- sion of funds on landing and as to persons sent out by emigration societies or at the cost of public funds, and about the success which had attended the intro-
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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C.O.
Reference :-
885
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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duction of these regulations. He asserted that a striking improvement was already manifest in the type of immigrant coming from the United Kingdom. He had not the least difficulty in placing immigrants on the land. He further said that any strong, healthy man, whether used to the land or not, was certain to get on in Canada, provided that he were willing to turn his hand to anything that offered in the first instance. That, he said, was just the difference between the ordinary British immigrant and the immigrant from the Continent of Europe. The latter might in many ways not be so desirable as the Britisher, but he was always ready to take any employment that offered, while the Britisher would stick ont for his own trade, or even for his own special branch of a trade. Months or years might elapse before he got the very thing he wanted, while all the time there was a demand for able-bodied men in other occupations. Mr. Marquette commended the Emigrants Information Office publications, and said that, before he had talked to an immigrant two minutes, he knew from his general view of things whether he had been to the Emigrants' Information Office for information and advice. He asked that he might be furnished regularly with the Emigrants' Information Office publications.
I next called on Mr. Hoolahan, the Dominion Immigration Agent. He con- firmed generally Mr. Marquette's views of the necessity of the restrictions and the success which had attended them. He handed me on to Mr. Stanford, of his office, formerly of the office of the High Commissioner in London. Mr. Stanford appeared to possess a very intimate knowledge of the details of the immigration work, and I had a very profitable talk with him. that it was too early yet to say that they had got rid of all the undesirables intro- In the matter of deportations, he thought duced before the restrictive regulations came into play, but he thought that it might be possible to say so soon. Although the order for each deportation is made in Ottawa, the details are carried out by the Dominion authorities in the district concerned, and this sometimes results in a man getting another chance. If, while he is waiting at the Immigration Office to be shipped, it appears that a man whose deportation has been ordered is well conducted and energetic, representations are made to Ottawa, the order is suspended, and another opportunity for settling down is given. Mr. Stanford quoted specific instances in which this had happened.
I spoke about delay in dealing with letters of invitation from people settled in Canada to friends or relatives in the United Kingdom. He said that all such letters had to be referred to Ottawa, and that, as far as the Montreal Office was concerned, they were passed on without any delay.
In the afternoon I visited the Andrews Home. Canon Renaud was away, but I was taken round by Mr. Dalton, the janitor, who explained everything_to me in great detail. Mr. Dalton seemed a very capable and sympathetic man. has himself had considerable experience of life in its rougher aspects in Canada, He including that in lumber camps. He appeared to me very well qualified to advise newcomers as to their procedure. He was strongly of opinion that the restrictive regulations had had an excellent effect. Someone from the Home meets all boats and trains carrying emigrants to Montreal. The Home can accommodate up to 70 or 80 inmates at a pinch. The women's quarters are on one floor, the men's on another. The accommodation seemed to me good. Thanks to the network of clergy all over the country the home has great success in placing out rts protégés, and can point to a very high percentage of situations found.
I also called on Mrs. Francis, of the Women's Domestic Guild. She explained to me that her organisation is not a charity. It does not pretend to give girls who emigrate in connection with it any financial assistance beyond advancing the whole or a part of the passage money, which the girls bind themselves to repay out of their wages when they get a situation. The girls are carefully looked after on the voyage. Someone in responsible charge always travels in the same boat, and special accommodation is set apart for the girls in the third class. Mrs. Francis maintains that second-class travelling is much more demoralising to the girls than third class. They get their heads, turned by associating with people who are their social superiors and run the risk of forming undesirable connections. The girls get 24 hours' board and lodging free in Mrs. Francis's Home; after that they pay a small charge, which just covers expenses. than 24 hours. They are placed out immediately. I looked over the house. The A girl rarely stays in the Home more
• A word of explanation or apology is, perhaps, needed for the use of this word. There are obvious objections to it. But there is no getting over the fact that it is in large colloquial use in Canada, and that it preserves the local flavour of the conversations here recorded far more accurately than the more beautiful expressions "British immigrant" or "immigraut from the United Kingdom."