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somewhat bitterly of the " unemployed" in Toronto in the winters of 1907 and 1908, and seemed to think that injudicious charity had provided strong temptation to idlers and loafers to fight shy of work which could have been got. He gave me instances which showed how very careful the immigration authorities are to keep touch, so far as possible, with immigrants who have been found places by them. Mr. Stewart spoke also about deportations, He is the officer charged by the Department at Ottawa with the task of making investigations in the Toronto district before an order of deportation is made. He said that such an investigation is preliminary to the issue of an order in practically every case except those in which there has been a criminal conviction. It was quite evident that he took the investigations very seriously, and that he was scrupulously careful not to recommend the issue of an order unless he was completely satisfied. He had been concerned in the Oshawa deporta- tions at a later stage than the experiences of Mr. Blake Robertson referred to above. He described to me the detail in which he inquired into the cases. spoke particularly of a man called Hedges, who made something of a fuss on his He return to England. He made particularly careful enquiries in that case, because Hedges averred that he had been promised work. It turned out that the statement was quite untrue, and that the people in whose employment Hedges had originally been gave him a very unsatisfactory character. notice. Mr. Stewart maintained that the deported persons had full time to dispose I raised the point of shortness of of anything which really belonged to them, but the furniture of most of them, such as it was, was got on the hire system and had not been paid for. Most of them also left their landlords very short of rent.

I next called on Mr. D. Sutherland, the (Provincial) Director of Colonisation. He explained that the Provincial Government was not doing much in the way of obtaining, receiving, and placing out immigrants. over that work for the Province of Ontario to the Dominion Immigration Agency A few years ago they handed established in Toronto. But they were not altogether sure that they would not again have to begin to make efforts on their own account, in addition to anything the 'Dominion authorities might continue to do. Ontario was seriously short both of farmers and farm help. North-West. Farm labourers and farmers' sons were drawn off there in large numbers. The Province was very hard hit by the glamour of the As the old generation of holders fell out, the younger was no longer there to replace it. Farms had to be disposed of. lack of help. Mr. Sutherland was inclined to think that the Dominion advertise- The newcomer, like the old occupier, would feel the ments were not altogether fair (unconsciously, no doubt) to the older Provinces. Too much was made of the golden possibilities of the North-West, and too little was heard of the substantial opportunities afforded by Ontario. The Provincial Government were establishing at Jordan, in the fruit district, an experimental fruit farm, which would aim at doing for the fruit-growing industry what Guelph is doing for the grower of cereals and the stock raiser. Mr. Sutherland consented to act as a local correspondent of the Emigrants' Information Office.

I called also at the Department of Agriculture. Minister, and the Deputy Minister was in England. I arranged that all the publi- I was unable to see the cations of the Department should be sent to the Emigrants' Information Office. The Department also very courteously arranged to place a Government Inspector at my disposal for a trip in the fruit district near Hamilton.

In the afternoon I visited the Women's Welcome Hostel, and had an interesting talk of some hours with Miss Fitz Gibbon. The hostel is subsidised by the Ontario Government, and just manages to make both ends meet by means of the Government subsidy and the charges which it makes to girls who stay more than twenty-four hours. Miss Fitz-Gibbon meets girls of approved character sent out by certain agencies and societies, and arranges for settling the girls in situations. No fee is charged either to the girl or to the employer. The hostel is most comfortable and evidently well managed, and appears to be conducted on the most highly commendable lines. Miss Fitz-Gibbon herself is a lady of great force of intellect and of high character. Besides knowing pretty well all there is to know about the immigration of women, she takes a keen interest in all other aspects of the immigration question, and her conversation was most instructive on many points.

There was, of course, the usual demand for domestic servants, but there is no opening for housekeepers. For various reasons they are a class for which there is practically no demand. The competent "general" or "cook-general" is the one who is sure of the best welcome. Miss Fitz-Gibbon was clearly of opinion that the class of

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