INDUSTRIAL CANADA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2354, 21 November 1908, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL CANADA.

IMMIGRATION V. SETTLEMENT

“There have been few labor troubles’ in Canada since the introduction of the Lemieux Act,” rmarked Dr B. M. Coulter, the Canadian Commissioner in Sydney. This Act bus its name from Mr U. Lemieux. IC.C., the Postmaster-General and Minister of Labor,- who introduced it it aims at conciliation. This conciliation is taken advantage of before any disruption occurs between the parties“lt is” says the Commissioner, “made .a’penal offence for labor to go 'out on strike, or for capital to cause a lockout —unless conciliation has been tried. There is provision tor a board: tho men appoint one commissioner and the employers one, and it the parties cannot agree as to a Chairman, the Government steps in and mikes the appointment. In the majority of cases the finding of -tins board are accepted. “One reason for the success or the Act,” added Dr Coulter, “has been the bringing together of the parties before the blood gets hot. In the case of the Canadian Pacific Hallway strike tlie finding of the board was flouted, but after three months th. men went back on the terms the board had fixed. Public sympathy was against the men in this strike loi not respecting the board s finding. Tliis was the only serious conflict- since the passing of the Act. „ - , “There is no organised Labor party in the Dominion. But,” says the Commissioner, “there is a healthy Labor sentiment, -and the interests ot the workers arc in no way ignoicd. Immigration lias, according to Dr Coulter, dono much for Dumdum development. During tho months .o* March, April -and May, the heginnino- of the season, immigrants were “arriving at tho rate oi 00,000 a month. Later tlio influx aias teduced by the financial crisis in America, and tho efforts of the Canadian Government to prevent any hut fanmers coming forward. The United .States sent many good men of the farnmig type. Tho men sent through thelsalvation Army had also been -good citizens. Tho Army say that its men go clown oil 'the s-oil „ clumping process at all. The oversea tnado with Great B tain land Canada has increased considerably of laic, anil Dr Coulter remarked that Canada had a desire also to develop trade relations with other countries. This, he said, -was one of the .reasons why the Dominion now desired the All. lted route service to be extended in tlie direction of Australia, as well as elsewhere. The aim was for Imperial amity. The trade with the -United Kingdom had developed from 31 million -dollars to oyer 80 million dollars in a few years. He mentioned that there had been ..considerable development in the agricul-tural-industry and in mining. The new silver mine *at Cohalt (about 16 miles, from Toronto) contained the finest silver in the-world.