Most unhappily, as I hold, that offer was not accepted by the British Government.  If this had been done, by now hundreds of English families would have been transferred from conditions of want at home in the English towns, into those of peace and plenty upon the land abroad.  Moreover, the recent rise in the value of Canadian land has been so great that the scheme would not have cost the British taxpayer a halfpenny, or so I most firmly believe.

Unfortunately, however, my scheme was too novel in its character to appeal to the official mind, especially as its working would have involved a loan repayable by instalments, the administration of which must have been entrusted to the Salvation Army or to other charitable Organizations.  So this priceless opportunity was lost, probably for ever, as the new and stricter emigration regulations adopted by Canada, as I understand, would make it extremely difficult to emigrate the class I hoped to help, namely, indigent people of good character, resident in English cities, with growing families of children.

Young men, especially if they have been bred on the land, and young marriageable women are eagerly desired in the Colonies, including Australia; but at families, as we have read in recent correspondence in the newspapers, they look askance.

’Why do they not want families in Australia?  I asked Colonel Lamb.

’Because the trouble of housing comes in.  It is the same thing in Canada, it is the same thing all through the Colonies.  They do not want too much trouble,’ he answered.

These words define the position very accurately.  ‘Give us your best,’ say the Colonies.  ’Give us your adult, healthy men and women whom you have paid to rear and educate, but don’t bother us with families of children whom we have to house.  Above all send us no damaged articles.  You are welcome to keep those at home.’

To my mind this attitude, natural as it may be, creates a serious problem so far as Great Britain and Ireland are concerned, for the question will arise, Can we afford to go on parting with the good and retaining the less desirable?

On this subject I had a long argument with Colonel Lamb, and his answer to the question was in the affirmative, although I must admit that his reasons did not at all convince me.  He seemed to believe that we could send out 250,000 people, chosen people, per annum for the next ten years without harm to ourselves.  Well, it may be so, and, as he added, ‘we are in their (that is, the Colonies’) hands, and have to do what they choose to allow.’

Also his opinion was that ’the best thing possible for this country is wholesale emigration,’ of course of those whom the Colonies will accept.  He said, ’People here are dissatisfied with their present condition and want a change.  If we had money to assist them, there is practically no limit to the number who want to go.  There are tens of thousands who would conform to the Canadian regulations.  One of the things we advise the man who has been forced out of the country is that rather than come into the town he should go to the Colonies.’