LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
[Letters of the length of one of our leading paragraphs are often more read, and therefore more effective, than those which Pt treble the space.]
THE CATTLE EMBARGO.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
Sra,—If you will allow me to say so, your article has many inconsistencies.
(1) You say, in effect, that we want more store cattle to increase the manure. How long have we been short of cattle? Since 1892, when the embargo was put on, our head of cattle have increased nearly two million (20 per cent.). The Canadian stores that came before 1893 never exceeded 50,000 per annum. 'You state that the Royal Commission has been forgotten. Are you aware that they stated, in effect, that imported stores would largely replace home-bred ones? Where, then, is the increase? Have you compared the head of cattle, excluding dairy cattle, with total arable acreage? If you had done so, you would have found an increase of cattle per 1,000 acres arable. As to manure, dung is humus and nitrogen; it is exceedingly expensive to handle. The better practice, where possible, is to get nitrogen from clovers, the humus by plough- ing in green crops or sward. Sward was the manure that grew the War wheat. As to the farmers who could have bought more stores. Does anyone buy live or dead stock if he can help it on a falling market?
(2) As to Protection. Are you going to initiate Colonial Preference with the Canadian bullock? What system are you going to put in place of that of exclusion? The old licence system? Or is your Amending Bill to refer only to Canadian cattle and no others?
(3) The pledge. Have you read the White Paper? If you do so you will find the most amazing contradictions in five and a half pages. Will you believe that neither of the Canadian representatives knew that our Act applied to all countries equally, and that Lord Ernie and Lord Long, who spoke " sub- ject to correction," did not realize that the repeal of an Act of Parliament was involved.
(4) What are your views on the Constitutional question involved? Let us admit that Ministers in exercising the King's prerogatives can bind the Government, but can they in matters which pertain to Parliament bind the Legislature? What a precedent you want us to make!
(5) You say that the Canadian Government have been patient. Which Government? Sir Robert Borden was defeated a few months ago. Have we heard what Mr. King's Ministry think of it?
(6) You talk of the Canadian grievance arising from 1892. Why was not the matter mentioned at the Defence Council in 1909, or the Imperial Conference in 1911, or yet when the Dominion Resources Commissioner accumulated evidence right
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