WHAT BRITAIN MIGHT DO. 109

scheme of state-aided emigration. In the first
place, there exists in Canada, based on past experience,
 a strong prejudice against what are contemptuously
 termed “ pap-fed” immigrants. Secondly,
there is very little doubt that any attempt to assist
operatives and mechanics to go to Canada would,
for the present at any rate, be opposed by the
Canadian operatives, and especially by the trades
unions. This, however, would be no bar to
assisting men who go as agriculturists, and
something could undoubtedly be done to help
them judiciously, and increase in their eyes the
already preponderating advantages of going to
Canada. The Canadian prejudice against “papfed”
 immigrants is based upon the idea, often a
true one, that they are usually so sent because they
are undesirables. If this could be overcome the
prejudice would probably disappear. There is
already a Canadian immigration office in London.
If some sort of Government office for assisting
emigration to the colonies could be founded whose
functions would consist in examining the credentials
of intending emigrants, and, if satisfactory, passing
them on to the Canadian office for approval, a good
class of men could probably be got and the
responsibility for them shared by both Governments.
State aid could then take whatever form was
considered most useful, either loans to assist
passages or capital with which to start farming
operations. That it would be possible to repay
these loans in a comparatively short time seems