14 
world—indeed, our shipments of wheat in 1922 were sufficient 
to meet the importing needs of Great Britain, France and the 
Netherlands combined ; and, as our crop this year bids fair 
to be fifty million bushels heavier than last, this lead will 
probably be retained. Our mining production during the 
first six months of 1923 is 40 per cent. in excess of that of 
the similar period last year. Canada controls the world’s 
markets in asbestos, cobalt and nickel; of the world’s output 
of asbestos 88 per cent. is produced by the province of 
Quebec, while 80 per cent. of the world’s output of cobalt and 
nickel comes from Canada. The “barometric” industries 
of iron and steel have gone up 150 per cent. since last year. 
Building is on the most extensive scale in ten years past. 
Gross railway earnings to date show an increase of $20 
millions over last year. Our foreign trade has gone up from 
a total of $1,500 millions to one of nearly $1,750 millions in 
the last twelve months. Best indication of all: the official 
index number of general employment stands to-day at its 
highest in over three years. 
But a larger view than this is necessary from the stand- 
point it is now desired to emphasize, namely, the field which 
Canada presents for the profitable investment of capital. 
During the first twelve years of this century, Canada absorbed 
perhaps more capital from outside than any other country. 
She certainly, in those years, received the lion’s share of 
capital exported by Great Britain. Between 1906 and 1913, 
Sir George Paish estimated that Great Britain exported £480 
millions to the British Empire and £640 millions to foreign 
countries. Of this, Canada alone received £250 millions, or, 
nearly one quarter. The question is, have the results justified 
that confidence, and are we, in Canada, warranted in asking 
for its continuance ? 
The reply is found in our record of basic development 
during the past decade. In our primary industry of agriculture, 
we used to plant, before the war, some 35 million acres 
annually to field crops; we now plant over 50 million acres. 
On the side of animal husbandry, the numbers of live stock 
on Canadian farms has increased by 47 per cent.—a greater 
percentage growth than is shown by any other leading live 
stock country. Our fisheries are, with the possible exception 
of those of the North Sea, the most valuable in the world, 
and we have developed them from an average catch of 
$32 millions before the war to one of $50 millions during 
the past five years. The annual production of our forests 
in lumber and pulp is now valued at over $400 millions, 
and we have nearly 400,000 square miles of commercial 
timber. In minerals, as an index of the general growth,