The Henson Journals

[61]

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Friday, September 20th, 1912. Winnipeg.

It rained heavily all night, & continued to rain all day. The farmers draw long faces, for much corn is yet uncut.

I wrote letters to Reggie Still, Cyril Hayward, & later in the day to Marion, Clarence Stock, & Gow.

Max Dennistoun entertained me at lunch in the Manitoba Club. Mr Sam Evans, Mr McRae, Aubrey, & Dr Gordon were the other guests. After lunch I had an interesting conversation with Dr Gordon (Ralph Connor).He expressed an eager desire for ecclesiastical unity, gave me an account of the progress of the unity–project which, he thought, was making slow but sure way, described the extremely unsatisfactory position in which the Churches now stand in Canada, & said that it was very desirable that the Presbyterians and Anglicans should unite. Of course the question of Orders emerged. He gave me an example from his own observation of the hopeless failure of 'sacerdotalism' among the colonists in the newly settled districts. But the situation was too grave to allow of continued acquiescence in denominational strife. He said that the Presbyterians, admittedly superior to Anglicans in wealth & numbers, were unable at the present time to fill 200 charges: the Anglicans were in no better case. He admitted the practical inefficiency of the Presbytery system, & said that his church had been driven to adopt a superintendency. There were now 12 superintendents [62] [symbol] at the present time, who were practically bishops without the name. He said that the churches were rapidly losing the prominent position which even so recently as 10 years since they had held in Canada. While we thus conversed a certain Mr Jones, who said that he was from England where his brother was Chairman of the Free Church Federation, addressed us. He said that, for his part, though a supporter of Disestablishment, he would leave all the endowments to the Church. After Ralph Connor had departed, I remained in the club & wrote letters.

The boy in buttons was evidently eager to attract my attention. I asked him where he hailed from. He said that he came from Nottingham, that he had been but a few months in the country, that he received 4 dollars per week together with his food. He volunteered the information that he was a total abstainer though he had to serve alcohol to the gentlemen of the Club. He said he had never seen in England so much drunkenness as he had seen in Winnipeg. Indeed he seemed really impressed by the fact. This boy's statement confirms the unfavourable impression made on me by the record in Montreal of holiday drunkenness. I must add that I observed with some surprise the Club–members coming in at 5 p.m. & calling for alcohol – port wine, gin & water, whiskey &c.

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Max Dennistoun rejoined me about 5 p.m., & we had tea. We were joined by rather a grim–looking old person – a doctor named Chown – who was nursing a recently broken arm. He said that he had been 32 years in Winnipeg: that when he first arrived there were no foreigners save a colony of Icelanders, & a colony of Jews, which had been introduced with a view to agriculture but had resolutely clung to the town. He thought there was now as many as 10,000 Jews in the city. The mention of Jews occasioned me to refer to Chamberlain's book, "The Foundations of the XIXth Century", & rather to my surprise I found that Dr Chown had just finished reading it. He expressed an exceeding interest in the book.

Max Dennistoun presented me with a fine Moose's head, which he possessed.

There was a pleasant dinner party. I had much interesting conversation with several of the guests, especially with the late Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, Sir Daniel Macmillan. He remembered Winnipeg with but 200 people in it. We spoke of the buffalo. He said that in a single year 137,000 hides were sent to a single centre. Regina was until 1882 known as Piled–bones City.

The Americans rejoiced at anything which injured and enfeebled the Indian: & the Canadians took no pains [64] to save the most magnificent of their wild creatures.

We spoke of the German menace, & he declared that only the dead weight of the French Roman Catholics hindered the Canadians from liberally contributing to the Navy.

Judge Macdonald expressed much interest in the Putumayo Atrocities, of which he had but the vaguest notion that I promised to present a copy of the Blue Book to the Manitoba Club.

Max told me of the curious arrangement by which an official stipend of 7000 dollars is paid to the Leader of the Opposition in the Dominion Parliament. It was thought that the public interest demanded the constant attendance at Ottawa of that gentleman, & that he could hardly in fairness be expected to give such constant attendance at his own personal loss. There could hardly be imagined a more grotesque expression of constitutional government as we understand it.

In this country there is no sharp distinction between solicitors & barristers as among ourselves in England. There is a practical distinction recognized by the granting of the K.C. The Judiciary is very numerous, there being no fewer than 10 judges for Manitoba alone with a population of about 500,000. There are district Bars in the Provinces.

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Issues and controversies: Putumayo