1909-04-07

Mr. SPEAKER.: I have the honour to inform the House that I have received Mi. FOSTER.
a Message from the Senate, agreeing to the following Bills, without any amendment, viz.:-
Bill (No. 79) An Act respecting the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.
Bill (No. 117) An Act for granting to His Majesty certains sums of money for the public service of the financial years ending respectively the 31st March, 1909, and the 31st March, 1910.


Mr. HENDERSON.: Mr. Speaker, I notice that in reading the announcements from the Senate you say that the Senate has passed the Supply Bill ' without any amendment.' I beg to ask the minister if they have any right to amend it, or why they say that?


Hon. W. S. FIELDING (Minister of Finance).: We had better accept the situation.


David Henderson: I think the Senate is taking a little too much upon itself.



COAL MINERS' STRIKE.

Mr. GEO. TAYLOR.: While we are waiting for the arrival of the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod might I ask the hon. Minister of Labour (Mr. Lemieux) if he has received any late news from the west in reference to the coal strike? I see by the papers that there is a strike on in Alberta and British Columbia and I hear further rumours that it is likely to be settled. Perhaps the minister could give us some definite information.


Hon. RODOLPHE LEMIEUX (Minister of Labour).: Mr. Speaker, in answer to my hon. friend I may say that on the third of April, I received the following telegram:-
Hosmer Mines, B.C., April 3.
Agreement between scale committee representing United Mine Workers and Operators' Association was reached at Macleod. This agreement was submitted to locals for referendum and was carried by majority of over 200 votes. Upon meeting at Macleod to execute agreement Sherman, president district 18, refused to sign agreement. Believe Indianapolis officials will instruct officials dis-tiict 18 to sign agreement as made at Macleod and will insist upon its execution.
(Sgd.) LEWIS STOCKETT.
Since the arrival of this telegram I have received another stating that the officials of the International Union had accepted the agreement and had urged all the miners to abide by that agreement. I regret that I have not this telegram in my possession just now. It is at my office, but from what I learned this morning I believe that by the end of this week all the mines will be in operation. From what 1 understand there is only one man in Canada objecting to the agreement. All the miners have accepted the agreement reached at Macleod.
4:21



MR. MACKENZIE KING.

Mr. SPROTJLE.: I think it would satisfy the curiosity of a good many people if the hon. Minister of Labour (Mr. Lemieux) could give the House any information regarding the whereabouts of the prospective Minister of Labour. The Minister might tell us whether he has been taken possession of by the Mikado or in what part of the habitable world he is resident at the present time, and, if ever, when he is likely to return.


Mr. HUGHES.: Was he sent away to get rid of him?


Rodolphe Lemieux: I do not know to whom my hon. friend refers when he speaks of the prospective Minister of Labour. Probably he refers to some rumours in the papers that Mr. Mackenzie King might be Minister of Labour. That is only a rumour. My hon. friend wishes to know where that hon. gentleman is. Mr. Mackenzie King has attended the sittings of the International Commission appointed to look into the question of the suppression of the opium trade. I understand that the sittings of the commission are at an end and that Mr. Mackenzie King is presently in Pekin. He will sail for Canada very soon now and he will probably report to the House the result of his mission. From the information that we have in the department the mission has been highly successful, and there is every hope that the trade will be regulated in such a way that within a few years it will be completely suppresed in the far east, thanks to the attitude taken by the British authorities who are leading in that very efficient movement. I must say that Mr. King had rather an easy mission so far as Canada is concerned, because, as my hon. friend is aware, last year parliament passed legislation to suppress that trade. A few months were given to the traders of British Columbia to get rid of what opium they had in stock. That time having elapsed a few days ago, Canada is to-day probably the first country on the continent in which the opium trade is completely suppressed except for medicinal purposes.


Thomas Simpson Sproule: The minister has not yet told us the whereabouts of that gentleman
and as opium has a narcotic influence we may assume that Mr. McKenzie King is asleep somewhere.


Rodolphe Lemieux: My hon. friend is aware that Mr. Mackenzie King is never asleep, as he proved during last election.
Mr. HUGHES'. What percentage of the mine owners and mine workers in British Columbia are British subjects owing allegiance to the British flag?


Rodolphe Lemieux: If the hon. gentleman will put that question on the Order Paper I will be glad to get a formal answer for him. There is something in the point that the trouble we have experienced in the west has been caused by the large percentage of foreigners there.


Samuel Hughes: Sure.



THE OLD FORT, TORONTO.

Mr. FOSTER.: I have received communications from certain associations in Toronto with reference to the old fort on the Garrison Common property, and I have not yet been able to place them formally before the House. These gentlemen fear that the street railway may be allowed to pass through the grounds and they have the idea that the government is now assenting to the transfer of the old fort property _ to the city without insisting on the condition that it shall not be used for other than park or exhibition purposes. I would ask the Minister of Finance if he would bring this matter to the attention of the Prime Minister, so that in the meantime, until I can present these petitions in a formal way, the government may do nothing which would lead to the result which these gentlemen fear.


William Stevens Fielding: I am not familiar with the case but I shall be very glad to draw the attention of the Prime Minister to it.



THE ROYAL ASSENT.

James Kirkpatrick Kerr: I have the honour to inform the House that I have received from the secretary of His Excellency the Governor General the following communication:
Ottawa, April 7, 1909.
Sir, I have the honour to inform you that Fis Excellency the Administrator, will proceed to the Senate Chamber this afternoon at 4.15 o'clock, for the purpose of assenting to such Bills as have passed the Senate and the House of Commons.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Your obedient servant,
J. HANBURY WILLIAMS, Colonel,
Governor General's Secretary. The Honourable
The Speaker of the House of Commons.
A message was received from His Excellency the administrator by the gentleman Usher of the Black Rod as follows:
Mr. Speaker, His Excellency the Administrator, desires the immediate attendance of your honourable House, in the Chamber of the honourable the Senate.
Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, with the House, went up to the Senate Chamber.
I And having returned,

Mr. Speaker informed the House that his honour the denuty of His Excellency the Governor General had been pleased to give in His Majesty's name, the Royal Assent to the following Bills:
An Act respecting the Kootenay Central Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada.
An Act respecting the Collingwood Southern Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Brandon Transfer Railway Company.
An Act to amend the Animal Contagious Diseases Act.
An Act to amend the Post Office Act.
An Act respecting the Union Station and other joint facilities of the Grand Trunk Pacifio Railway Company and the Midland Railway of Manitoba, at Portage la Prairie.
An Act to incorporate the Salisbury and Albert Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Huron and Ontario Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Alberta Central Railway Company.
An Aot respecting the Southern Central Pacific Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Toronto, Niagara and Western Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Hudson's Bay and Pacific Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Guelph and Goderich Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Walkerton and Lucknow Railiway Company.
An Act respecting the Vancouver, Westminster and Yukon Railway Company.
An Act respecting the joint section of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company at Port William, Ontario.
An Act to incorporate the Canadian Western Railway Company. (11.)
An Aot to amend the Government Railways Act. (20.)
An Act respecting the Edmonton and Slave Lake Railway Company. (24).
An Act to amend the Railway Act. (21).
An Act respecting the Bank of Vancouver.
An Act respecting the Crawford Bay and St. Mary's Railway Company, and to change its name to ' The British Columbia and Manitoba Railway Company.'
An Act to amend the Dominion Lands Act.
(8.)
An Act respecting the Winnipeg and Northwestern Railway Company.
An Aot respecting the Burrard, Westminster Boundary Railway and Navigation Company.
An Act to incorporate the Western Canadian Life Assurance Company.
An Act to incorporate the British Columbia Life Assurance Company.
An Act to incorporate the Canada National Eire Insurance Company.
An Act respecting the St. Mary's and Western Ontario Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Athabaska Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Alsek and Yukon Railway Company.


James Kirkpatrick Kerr: An Act respecting the Abitibi and Hudson Bav Railway Companv.
An Act respecting the Montreal Terminal Railway Company.
_ An Act respecting the Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Southern Railway Company.
An Act respecting the Mexican Land and Irrigation Company, Limited.
An Act respecting the Brazilian Electro Steel and Smelting Company, Limited.
An Act respecting the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.
Ail Act for granting to His Majesty certain sums of money for the public service of the financial years ending respectively the 31st March, 1909, and the 31st March, 1910.
On motion of Mr. Fielding, House adjourned at 4.50 p.m.

Tuesday, April 13, 1909.