The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-09-06
ISLANDS CLAIMED BY CANADA.
The Dominion Asserts Its Rights to
SEINE Rich Lands I'm the
Arctic Ocean.

land areas in the arctic waters north
and east of the dominion proper has
lately been called in question. These
areas contain the precious and other
metals, and some of them may yet
prove as valuable as the Yukon itself.
There are hundreds of islands,
some as large as England and Ire
land. One of them, Baffin land, is
some LOO miles in length and 500
miles across at its widest part. Baf-
fin land lies at the head of the Hud-
son bay and is divided from that
enormous and almost unexplored Sec
ton of Canada known as Labrador by
Hudson strait. There are large is
lands in the strait itself between Baf-
fin land and Labrador and some in
the northern part of Hudson bay be-
tween the mainland and Labrador.
The rest of the islands are contig-
nous to northern Canada in the Arc
tic ocean.
These waters, states the Chicago
Tribune, are frequented by American
whalers, the owners of which have
established permanent fishery sta
tions far apart in various directions.
The question of sending Canadian
officials into these unorganized parts
to form them into provisional dis
tricts of Canada and exercise regular
| jurisdiction over them has been FREE
quently mooted of late years, and
may shortly be carried into effect.
Attention was called to the sub
| iect, It will be- remembered, at the
last Ontario land surveyors conven-
ton. A recommendation was adopt
| ed to memorabilia the dominion gov
eminent to take formal possession
of the unorganized country on behalf
of Great Britain. 1t was declared
| that the peninsulas and archipela-
\ goes north of Canada in the Arctic
ocean were known to possess consid-
cradle undevcloped wealth and might
be claimed by some other power.
/ Inquiries in official quarters devel.
op the fact that these areas are un-
doubtedly within British jurisdiction
The idea that they can be occupied
by any power that comes along ant
takes fancy to them is unfounded
They have belonged to Great Britain
for at least three centuries.
in September, 1880, an imperial or
der in council was passed dealing
with them and formally transferring
all title in and jurisdiction over then
to the dominion of Canada. Thu
whole of these possessions, therefore
form part and parcel of the districts
of Mackenzie and Franklin and are a
much portion of Canada to-day a
the islands along the British coast
are a portion of Great Britain. Tn
United kingdom owned these PENN
sulas and archipelagoes, by right 0
prior discovery, century and hal
before the acquisition of Canada.
Canada's birthday glorification thi
year had more solid cause than eve
before. The confederation is 35 year
old. The peoples saving deposited i
banks, which totaled trifle owe
81. oo0, 600, or $3.50 per head of tn
population in 1868, amounted las
year to over SIS, O00, 900, or $685. pc
head. Money on deposit in the banks
which amounted to under $34 100000
in 1868, last year reached over $349
100000.
An editor of Scotch extraction, on
of the coolest heads in Canada,
aroused out of his usual reserve whe
he comes to consider the occasio
, celebrated and the country in whic
he lfves.
"A golden era, comparatively, in
country of gods" he says: I'll
wonderful mountains, the illimitab
! plains, forests of vastness hard
. conceivable, lakes and streams Lin
! Did. innumerable, endless, the swee
ness of the Canadian spring. II
warm beauty of summer, the mate
less splendor of autumn, the inspir
b rion of winter days SO bright,
Z hard, so crystalline that one lives
e in the heart of huge diamond, the
: across all the vast continent are
t natter of course with our people,
{ that we forget even to think once
q awhile how infinitely blessed o
i country is by nature and we in it"