The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-05
RATES NOT RAISED
Premier Robin of Manitoba Says
S, Canadian Northern Tariffs
Have Been Reduced.
Government Control Of the Road, He
Asserts, Makes the Province
Blossom as the Rose.

r. T. Robin, premier Of Manitoba, who
is visiting the state fair, denies the
charge recently made in a Winnipeg pa
per, that the Canadian government has
been a party to the raising Of rates on the
Canadian Northern railway. -
1T is all tommy rot" said Mr.. Robin.
'As matter of fact general rates have
not been boosted on that road. On the
contrary. they are to-day on an average
Of IA per cent lower than before the gov
eminent took over the property from the
Northern Pacific and leased it TO the Ca
madam Northern, company!y;.;1The matter.
Of alleged increase in rates from Winni-
peg west would require too detailed an ex-
plana ton to enter into a brief interview.
This average reduction applies equally
to both imports and exports. The govern
ment guaranteed interest on the bonds OF
| the road, but it has not, and under no cir
cumstances will be-; forced to raise rates
in order to keep that promise. There is
not the slightest ground for fear that the
time will ever come when the Canadian
Northern will fail to be a paying property
or that interest cannot be paid on the
bonds At the same time the rates are
subject to close regulation and are from
time to time reduced as circumstances
may warrant, and as has been the case
up to date.
Blessing, Not Menace.
| Instead Of menacing Canadian COM
merce, the road under government super
vision is helping to make our grand prov
| ince blossom like rose and Is. assuring
| us a. measure of prosperity which is az
| once the admiration and the envy OF less
| favored sections. BY establishing equit-
| able rates the government has MADE way
| for the expansion Of commerce on scale
| heretofore undreamed Of
Government control of this road Is one
Of the greatest things that ever happened
| Nit no in artjc
| large When my term Of office Is up and
1 come to review my official acts, l shall
| look back to the purchase of this road as
the proudest achievement of my official
career 1t will be the monument by which
1 shall be known, if at all, In the years to
| come.
Can you wonder at the prosperity of a
road which is no longer discriminating
against Canadian interests, when you stop
and think of the phenomenal agricultural
| development now going on in Manitoba!
The crop this year will be the banner one
It will break all Manitoba crop records by
a wide margin.
"As minister of agriculture am in pos
session Of figures which convince me thai
the wheat yield of Manitoba this year will
be from 25,0OO,OO0 to 100000 bushels
ahead Of last year. Do you wonder at the
tide of immigration which is streaming
over our borders from the states?'
$3.50 Praises the State Fair.
| There has been no more enthusiastic
attendant at the state fair than Mr. Rob
lin. So far as his personal observation
goes, he says, it is the grandest state fail
in America to-day. Minnesota, he de
clares, should be prouder of the state fat
than Of any other public institution. HI
limited at the establishment, in the future
of a great provincial fair for Manitoba
which he believes should be closely mod
eled after the Minnesota fair.
AS to reciprocity, Mr.. Robin says tina
all right-thinking Canadians who reall.
have the interest Of their country a
heart; are heartily in favor of it..
;, Save for the imaginary line he said
1--WE are practically one people, at leas
commercially speaking. All we ask is tina
the Americans shall meet us half way
:, something they have failed to do up t
date, or since the abrogation of the recip
rocity treaty of 1854
Mr.. Robin will return to Winnipeg to
night.