The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-20
AUTONOMY FOR
THE TERRITORIES
LAURIER AND THE NORTHWEST
PREMIER TO MEET.
Measure for the Consideration Of Par
lament May Be Ready in January -
But One Province May Be Created at
This Time - Manitoba Would Extend
Boundaries to Hudson's Bay.
Special to The Journal,

Special to The Journal.
Ottawa, Ont, Dec. 2O.-sir Wilfrid
Laurier has invited the premier of the
Northwest territorial government to a
conference at Ottawa on the question
of autonomy for the territories, and the
latter has arranged to come to Ottawa
Immediately after the return of Sir
Wilfrid from California, where he is
taking needed rest. It is expected
that at the coming conference the basis
upon which the Northwest territories
are to be given the status of a prov
ince will be finally decided upon, and a
measure will then be brought before
parliament in January giving effect to
the arrangement. y .
The main point Of interest is whether
the widespread territories will at once
be divided into two, or even three prov
lnces, or whether it is wiser to make
them for the present into single prov
ince, with the capital as at present, at
Regina, leaving further subdivision I'M
til such time as the influx of new popu-
lation make it imperative.
It is thought probable here that the
latter plan will be adopted, as it will
save expense in the duplication of par
liamentary and administrative Offices
in new districts which can i'll afford it.
| Manitoba's Ambition.
| While the territories are thus about
to secure self-government, the neighbor-
ing province Of Manitoba is agitating
for the extension of it's boundaries north
to Hudson's bay. For several years
one of the pet projects Of the province
has been a railway running north from
Winnipeg to Fort Churchill, on Hudson s
| bay. Under present conditions this
road would run half way thru Manitoba
territory, and for the rest of the way
thru the unorganized district of Kee-
watin.
By annexing Keewatin to the prov
ince, the railway would open up a vast
stretch of valuable territory, from Win
nipeg to the shores of the bay, all with
in the province; and, as the premier of
Manitoba pointed out, the other day, it
would also give Manitoba a seaport.
This may seem at the present time to
be rather a sentimental than a. practical
advantage, but it must not be forgotten
that the territory tributary to Hudson s
bay is immensely rich in minerals of al
most every variety; the bay itself teens
} with fish, and the whale, seal, walrus
and porpoise fisheries, which have hard
~ been touched as yet, are of incalcu-
liable value.
There is also to be borne in mind the
possibility-nay, probability-of the
Hudson s bay route to Europe being
opened in a comparatively short period.
The road from Winnipeg to Fort
Churchill would then become the great
est grain route Of the continent. Wheat
, would gravitate from every quarter of
the vast grain belt to Winnipeg, and
} from there would flow in a great stream
, over the northern route, by rail to Fort
, Churchill, and thence by boat to Liver
pool, the shortest and cheapest possible
route from the wheat fields of both
lwestern Canada and the western states
; to Great Britain and Europe.
Question Of Sovereignty.
i The growing Importance Of Hudson =
> bay to the Dominion, from so many
points of view, makes it imperative that
definite and final understanding
should be reached as to Canada g abso
lutte sovereignty over the fisheries and
f other interests.
To the present time the United States
l government has taken no exception to
/ Canada s practical assumptions of such
r sovereignty by the enforcement of Ca
: madam regulations against American
whalers and sealing vessels in the bay;
but it would doubtless be more salts
? factory if definite understanding could
be reached, either by the joint high
commission, if they should be again
81 called together, or by direct negotia'
tion.