Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-09-20
CAPITAL OF CANADA
National Press Association Spends
Delightful Day i'm Ottawa.
SEE PARLIAMENT IN SESSION.
Hear Exciting Discussion Oh Cana
dian Reciprocity Between Sir
Wilfred Laurier and
Mr.. Borden.

After departure from Montreal the
newspaper train sped through the
night to Ottawa, and when we wax
ened in the morning We were in the
beautiful capital city of Canada, full
of anticipation of another day.
sightseeing. We had been extend
ed an invitation to attend a session
OF parliament, and this promised to
be rare treat.
After breakfast a committee took
us in charge and with a special train
of trolley cars transported us to a
beautiful summer resort on the bay,
but the wind was bitter cold and We
did not stay long, going from there
to the parent governmental agricul-
tural experiment station, where a
couple of hours were very profitably
and entertainingly spent in going
over the farm and noting the pro-
gress in the development of live
stock, fruits, grains, etc. in that
northern cline. Next we were taken
back through the city and out to the
Royal Shanty, on the outskirts to
the east. At the pinnacle of a pine
crested hill, huge log cabin of pine
logs, erected by wealthy and prom
inent citizen, was our rendezvous.
Here royalty has been entertained,
including the present King George OF
England, and it was delightful
change from the dining car and the
hotel, to which we had been accus-
toned during the journey. An ap-
petizing meal was served, cooked by
experts in huge caldrons over log
fire in the center of the cabin. Pea
soup, beans, brown bread, ginger
bread. coffee, good enough for any
one, a meal that the newspaper men
devoured the more ravishly, as 1t
sayored more of the fare at home
than that they had been getting on
the trip. OF course the usual ad-
dresses by the mayor and senator
or two followed, with appropriate
responses, and then the party has
tened to the city and to the parlia-
ment buildings, where the greatest
treat of the trip, a chance to visit
parliament in session, awaited us.
We were exceptionally fortunate in
this. Being ushered into the gall
lery of the House of Commons, we
were no sooner seated than we dis
covered that the all-important topic
Of Canadian Reciprocity" was under
discussion, and that this was one of
the most important discussions OF the
session, for pitted against each other
was Borden, the leader of the Con-
servatives, opposing reciprocity with
the United States, and Sir Wilfred
Laurier, the premier of Canada, lead
er of the Liberals, fighting for reci-
procity. The grand old man made
a ringing speech in defense OF his
position. His wonderful magnetism
and winning personality explain the
reason for the high place he holds
in the hearts and in the suffrage of
the Canadian people, and even his
political enemies recognize in him
one of the worlds greatest statesmen
and most able minds. 1t was great
privilege to hear him, and an oppor-
tunity to listen to these great men
which might not occur again In
years, and was much enjoyed by the
entire party
We We're escorted through the
magnificent library of parliament and
other departments of government,
and were also taken through two of
the immense paper mills of Ottawa,
the largest on the continent, where
we enjoyed seeing the process Of pa
per making from the time the logs
float down the Ottawa river and en-
ter the mills until the finished pro-
duct is ready for shipment; also the
process of making and boxing
matches of all sorts, and fibre articles
of various kinds. The immense water
power of Ottawa, the location OF the
capital of Canada here, and its pro-
gressive citizenship, give it promise
of development into one of the great
cities of the continent.
The manner in which Ottawa was
selected as the place for the capital
is described by William E. Curtis as
follows:
In the old days before the several
Canadian provinces entered upon the
present confederation, the parlia-
ment met alternately at Montreal and
Quebec. and the officials of the gov
eminent selected their own place OF
residence. The rivalry between those
cities was so acute that neither could
be chosen for the capital. and in 1857
both Joined In an address, which was
ratified by parliament, asking Queen
Victoria to settle the dispute.
During the following year she