Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-22

Politics in Canada, as in every Other
nation of the civilized world. Is at
fected by the many new problems thai
have arisen from the modern develop
ment of industry and which were as
utterly unknown to the trainers of the
Canadian constitution Of 1867 as to the
fathers of the American Constitution OF
1887
Canadian methods of dealing with these
politico-industriaI problems are of great
er interest to Americans than those OF
any European country, because industrial
conditions in Canada more nearly ap-
proximate those of the United States.
The problems arising In connection with
railway development and control. OF
banking and currency. of labor organi-
cations and strikes, OF industrial combi-
nations and trusts, of the tariff; all are
receiving the especial attention of Cana
dian statesmen, whose supporters flatte1
themselves that Canada is making great
er progress toward their ultimate solli-
ton that the United States.
1t is to be doubted if Canada is really
as far ahead of its southern ne.ghbor in
some OF these matters as the Canadians
appear to believe. The reason is that
Canada is in practically the same po-
s1tion with respect to industrial develop
1870 and 1880. Railroads are being built
by government aid in Canada now as
they We're then in America: farm lands
are being given away in prodlgal pro-
fusion to attract settlers: capital is en-
couraged to promote industry and indus
try has few other duties than the col
lection of capital. Now that the United
States has progressed to degree that
such industrial and economic extrava-
gances are no longer possible. change
hoe %l~ 80 Av,,r t.i,
politics. Canada has had the advantage
of seeing our struggles and it's leading
statesmen are endeavoring to avoid some
of the rough roads we have travelled.
y
One Of the cardinal principles of Cana
dian Industrial creeds is that the railways
of the country
Railroads Must must run east
Run East and West. e coast "t to c soa =,
in order that all the business may be
kept strictly Canadian in character, rail-
roads running north and south being dis
couraged on the ground that they would
degenerate into mere feeders for the great
American systems. The government Law
ishly endowed the Canadian Pacific, and
later has engaged in furnishing competi-
ton and additional facilities by actually
constructing transcontinental and northern
railways which it will pay for and own
but which 1t will not attempt to operate.
The Canadian Pacific is the biggest
thing in Canada. 1t is tory in politics
and 1T was born amid a scandal. And
yet 1t is Canadas greatest benefactor
and asset. It has the right. according to
law. to regulate its own rates until such
time as 1t may make a net profit of 1O
per cent on its capital That time has not
yet come, according to the expert book
keepers, hut the railway voluntarily sub
mitted to the government control OF
freight rates several years ago. The lib
eral government which has been in power
so long is not as subservient to the c. p.
as were the tory governments that pre-
coded it, but it would be wide of the
mark to say that Sir Wilfrid Laurier and
his associates have been otherwise than
kind to this great financial and industrial
power Nevertheless, in spite Of the pre-
bordering influence of the c. P, the
Canadian government has taken stand
at least as far advanced as that of the
United States with respect to railway
control