grievances than those which their fancy ascribes to the lot of the Manitoba settler. The Manitoba Road and the Minneapolis Millers Association treat them mercilessly. To make matters worse they counted on getting 30 bushels of wheat to the acre, while the usual average is only 17 bushels and the price only 75 cents per No. 1 hard. "The land regulations have been the means of getting a great many settlers so envolved financially, that it will take years of hard labor and privation to extricate themselves, and a great many cases end in the Mortgagees getting everything.” "By way of proving that foreclosures are numerous, Mr. Craig says that some of the buildings in town are literally covered with bills advertising sales of mortgaged stock, mostly horses. "These are facts which the Manitoba settlers should keep in mind while listening to the rhapsodies of the political agitators about going over to Dakota and Minneapolis in a body.' To go from the frying pan into the fire has never been regarded as the part of wisdom. Moreover, while the real grievances of the Manitoba farmers are rapidly disappearing, the farmers on the other side of the line have almost lost hope of obtaining redress. The Millers association and the Railways play into each others hands and say public opinion be hanged!'" : "Canadians, who are in such a dreadful stew over the rates charged by the Canadian Pacific Railway, would perhaps be a little more moderate in their criticisms if they were aware of the freight charges of the Northern Pacific. It is a fact that Union Pacific rates for the same distances are 15 to 30 per cent. higher than those of the Canadian line. In charging extortion upon the NorthWestern Railways, a great deal of recklessness is displayed by the public. The operating expenses of such roads as the Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific Railway, and St. Paul, Min. neapolis & Minnesota are at least 75 per cent. higher than those of Eastern lines. They have not a concentrated traffic such as the Grand Trunk or roads between Minneapolis and Chicago have to command, and moreover, their traffic may be said to be all one way, as the cars which carry their wheat east return to them empty, a fact that increases the cost of transportation. Having watched this controversy over the position assumed by the Canadian Pacific towards the wheat growers of Manitoba in respect to frozen wheat, the condition of shipment, and the opportunities offered for the storage of grain, we cannot but express the opinion that the Railway Company have acted considerately and even generously in the matter." The second quotation is the testimony of a Minnesota paper. Not long ago— and it comes fairly in this connectiona statement was made that the Canadian Pacific Railway Company used their power to extort enormous rates for traffic, disproportionate altogether to the rates charged by other roads The Globe has made that statement from week to week and month to month, and one of my hon. friends who, I am sorry to see, is not in his place to-day, read a comparative statement of freight rates—a comparison between the first-class rates of the Grand Trunk Railway upon its most settled sections and the first-class rates on the Canadian Pacific Railway in a sparse population; but, be it understood, there is but little first-class freight on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Not ten per cent. of its freight is first class-not 71⁄2-the real comparison is between similar lines and the Canadian Pacific Railway on the freights that the North-West principally requires: salt, wheat, oats, lumber, agricultural im plements, &c. I ventured to challenge my hon. friend's statistics at the time he produced them, and now, for the information of the House, I will show that I was justified in doing so. The last tariff of the Canadian Pacific Railway, as compared with the rates on the St. Paul and Manitoba, the Northern Pacific Railway and the Union tion there was for my hon. friend's conten Pacific Railway, will show how little foundation, or for the Globe's charges. The comparison is as follows: COMPARISON OF RATES ON PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES TAKEN FROM THE TARIFFS OF THE 10 Miles 8 5 71 18 15 21 " 10 8 10 11 50 26 24 80 33 6 6 8 7 5 5 41 10.00 10.00 12.00 10.00 18.00 16.00 20.00 18.00 9 18 13 17 20 41 24 60 48 28 80 58 29 35 1.20 38 1.40 41 1.45 45 1.45 1.05 50 1.45 1.10 30 1.00 68 301.14 3.00 2.04 1.25 16 13 11 45 85 1127 60.00 80.00 68.00 62.00 80 54 39 26 77.00 120.00 90.00 82.00 38 60 44 80 ཤྰ༗་; 6 6 7 25.00 26.00 28.00 26.00 143| 23 18 19 14.50 26.00 38.00 38.00 751 54 82 110.00 200 00 147.00 105.00 55 1.09 ❁ ; ཤྩ བྷཱུ སྲུ 41 1.05 45 1.15 49 1.15 80 166.00 290.00 280.00] 83 1.80 1.80 5241.15 801 180.00 290.00 240.00 90 1.80 1.87 78 50 63 3.30 8.80 6.00 94.001160.001114.00 95.00 47 98 63 75 47.00 160.00 126.00 150.00 951 .... 62.00 240.00 190.00 5.70 14.60 .... I think that will effectually refute the United States land laws, and the synopsis assertion that there are such exorbitant which I have given is strictly accurate, charges on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and can be readily verified by any one an assertion persistently repeated in the who chooses to refer to published reguarticles in the Globe and elsewhere in the lations. press and in Parliament, intended to discourage emigration, and to show that the settler is more liberally treated by roads which are doing the same kind of business, through the agricultural country on the other side of the line. I wrote lately to the manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway calling his attention to a statement in the Globe that a bushel of wheat is worth 80 cents in Winnipeg, and the cost of taking it to Liverpool is $1.07. The manager replied: "On the opening of navigation our rate from Winnipeg to Montreal will not be far from twenty-six cents per bushel, and as the rates from Montreal to Liverpool average about 83 cents per quarter, the through rate from Winnipeg to Liverpool will probably be something under 40 cents per bushel, including insurance &c." Mr. Macfarland, the United States Commissioner of the Land Office published his report in October last. He stated that one of the well-grounded complaints made against their management of land affairs was that patents are not issued promptly, and the evil had grown to such enormous magnitude in the United States, that he was obliged to ask Congress to give him a hundred extra clerks to bring up the arrears. I will now read from the Mail the article referred to. A comparison between the homestead policy of Canada and the United States, will show which is most favorable to settlers. CANADA. "The head of the family, or any male "Such entry may UNITED STATES. I also sent him a letter of the Manitoba correspondent of the Globe in which he said that a prime necessity in Winnipeg was stone for building cellars; that it was carried over a branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway from Stony Mountain; that they could not get it elsewhere, and not exceeding 160 160 acres in the secthat the rate charged from Stony Mountain acres in any land open to Winnipeg when the Mackenzie Govern-numbered sections, on ment ran the road was only $5 per car load of three cords, and that it is now $14.40 per car of two cords. In reply the manager says:— "I have to say that I am unable to discover any evidence that there was a railway in operation in Manitoba during the Mackenzie Government, and further that our rate on stone from Stony Mountain to Winnipeg is $1.20 per ton." "Any male person not less than 21 years, is entitled to a homestead entry. Such entry may be for any quantity not exceeding 80 acres in the first, or $250 class, or ond or $125 class of The homestead settler lands open therefor. has not the right of pre-emption. He obtains a patent at the end of five years' residence and cultivation. He cannot have a second homestead entry. He may commute by purchase, after one year's residence, but it is recommended that this privilege be therefor; the even That disposes of another malicious invention. Now, I will finish what I have to say on this subject, by comparing the North-West land regulations, which are so strenuously complained of, with those of the United States. I think hon. gentlemen will see that some reckless and entry, and a third and malicious attacks have been already suc-fourth. He may comcessfully refuted, and will not refuse to mute by purchase, listen to what I have to say, so long as it after one year's resiis pertinent to the general argument. The statement upon the land policy which I am about to read from the Mail, I prepared myself. I carefully examined the dence." and re "A clue to the constant attacks made upon tations in regard to the North-West as a field the Government policy, and the misrepresenfor settlement, which have been endorsed and circulated with evident satisfaction by the border where tariffs are higher and land Grit press, has been discovered in the per- laws infinitely less favorable? The Canasonal interests held by prominent Ontario dian Pacific Railway opens up 900 miles officials in Dakota. Mr. Ross (Opposition) M.P. for Lisgar, in the debate on the Land of fertile lands whose capabilities for proBill, last Session, gave another when he duction have been fully set forth, and can stated that 'there are persons in the North- scarcely be exaggerated. Every facility is West who act as agents for the United States offered to the settler or purchaser, and Government, and the United States railway companies. The fabulous accounts of the the railway rates have been shown to be exodus from our territories to Dakota are far lower than those of any railway in the doubtless inspired by the interested persons United States similarly situated. The above named, and it is not a little suspicious United States Commissioner says the that they make mention of Dakota only." abuses of the homestead law have been so "Credulous persons will be found always who will fall a prey to land sharks. Those great that he recommends that the Govwho expected to obtain a homestead at the ernment repeal the Act altogether. When first Pacific Railway station may think they we are told that our homestead settlers in will be more successful in Dakota. It would the North-West are ground down by our be strange, indeed, if there were none dis- tariff it should not be forgotten that appointed or dissatisfied among the thousands who have undertaken a new life which cannot they received their lands as a free gift. be wholly exempt from privation and hard- They took them with a full knowledge ship. Some of these may go across the border, that the tariff was in full operation. No but we believe that Mr. Scott, M. P. for one for a moment supposed that they Winnipeg, was within the mark when he said could be specially exempted from it. in the course of the Land Bill debate that for every one who has left for Dakota ten They certainly have no reason to complain; have come from that territory into Manitoba.' it was not passed after general settlement Many who have been most fortunate in began and the hon. gentlemen on the their selections and holdings will find excuse opposite side seem always to forget that for grumbling in the Dominion tariff, but they there was a seventeen and a half per cent. will not stultify themselves by changing their residence to a country where a far higher tariff not only on agricultural implements, tariff prevails, where the average yield of but on the greater part of the necessaries wheat is less than one-half of that in Manitoba or the North-West." tariff of life prior to the present increase. Our tariff Act was acknowledged by Mr. MacNow, in the comparison between the kenzie to have raised duties only from two methods, can anyone fail to see how seventeen and a half to twenty two and a much more advantageous to the settler half per cent. on the average, and yet the is that of the Dominion, and I wish here argument of our opponents seems to be to make and emphasize the statement based on the assumption that we have put which I find has not been thoroughly the whole tax now levied by the tariff on understood even amongst those who are those articles; that we had found a free favorable to our land policy, and where it list and had levied duties to the average is understood by our opponents it is con- amount of twenty two and a half per cent. cealed; that throughout our whole North It is well to remember that until 1874 West in the Government lands, in the upon the general list of the colonization societies' lands, and the rail- the rate of duty was fifteen per cent. way lands, the homesteader can take up It was raised in 1874, by Mr. Cartwright his location on any even-numbered sec- to seventeen and a-half per cent. Alarming tions which are not already taken up by deficits resulted and to recoup the Treasury another homesteader. The even-numbered and restore the equilibrium between resections are reserved to him from all colo- ceipts and expenditures as well as to pronization grants, from the railway company, tect our industries, the present tariff, as I and from all large sales; they are reserved have said before, was increased from sevenexclusively for him and are not locked up teen and a-half per cent. to twenty-two as the public generally have been led to and a-half per cent. average in the believe. He has now 80,000,000 acres to first session of the Parliament elected choose from upon terms which could in 1878, under the sanction of a great scarcely be made more favorable or more majority of members. As an issue at liberal. What can he gain by going to the general election of 1882, it was sustainDakota or anywhere else across the ed by the return of a large majority of sup-quoted by the "Bear" interest in Wall porters of the Government. street and everywhere else where people were speculating in Canada Pacific Railway stock. The assertion of the Globe was that Mr. Stephen, the President, and Mr. Drinkwater, the Secretary of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company were here last week and had an interview with Sir John Macdonald in which they imperatively demanded the loan. At the time Mr. Stephen was in Montreal preparing to go to England, and he actually sailed on Saturday. In the meantime, before his departure, he published a full denial of every statement in the article in question, and it has been denied by a Minister I think it was due to myself under the hon. gentleman's challenge to vindicate my former assertions in respect to what seems to be a persistent intention to misrepresent the condition of the North-West and of its settlers. I have before me many more extracts from the Globe, in support of my position which would take up too much time to read, and I have already trespassed on the patience of the House. At least fifty such attacks as I have noticed have been published in that paper within the six months, all bearing upon and corroborating my statement. During October, November and December, they appeared on the floor of Parliament. I wish to call almost daily. I would not have ventured the attention of hon. gentlemen to the fact, to address the House this afternoon had I to show what reliance can be placed on not known that there was no other business the statements of a leading journal which before it, and that I should occupy time lends itself to the promulgation of falsethat would not interfere with the public hoods for which it can give no shadow of business. But the hon. gentleman chal-excuse or justification and, as in this inlenged me, and when a statement was stance, when the falsehood is exposed and made on the other side of the House with refuted, no explanation or apology has regard to the Canadian Pacific Railway rates, I felt that those statements required to be corrected; and the House will see that I have shown that a great political newspaper in this Province and its echoes have taken advantage of every opportunity either by indirection, by innuendo, by in sinuation or by direct attack to decry or oppose the progress and settlement of the invaluable heritage of Canada; I must apologize for having taken up so and also to impede and if possible much time, but everything I have stated thwart the operations of the railway has been based upon authority which is which has been making such progress authentic in every way, and I shall hand towards opening up that country, and in the memorandum which I have read in ruin its credit. Within the last two or three regard to comparative freight rates, days we heard-I will not say exactly how which I consider most important, to or where, because I cannot refer to a have placed in the record. Dr. Tanner's previous debate-an echo of the Globe in contradictions of the statement of the a statement made on the floor of this Globe respecting the conditions of the House to the effect that a large number of lands on the Pacific Railway I shall settlers were going to Dakota. It is but a also hand to the reporter; I beg to submit few days ago that the newspaper to which that it is a sufficient refutation of the stateI have referred asserted that the Canadian ment that the original route for the road Pacific Railway Company, not satisfied as located by the Mackenzie Government with the advance which had been made to was a better one than that which now it, had applied to the Government, took it passes through the richer and better setby the throat and demanded another tled portion of Manitoba and the tertile $5,000,000. It was circumstantially stated, belt of the North-West, to state that it and stated in a way that was calculated to reaches the invaluable coal districts of injure seriously, if not to ruin the financial Calgarry and Bow River, and I thank standing of the Company, and although the hon. gentleman from Halifax for it failed of its intended effect, it was been given. Such a course is an insult to its readers and to the public. The hon. gentleman from Halifax, in constituting himself the champion of that portion of the Opposition press which has been hostile to the settlement of the North-West, gave me a fair opportunity to make a statement which I intended to be an exhaustive one, and I believe I have made it so. |