day came a Royal Institute of Architects deputation asking for the appointment of a Technical Commission to prepare a plan for the systematic embellishment of the Capital.

Mr. Borden was in New York on Dec. 8th as the chief speaker at a special Dinner of the Canadian Society; as the guest, on the following day, with Andrew Carnegie, of a Dinner given by the National Peace Centennial Committee. During this day also he motored out to Oyster Bay for luncheon with ex-President Roosevelt. In his Canadian Society address Mr. Borden dealt in a constitutional way with the differences and resemblances, advantages and defects, of the British and American systems of government. As to the Empire he considered the Monarchy one of its chief and best links of union; as to citizenship he was explicit: "All men are not born equal in their capacity and energy and in an individualistic world there can be no expectation of equality in results; but democracy will fail of its purposes and must cast aside all hopes of permanence unless it can accord and preserve to each citizen within the State reasonable equality of opportunity." Upon the Reciprocity defeat he spoke clearly: "For thirty years or more we have followed certain national ideals and policies which we firmly intend to pursue and continue in the future. We reached the conclusion that the recent proposals were inconsistent with those ideals and policies. Moreover we entirely disbelieve in the framing of tariffs by diplomatic methods." Canada wanted American trade but wanted it upon fair conditions. At present Canadian producers were met at the frontier with average duties of 43 per cent.; Americans with an average tariff of 26 per cent. Friendship and peace would always endure between the two nations; trade would find its level without binding treaties and complex fiscal arrangements.

During the Premier's periods of absence from the Capital, it may be added here, the Hon. George E. Foster was actingPremier. The latter Minister devoted much of his time at this period to preparing the Tariff Commission Bill for Parliament and arranging preliminaries for West Indian and Australian trade arrangements. At a New York Canadian Society Dinner (Nov. 13) he expressed characteristic views of the recent situation: "We did not reject Reciprocity because we did not want to trade with you. We have for the United States two distinct feelings admiration for your great progress and anxiety to avoid your mistakes. There was no animosity in our rejection of the Agreement. We did it because we did not like that kind of Agreement. We, in Canada, are British and we intend to remain British to the last crack of doom; and we couldn't remain so under Reciprocity." Meanwhile, many more deputations waited upon the different Ministers than can be mentioned and innumerable semi-private delegations also crowded the Capital. The Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission, through Mr. Adam Beck,

THE HON. JOHN DOUGLAS HAZEN, K.C., LL.D., M.P.
Minister of Marine and Fisheries.

COLONEL THE HON. SAM. HUGHES, M.P.
Minister of Militia and Defence.

In the new Borden Government, 1911.

urged Mr. Cochrane (Nov. 17) to lease to the Commission certain Power rights on the Trent Valley Canal; Mr. Rogers received, on Nov. 29, a deputation of Sikhs from British Columbia requesting removal of existing restrictions upon the bringing in of their wives and families and a general modification of harsh conditions attaching to British Indian immigration; and so with many others who thought a new Government would mean new opportunities.

The Minister of the Interior (Mr. Rogers) became conspicuous soon after his appointment by effecting a settlement of the Western coal strike which had been in operation for nearly 8 months and involved 25 mines with 7,000 miners. On Oct. 25 the Minister went to Lethbridge, brought the operators and miners into consultation and held conferences with them, separately as well as together, in at least a dozen meetings. On the 26th an Agreement was signed which was said to be generally satisfactory. It may be added here that the duties on Western coal, remitted by the late Government on July 31, were re-imposed on Nov. 22nd. Following these negotiations Mr. Rogers was welcomed to Winnipeg in a public demonstration on the 27th while his colleague, Hon. W. J. Roche, was being banqueted at Minnedosa. Mr. Rogers was greeted by thousands of citizens, welcomed by the Provincial Cabinet, of which he had been such a prominent and active member, and presented with a eulogistic civic address. On Nov. 30, with Dr. Roche, he was tendered a banquet by 1,000 representative men from all over the West amid obvious enthusiasm as to political conditions and pleasure at the personal promotion of the two Ministers. Mr. Premier Roblin was chairman and in his speech expressed the assurance that Manitoba would now come into her rights. Mr. Rogers referred to his efforts during the late campaign in organizing the Party work all over Canada and promised a satisfactory settlement of Manitoba's claims while Dr. Roche expressed the belief that Reciprocity would not be resurrected. J. A. M. Aikins, M.P., Arthur Meighen, M.P., and others spoke, including F. W. G. Haultain of Saskatchewan, who declared that the recent rally of British-Canadian sentiment would do much to bring about closer Imperial union.

Mr. F. D. Monk, Minister of Public Works, had some problems of immediate importance to handle. On Oct. 19th he announced that a Royal Commission of Inquiry would be appointed by the Government, upon his advice, to go into the Departmental conditions left by the late Government and report as to re-organization. By Order-in-Council, on Dec. 20, a Commission was appointed, with extensive powers, "to investigate and inquire into and concerning all matters connected with, or affecting the administration of, the various Departments of the Government and, especially (but without restricting the generality of the foregoing), the following matters: The methods

employed in the transaction of public business; the control of appropriations and expenditure; the construction and maintenance of public works and the carrying on of dredging operations; the administration, methods, and operations, of the chief spending Departments; the administration and alienation of the public domain; the discipline and efficiency of the Departmental staffs; the duplication of the same, or similar work, in two or more Departments. Any other matters embraced in the scope of the Order-in-Council of 8th May, 1907, or mentioned in the report of the Commissioners thereby appointed." The Hon. A. B. Morine, K.C., of Toronto, formerly a political leader in Newfoundland, was appointed Chairman with G. N. Ducharme of Montreal and R. S. Lake, ex-M.P., of Qu'Appelle, as the other Commissioners.

This Minister had always taken a warm interest in the Georgian Bay Canal matter and was known to have urged its consideration upon the new Cabinet. Speaking at a banquet given in his honour at Montreal on Dec. 15th he referred to the projected route as an admirable one and did not think there was any real rivalry between this proposal and that of the Welland Canal enlargement. He believed an expenditure of $20,000,000 would be required before the Port of Montreal would be in a position to properly compete with United States ports, and declared Civil Service reform and the removal of the Patronage evil vital necessities. As to personal politics he described Mr. Nantel, Mr. Pelletier, and himself, as strong Conservatives. "We have always been and always will be adherents of the Conservative Party." As to the Navy question it was part of a wider Imperial situation. "The question of our relations with the Empire, of what our duty is and, as British subjects, of what our rights and privileges are, that is a subject which I feel sure this Government, these new men, full of honest and loyal intention, will study carefully." He believed the result of their consideration would be approved by the country. The Minister was in Toronto on Dec. 12, accompanied by Mr. Hazen, Minister of Marine. At a luncheon tendered by the City Mr. Monk declared that the late Government had not done justice to inland ports, harbours, and waterways. As to Toronto it would be the duty of the new Government to see, without undue delay, that the Federal buildings and Harbour received proper attention. He described local demands made as reasonable and these included permission to close the old Western channel, the extension of piers on both sides of the new Western channel, the widening of the approach from the Lake via the Eastern channel, the continuance of the protection stonework along the Lake shore at the Island, the deepening of the Harbour generally, the establishment of a Central life-saving station and provision of better Harbour lighthouses, etc. Both Ministers expressed themselves in favour of a deepening of the Welland and Lachine Canals.