of the Government elevators and C. D. McPherson (Mch. 2) said: "It is claimed that there has been spent a million dollars on these elevators. It only requires a superficial inspection and report to show that they are not worth nearly $1,000,000. If the Government to-day had to go out and realize on them it would have difficulty in getting even $300,000 for the money that it has spent." It was freely claimed by W. Molloy and other Liberals that this system would some day defeat the Government. The Government admitted a loss on the first year's operations of $26,280 but considered the system as still on trial and, in any case, as a product of wide and insistent public desire amongst the farmers. It may be added that the Public Debt of Manitoba at the close of 1910 was $4,866,666 of Government stock issued for Telephone, Elevator and Drainage purposes and $7,896,259 of Provincial debentures, or a total of $12,762,925. There were small indirect liabilities of $610,826, guaranteed drainage and municipal Debentures of $2,463,853 and the chief indirect liability was in Canadian Northern guarantees of $24,059,446.

The perennial Eli Sand charges were brought up in the House on Mch. 7 by Mr. Norris but no attention was paid to them by the Premier and the matter dropped. G. J. H. Malcolm (Lib.) at the same time denounced the Government Elevator policy for an alleged buying of too many elevators, paying too much for them and having too many of them at specific points. George Steel (Cons.) referred to the aggresive desire of the Grain Growers Associations for Government ownership in this respect and their originally extreme optimism in the matter. He reviewed their statements before Government operation commenced. "The Milling companies were going to be the first to sell out. they? Have elevators been built as cheaply as they said they could? Have they been bought as cheaply? Has all the grain gone to the Government elevators? I think as a guide, philosopher and friend of this Government Mr. Crerar and his friends were failures and I think that this Government would be well advised. to think twice before it takes much more advice from an organization that apparently knows little of what they are talking about."

Have

The Hon. R. Rogers, Minister of Public Works, stated explicitly that the average price paid for the elevators was 17 cents per bushel of storage capacity. The Government, he declared, possessed evidence of some of the strongest companies as to the cost of building elevators and it went to show that it was impossible, at the present time, to build for less than 30 to 32 cents per bushel of storage capacity. "I might say that this applies also to some of the elevators the Government built during the past year; therefore, we purchased the elevators at about onehalf what it would have cost to build them." Mr. Premier Roblin pointed out that the Elevators' combine had been destroyed and competition given to the farmers in this matter. "We have pro

vided every facility we were asked for by which the farmer can sell his grain through his own elevator and agency to the markets of the world. If it has not worked out satisfactorily certainly the Government is not to blame. All we ask, and we ask it confidently, is that the farmers of the country will patronize their own elevators."

A Separate School debate took place on Mch. 14th; the Manitoba Insurance Bill increasing certain corporation taxes and introduced by Hon. Mr. Armstrong was held over for another year because of a petition presented by the Associations concerned; a private Winnipeg Charter Bill giving the City power to do its own commercial lighting was not approved by the Government and was rejected on its 2nd reading by a vote of 21 to 11; the Resolution presented on Mch. 9th by C. D. McPherson and G. J. H. Malcolm (Liberals) urging that "the principle of direct legislation by means of the Initiative and Referendum be adopted and applied in the conduct of Government for the Province and that legislation be enacted to give effect to the aforesaid principle" was rejected by 22 to 13 votes-the latter all Liberals; the Library Committee through J. P. Robertson, Librarian, reported (Mch. 14) in favour of arranging for the publication of a Provincial Hansard; a Liberal minority from the Committee on Public Accounts reported on Mch. 22nd in a vigorous attack upon the Government which was voted down by 25 to 12.

It was alleged by these Opposition critics that the provisions of the Treasury Act had been "disregarded in such a way that the duties of Provincial Auditor might just as well be attended to by an office boy"; it was stated that the Provincial Auditor was no longer allowed to audit the Provincial revenues and that the legal limit of $5,000 for contingency account was often exceeded; it was claimed that the expenditure on Road improvements was reckless and that about $150,000 of public funds were paid out for work on public roads just before the last Elections. A Resolution was unanimously passed on the Boundary question and another, on the motion of Mr. Premier Roblin and V. Winkler (Lib.), declared on Mch. 23 that the House was unanimously in favour of new Parliament Buildings and that the best site was that commonly known as the Fort Osborne block. The Resolution described the terms offered by the Minister of Militia ($1,000,000 and occupation in 1915) as not of a nature which the Government could accept; suggested the re-opening of negotiations, and appointed for this purpose a Committee composed of the Minister of Public Works, R. F. Lyons, W. Ferguson, T. C. Norris and V. Winkler—the last two being Liberals.

Of the Session's legislation Hon. R. Rogers' measure for incorporating and establishing a Public Live-stock Markets Board was important. It followed lines laid down by the Commission of 1910-R. A. C. Manning, A. M. Campbell and Stephen Ben

son—and authorized a Company with $1,000,000 capital to establish a Union Stock Yards at St. Boniface under Government control of rates, to be organized by the Railways interested, and to include public markets for live-stock, an abattoir and the receiving and shipping of live stock. The Public Health Act provided for a re-organization of the Provincial Board of Health and the appointment of Health Officers in the municipalities and other conditions for dealing with sanitation questions together with elaborate regulations affecting the general health of the people. The Children's Protection Act was amended so as to make it unlawful to employ habitually any child under the age of 12 years between the hours of 9 o'clock in the evening and 6 o'clock in the morning or to employ any child under the age of 16 years in any occupation "likely to be injurious to his life, limbs, health, education or morals "; a clause also compelled newspapers receiving advertisements, dealing with the care of infants under 13 months, to obtain and transmit to the Government certain particulars as to the advertiser.

As a protest, presumably against British Columbia legislation regarding extra-Provincial companies, it was enacted that every such concern shall produce evidence to show that similar licenses or privileges are granted to Manitoba companies in the Province where the head office of such Company is situated "; another Act elaborated a series of precautionary regulations and amendments as to motor vehicles; Moving Picture exhibitions were regulated and controlled and the films made subject to inspection; various amendments to the Municipal and Assessment Acts were made and a measure dealing with noxious weeds provided for the appointment of municipal inspectors with carefully defined powers; the Education, Succession Duties and Real Property Acts were considerably amended; the Manitoba Radial Railway, running from Winnipeg to Portage la Prairie, Rosser, Stony Mountain, Headingly, etc., was incorporated, the University of Manitoba was authorized to appoint a President, the Manitoba Power Co. and the Manitoba Gas. Co. were duly incorporated. The Legislature was prorogued on Mch. 24th. Of miscellaneous public incidents during 1911 the following is a summary:

Jan. 10.-The Municipal Commissioner (Hon. G. R. Coldwell) reports 141 Municipalities (Dec. 31, 1910) with a population of 391,975including 47,138 farms with 5,857,221 acres under cultivation, an assessment of real and personal property totalling $299,140,739, taxes of $6,042,099 and a Debenture debt of $24,307,441. Feb. 25. Judge Myers, the Commissioner appointed to inquire into the matter, reports that D. A. Ross, M.L.A., and a Winnipeg School trustee profited personally by a real estate transaction in which the School Board was interested; Mr. Ross on Mch. 14 resigns his position.

Mar.

8. The Government members of the Legislature, and the Conservatives of Winnipeg, present the Premier with a beautiful Cabinet of silver and the Minister of Public Works with a por

trait of himself. Eulogistic Addresses are presented-one by the members of the House to Mr. Roblin and the other by the City Conservative Associations to Mr. Rogers. The speeches of the two Leaders deal mainly with Reciprocity.

Mar. 9.-The 13 Liberal members of the Legislature are present at a Party banquet in Winnipeg. T. C. Norris, D. W. Bole and E. D. Martin speak-chiefly upon Reciprocity.

June 7.-Although the Selkirk Centennial celebration had apparently fallen through J. A. M. Aikins, K.C., writes the press urging that a monument to Lord Selkirk be erected and unveiled in 1912. On Dec. 19 a meeting is held and a Committee appointed to deal with the matter-the Lieut.-Governor, Sir William Whyte, J. H. Ashdown, Edward Brown, J. A. M. Aikins, Rev. H. J. Gunn, R. R. Sutherland, Archbishop Matheson and Isaac Pitblado, K.C. June 16.-The Winnipeg Free Press says of a matter in which little public interest seemed to be taken that: "It would not be beside the mark to assert that one of the gravest dangers that threatens the agricultural population of Manitoba, to-day, is the invasion of rats. Only two years ago these rodents appeared for the first time in the Province, but steadily northward they have made their way and recently they have been seen even in the outskirts of Winnipeg."

Sept. 26.-The Winnipeg Telegram (Cons.) accepts Horace Chevrier's denial in connection with certain charges made during the 1911 Elections and about which Mr. Chevrier had entered suit. Oct. 4. Mr. C. C. Chipman, for 20 years Chief Executive of the Hudson's Bay Co. in the West, leaves Winnipeg to reside in London. Dec. 12.-Hon. Hugh John Macdonald, K.C., is appointed Police Magistrate of Winnipeg and on the 18th is presented by Mr. Premier Roblin and a group of friends with a portrait of himself done in oils.

Dec. 31.-The Direct Legislation League of Manitoba makes great progress and distributes immense quantities of literature during the year. It is said to have the support of a large section of the Liberal party, the Grain Growers Association, the Royal Templars and the Trades and Labour Council; its Hon. President is J. H. Ashdown and President Dr. Hutchinson, while John Kennedy of the Grain Growers is Vice-President and R. L. Richardson has a place on the Executive.

Dec. 31.-Appointments of the year include William H. Bates as Police Magistrate of Brandon, David Marr Walker as Judge of the Juvenile Court, Victor W. Horwood as Provincial Archivist and Charles P. Fuller as a King's Counsel. F. B. Maclennan resigns as a Grain Elevator Commissioner.

The Manitoba
Boundary

Issue: Tele-
phones and
Education

The question of years was again an issue in 1911. On Feb. 2-3 Messrs. R. P. Roblin and Robert Rogers were at Ottawa in one of the periodical conferences which the Boundary question has evolved. It was understood that the Manitoba Ministers practically renewed their demands of the preceding three years that Manitoba, in addition to the proposed extension of its boundaries, should be given an extra Federal cash grant on the same basis as those given to Alberta and Saskatchewan and that they also asked for complete control of the lands and natural resources in any territory which might be added to the Province. Sir Wilfrid adhered to the Government's original policy as embodied in the Resolutions passed by Parliament in 1908 and providing

for the extension of the boundaries of Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. Following this discussion a Sub-Committee of Council reported to the Government as a whole on Mch. 16 that Manitoba had no reasonable claims to the proposed financial adjustment, that the boundaries outlined in the Parliamentary Resolution of July 13, 1908, were acceptable to the Government of that Province, and that only terms and conditions remained for adjustment.

The proposed extension of boundaries would add 106,304,000 acres, approximately, to the existing land area of the Province-making the total land area of the Province approximately 147,152,880 acres. Within the confines of this territory railway construction has already been carried on. Rails have been laid to the Pas, at or near the Saskatchewan River, a distance of 40 miles through the territory. A railway bridge across the Saskatchewan River at this point is now being constructed by the Government of the Dominion, a line of railway therefrom to a port on the shores of Hudson's Bay has been projected and a portion thereof, 100 miles and upwards beyond the Pas, has been definitely located. A branch of the C.N.R. skirts, if it does not actually enter, the territory along its southern confines for a distance of 20 or more miles.

The

The population of the moment was estimated at 3,731 and the Report went on to recommend that when the Manitoba Legislature should accept this increase of limits and agree to the terms proposed Federal legislation would be enacted accordingly. terms proffered included an indemnity of $200,000 a year, in lieu of not receiving the public lands, mines, and minerals of the newly-annexed region, until its population reached 100,000; thereafter $250,000 a year until the population was 150,000 and thereafter a permanent sum of $300,000 a year. It was also proposed that the grants, payable under the B. N. A. Act, consequent upon the increased population of Manitoba, be augmented proportionately. Mr. Roblin presented this offer to his Legislature on Mch. 20; it was denounced by the Winnipeg Telegram on the following day as insulting; the Government announced its positive refusal and presented a Resolution of which the chief sentences were as follows:

Whereas at the time of the passage of the British North America Act it was clearly the spirit and intention of the framers thereof that the several Provinces coming under its provisions should be fairly and justly dealt with on the basis of equality in their respective relations with the Parliament and Government of Canada;

And whereas it is a matter of record that, notwithstanding the meaning and intent of the said Act as aforesaid, the Province of Manitoba has not, since its confederation with Canada, received that fair treatment at the hands of the Federal authorities to which it was and is entitled and had reason to expect at the time of becoming a portion of the said Union;

And whereas the Province has endeavoured, but without satisfactory results, by constitutional means, for over 30 years, to procure substantial relief in the premises and obtain an increase of its present circumscribed territorial limits, to the end that it might become, as the pioneer Province of the West, in size and extent, worthy of its position as a Province of the Dominion;