Mr. LEWIS. The Bill which I now wish to present to the House has for its purpose the cessation of those regrettable, fatal and avoidable accidents which happen to ships on the coastal waters of Canada and on the Great Lakes. During the past few years I in there have occurred many such. stance the wrecks of the Asia, Jones, Bannockburn and others on the Great Lakes which have occasioned great loss of life and property, caused principally by overloading. This Bill is founded on the English Plimsoll Act and also upon a clause with respect to the loading of ships engaged in the maritime coasting trade of Canada, with which I am not so familiar as with the conditions on the Great Lakes, but this feature of the Bill is founded on a Bill presented to the House some sessions ago by Mr. Lawrence, of Nova Scotia. There was some exception taken to a clause in a similar Bill by the large transportation companies, which provided that lists of passengers and crews should be placed in the hands of customs officer, harbour master or wharfinger, before a vessel left port after the 15th day of September and before the 15th day of April in each year, the period to which this Bill only ap, lies. I have changed that clause by expunging from it the provision with reference to ferry steamers, river steamers and excursion steamers. Otherwise it follows upon the lines of the English Plimsoll Act. Clause eight seeks to prevent too much loading on deck in the fall and winter.

Motion agreed to, and Bill read the first

time.

QUESTIONS.

INTERCOLONIAL RAILWAY EMPLOYEES. Mr. PAQUET:

1. How many employees of the Intercolonial have been dismissed since the appointment of the commissioners charged with the administration of the affairs of this railway?

2. How many employees of the Intercolonial have been dismissed at Montreal and Campbellton since the establishment of the commission?

Hon. GEO. P. GRAHAM:

1. There have been 503 employees of the Intercolonial railway dropped since the appointment of the Managing Board. There have been three employees dismissed at Montreal and thirteen at Campof the bellton since the establishment Managing Board.

Mr. STANFIELD:

1. How many employees of the Intercolonial railway have been superannuated since the appointment of the Government Railways Managing Board at each of the following places: Truro, Halifax and Stellarton? 2. How many employees of the Intercolonial railway heve been dismissed since the appointment of the Government Railways Managing Board at each of the following places: Truro, Halifax and Stellarton?

Mr. GRAHAM:

1. Since the appointment of the Government Railways Managing Board there have been six (6) employees of the Intercolonial railway placed on the Provident Fund at Truro, nineteen (19) at Halifax, and three (3) at Stellarton.

Mr. LEWIS moved for leave to introduce Bill (No. 11) respecting wireless telegraphy on ships.

Some hon. MEMBERS. Explain.

in

Mr. LEWIS. This Bill is simply following out legislation brought down in the mother of parliaments and also in the parliament of the large country to the south of us in reference to wireless telegraphy on ships.. There is no hon. gentleman this House who, after having read of that accident to the steamship 'Britannia' last which year, and of the great loss of life was prevented by the use of wireless telegraphy, will not be disposed to vote for this Bill. Since last year wireless telegraphy has been introduced on many lake vessels by the Lake Trust and other vessel owners. Motion agreed to, and Bill read the first time.

None of these are lump sum contracts. The contractor is paid according to schedule of prices embodied in the contract.

OWEN SOUND PUBLIC BUILDING

Mr. MIDDLEBRO:

1. What is the total cost of the Owen Sound public building site, furniture, fixtures, and all other cost to date?

2. What amount will still be required to complete same?

3. What amount thereof is for extras, and what are the particulars of such extras?

4. What amount has been expended and will yet be required to be expended in respect of fittings and furniture?

5. From whom were such fittings and furniture purchased, were tenders asked therefor, and was the lowest tender accepted in each case?

6. Have any appointments of mail carriers for street delivery in Owen Sound or other persons been made in consequence of proposed street delivery in Owen Sound? If not, why not? If so, what are the names of such and salary?

7. When will the post office be removed to said public building, and when will street delivery commence?

8. What is the age limit for entry to service as mail carriers on street delivery?

Hon. WM. PUGSLEY:

1. $93,255.78.

2. About $9,000.

Contract No.

Date of Contract.

Date of Completion.

5. The fittings were advertised for, and the lowest tender, that of J. T. Schell, accepted. The furniture ordered from R. Breckenridge-Horton, departmental store, at a fixed price for each article; shades from Goldblatt; boxes, sorting cases and bag rack, from Office Specialty Company; brass grills and plates from Rubenstein Brothers at prices agreed upon.

On the 13th April, 1909, a license was granted to The Electrical Development Co. of Ontario, Ltd.' Niagara Falls, Ont., to export, during current fiscal year, electrical energy not to exceed thirty-four thousand three hundred and sixteen (34,316) kilowatt years.

6. Free delivery of letters can only be established in places where the houses have been properly numbered and the streets labelled at intersecting points, and as these requirements have not yet been completed at Owen Sound, the department has not been in a position to put the service in operation. The municipal authorities have been asked to notify the department as soon as the necessary arrangements in connection with the numbering of the houses and labelling of the streets are completed.

7. As soon as the building is ready for occupation and taken over from the contractors by the Public Works Department. 8. Thirty years.

EXPORT LICENSES.

Mr. LANCASTER :

1. Have any licenses been issued by this government for export of any power, or fluid, or gas, under the statute, chapter 16 of the statutes of 1906-7, since those mentioned by the Minister of Inland Revenue in answer to question on page 360 of the House of Commons Debates on 9th December, 1907?

2. If so, what are the respective dates, amounts or quantities, and terms of such licenses, and the kinds of power or fluid for export, and from what places, and the names of the licensees?

Hon. WM. TEMPLEMAN :

1. Yes. Old licenses have been renewed. No new licenses have been issued since answer above referred to.

2. On the 1st of April, 1909, a license was granted to The Maine and New Brunswick Electrical Power Co., Ltd.,' Aroostook Falls, N.B., to export during current fiscal year, electrical energy not to exceed one thousand (1,000) kilowatt years.

On the 1st of April, 1909, a license was granted to The Ontario Power Company of Niagara, Falls, Ont., to export, during the current fiscal year, electrical energy not to exceed forty-five thousand (45,000) kilowatt years.

On the 1st of April, 1909, a license was granted to The Canadian Niagara Power Company,' Niagara Falls, Ont., to export during the current fiscal year, electrical energy not to exceed thirty-nine thousand one hundred and sixty-five (39,165) kilowatt years.

INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS.

Mr. VERVILLE :

1. What has been the increase in wages for mechanics, year by year, from May, 1900, to May, 1309, in different industries?

2. What was the percentage year by year for the same period?

3. What has been the average number of days worked yearly in different industries for the same period?

4. What has been the increase in production in percentage for the same period?

5. What has been the difference in the cost of living year by year, for the same period?

6. What has been the increase in number of mechanics in Canada yearly for the same period?

Hon. MACKENZIE KING :

1. The Department of Labour has in course of preparation a special report on wages changes and the cost of living in Canada during the past decade. Until this report and the statistical tables and diagrams which will accompany it, are completed, it will not be possible to give the information in the detail requested.

2. Answered by the answer to No. 1. 3. The Dominion census having been taken periodically and not annually, it is not possible to give returns showing annual averages or percentages for the period mentioned.

4. Answered by the answer to No. 3. 5. Answered by the answer to No. 1. 6. Answered by the answer to No. 3.

NEW BRUNSWICK COAL AND RAILWAY COMPANY ACCOUNTS.

Mr. FOSTER:

What has been done up to date to forward the process in the Court of Equity of the province of New Brunswick begun by the Minister of Public Works, as declared in his speech follows: I yesterday instructed my solicitors, of May 5, 1909, in the House of Commons, as the legislature being prorogued only a few day ago, to issue a summons in the Supreme Court in Equity of the province of New Brunswick, making the New Brunswick Coal and Railway Company, and the other parties defendants, so as to bring all parties before counting as to the receipts and expenditures the court for the purpose of having an acmade by that company and for the purpose of having a decree made as to the state of its

accounts?

Mr. GRAHAM: Yes, a report has been received on the estimated cost of canalizing one of the proposed western outlets of the Trent canal,-that is from Kempenfeldt bay, Lake Simcoe, to and via the Nottawasaga river to (Nottawasaga bay) Georgian Bay, and has been filed in the department. DEVIL'S ELBOW-BRADFORD CHANNEL. Mr. LENNOX:

1. Has the government decided to construct a channel from Devil's Elbow, on the Holland river, to a point in the neighbourhood of Bradford Railway station, as petitioned for, or not to construct it?

2. Has the government taken this matter into its serious consideration? If so, with what result?

3. Has the government obtained a report on this proposed work, or any estimate of its cost? If so, what is the estimated cost?

4. Will the minister lay the papers upon the table of the House?