Document Information

Date: 1905-04-10
By: Canada (Parliament)
Citation: Canada, House of Commons Debates, 10th Parl, 1st Sess, 1905 at 4202.
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LANDS IN NEW PROVINCES—INTERVIEW WITH MR. BULYEA.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN. I notice that in an interview given by Mr. Bulyea, one of the members of the government of the Northwest Territories, which is to be found in the columns of the Regina ‘Standard,’ of date April 5th, 1905, there is this paragraph:

Besides, the Dominion government retaining the land, it naturally devolves upon them to assume the responsibility of opening up and developing the country and railways will have to go to them for assistance. During the conference the members of the federal government agreed to assume this responsibility.

The only part of the interview I desire to call attention to is this paragraph, so that I do not feel it necessary to read the whole. I wish to inquire from the Prime Minister whether or not, in addition to that which appears on the face of the Bill, there is any agreement or understanding such as that which is referred to in the paragraph of the interview which I have quoted?

Sir WILFRID LAURIER. I do not know that there is any agreement upon that. I am sure there is not; but in the discussions which took place, we stated that the policy of the government with regard to railway subsidies would not be departed from so far as parliament would come to a conclusion on it. That is all there is on that subject.