Document Information

Date: 1904-10-05
By: North-West Territories (Legislative Assembly), The Regina Leader
Citation: North-West Territories, Legislative Assembly,The Regina Leader (12 October 1904), 5th Legi, 3rd Sess, 5 October 1904

Other formats: TBA

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Legislative Assembly.

Provincial Autonomy

While we have been asking the Dominion Government for an increase in grant we have also been asking for autonomy, which cannot be waived no matter how much increase in grant they give us. The amount of money granted would sink into insignificance before such an important question as provincial autonomy. The money that is taken out from the Territories and which would be paid into the local government under provincial autonomy, is much greater than the increase in grant they give us. The amount of money granted would sink into insignificance before such an important question as provincial autonomy. The money that is taken out from the Territories and which would be paid into the local government under provincial autonomy, is much greater than the increase in grant. The land titles offices alone bring into the treasury $50,000 a year to which we are properly entitled, and which is now going to Ottawa. Many more such sources of income could be named, and the fact that we losing thousands of dollars every year made apparent. As far as the Territories are concerned, in my opinion provincial autonomy is the most important question we have to deal with. It means good hard dollars and cents which we are now letting slip through our fingers, and which is going into the treasury at Ottawa instead of the Northwest Territories. I have now given, briefly, a statement of the finances of the Territories, and the amount which we are asking you to vote, and I commend the bill to your careful consideration.

On taking his seat Mr. Haultain was loudly cheered. No member of the House replied, and the speaker left the chair, the House resolving left the chair, the House resolving itself into a committee of supply.

In the committee very few objections were made to the accounts of money voted, and very little discussion took place except on the proposal to raise the salary of the Deputy Attorney General. Mr. Haultain and Mr. Bennett paid a high compliment to both the former deputies and expressed the opinion that the Government would be a long time in finding one to fill the position as well as either Mr. Robson or Mr. Harvey had filled it.

The house sat in the evening in the down town offices and did considerable committee work, though no bills were reported.