NORTHWEST TERRITORIES OF CANADA. 



399 



On March 2, 1901, James Hamilton Ross, who 

 had been a member of the Executive Committee 

 or Government since 1895, resigned to accept the 

 Dominion post of Commissioner of the Yukon, 

 and was succeeded by Arthur Lewis Sifton. He 

 was reelected by acclamation. On March 22 two 

 by-elections took place, and the previous mem- 

 bers, who had resigned to contest seats for the 

 Commons, were returned by large majorities. 

 Both were Conservatives, but R. 13. Bennett was 

 an opponent of the Haultain Government, while 

 R. S. Lake was a supporter. 



Legislation. The Assembly at the beginning 

 of- the year had 12 Conservatives, 9 Liberals, and 

 10 who were either independent or without party 

 affiliations. The Haultain Government had, how- 

 ever, a substantial majority, the Conservative 

 Premier having a large liberal support. He was 

 strongly opposed during ,the year by many Con- 

 ' servatives. 



The Legislative Assembly was opened on May 

 2, 1901, at Regina, by Lieut.-Gov. Amadee Eman- 

 uel Forget. William Eakin was Speaker, Mr. 

 Haultain Premier, and D. H. McDonald, a Lib- 

 eral in politics, was leader of an opposition that 

 included several Conservatives. The speech from 

 the throne included the following passages: 



" In common with the rest of Canada, you must 

 be gratified at the splendid service done on behalf 

 of the empire by our fellow citizens in South 

 Africa. That some of those who volunteered 

 their services have lost their lives must be a 

 cause of the deepest sorrow, and I am sure that 

 you will join me in expressing the greatest sym- 

 pathy for the relatives and friends of those who 

 have fallen as well as the heartiest welcome to 

 those who have returned. 



" In addressing you on the occasion of your last 

 meeting I referred to ' the great disproportion 

 existing between the means at command and the 

 ever-growing necessities of the rapidly increasing 

 population of the territories.' As those necessi- 

 ties have still continued to grow with our popu- 

 lation, and there is no substantial increase to the 

 revenue apparently to be looked for, I feel it my 

 duty to call your attention to the absolute im- 

 possibility of supplying the ordinary services of 

 the territories with the means at your command. 



" During the past few months smallpox, which 

 has been epidemic in all States of the American 

 Union immediately to the south of us, and also 

 in a number of the provinces of the Dominion, 

 made its appearance at several points in the ter- 

 ritories. Measures were taken to prevent the 

 spread of the disease, and I am happy to be able 

 to inform you that it is being rapidly stamped 

 out. 



" The great losses to crops annually caused by 

 hail-storms, and the hitherto unsatisfactory sys- 

 tem of hail insurance conducted as a private en- 

 terprise, have led my Government to consider the 

 subject, and a measure will be submitted to you 

 by which it is hoped an effective and economical 

 system of insurance against losses by hail, admin- 

 istered by the Government, will be offered to 

 those wishing to take advantage of it. 



" You will be asked to consider a bill to amend 

 and consolidate the law relating to joint-stock 

 companies, by which a more simple arid inexpen- 

 sive process of formation will be provided, and 

 a more complete and comprehensive system regu- 

 lating companies and cooperative enterprises in- 

 troduced. Legislation will also be introduced 

 having in view the simplification of the law re- 

 lating to the establishment and conduct of rural 

 school districts and the method of assessment 

 therein. The desirability of the readjustment of 



i aid 



i ally 



,u li- 



the basis upon which the I 

 of schools are at prc.-ent nun 

 recognized, and proposition.-, i 

 ject will be submitted to you 



" Your attention will be <li 

 larging the scope of the I'ubli 

 inent by providing means when >y 

 ent impassable may be improved by ;i 

 drainage-works, as well as simplifying ;ni.l iu op- 

 ening the manner of dealing with the \c\.,| ( ( u, 

 tion of roadways. Measures will be .-.uhiiiii t.-| 

 for your consideration amending the law re- 

 specting steam-boilers, liquor licenses, the admin- 

 istration of civil justice, villages, and local im- 

 provement." 



Finances. The public accounts for the year 

 ending 1 Dec. 31, 1900, showed total receipts 

 amounting to $407,185, and expenditures of the 

 same amount. The revenue included a Dominion 

 grant of $307,979 for schools, etc., a special grant 

 of $92,000 to restore public works destroyed by 

 floods, and $4,000 for another purpose. The sum 

 of $11,159 represented a reimbursement for cer- 

 tain repairs by the Dominion Public Works De- 

 partment, and $4,452 was Dominion interest on 

 school lands. Thus $419,000 of the revenue was 

 derived from Ottawa. There were a few minor 

 items, such as $1,200 for licenses to foreign com- 

 panies, $1,415 for marriage licenses, $3,584 for 

 steam-boiler and engineer certificates, $3,671 re- 

 ceived in the Department of Agriculture, and 

 $30,492 obtained from liquor licenses. The ex- 

 penses included $43,951 for civil government, 

 $22,360 for legislation, $8,471 for administration 

 of justice, $175,826 for public works, $187,741 for 

 education, $17,216 for agriculture and statistics, 

 $9,163 for hospitals, charities, and sundries. The 

 locaL improvement districts trust account showed 

 taxes collected amounting to $13,384, and ex- 

 penditures of $10,188. 



The budget speech was delivered by A. L. Sifton 

 in the Assembly on June 7, 1901. He first spoke 

 of the services rendered to the country by the 

 Hon. J. H. Ross, who for so many years had 

 filled the office of Territorial Treasurer. The di- 

 rect revenue from the Dominion Government for 

 the current year would, he estimated, be $345,000, 

 and this, with various small and special taxes, 

 would make a total of $413,000 as the actual 

 revenue to be received. The territories were de- 

 pendent upon the Dominion Government in finan- 

 cial matters, and their population was too small 

 to permit of any heavy specific taxation. It had 

 therefore been difficult to make ends meet, and 

 the estimates of expenditure for the current year 

 were based upon a promise from the Dominion 

 authorities that their grant on Jan. 1, 1902, would 

 be $600,000. The estimates in many cases would 

 show an increase over the previous year, and this 

 was especially so in the vote for civil government, 

 to which recent additions to the salaries of mem- 

 bers of the Government had been charges. In 

 the Public Works Department there would be an 

 increase from $187,000 to $258,000. The amount 

 actually required for what were considered public 

 requirements was $400,000. There was an in- 

 crease in the educational grant of 10 per cent., 

 caused by the growth of the population. The 

 Government had gone as far as it was wise to 

 go in taxing the people for local improvements, 

 and yet the stage had not been reached where 

 it was possible to do what ought to be done in 

 necessary constructive work. The whole matter 

 of financial receipts from the Dominion was 

 loosely managed and insufficient for the purpose. 

 " There is no difference of opinion throughout 

 the Northwest Territories as to the fact that we 



