MANITOBA. 



419 





To amend the Legislative Assembly act. The ses- 

 sional indemnity is reduced from $600 to $500 a 

 year. 



To amend the municipal-hall insurance act. The 

 qualification of voters under this act was fixed at 

 $800 worth of real property, instead of $400 as for- 

 merly. 



To amend an act respecting compensation to 

 families of persons killed by accident. Under the 

 original law if the administrator of a man killed 

 by accident refused to enter an action for damages, 

 there was no power for any one, else to take up the 

 case and prosecute. The amendment provides that 

 in such an event the persons who would be bene- 

 fited by the compensation may prosecute. 



To incorporate the Central Canada Fire Insur- 

 ance Company. 



To amend the foreign corporations act. 



Respecting aid to railways. This act provides 

 for the building of 140 miles extension to the 

 Dauphin Railway from Sifton station northward 

 to Saskatchewan river, also the building of 80 miles 

 from Winnipeg southeastward to a point near 

 Whitemouth lake, as a part of a railway system to 

 connect with Lake Superior. The aid in each case 

 is the guaranteeing of principal and interest of the 

 bonds of the company for thirty years at 4 per cent, 

 to the extent of $8,000 a mile. 



To amend the noxious weeds act. 



To amend the joint-stock companies' act. 



Respecting aid to the Northern Pacific and Mani- 

 toba Railway. By this act the railway is granted 

 the usual bonus always given to colonization roads 

 of $1,750 a mile to build an extension from Bel- 

 mont to Hartney, 50 miles. Besides this, $20,000 

 is given to assist in crossing a deep ravine at Lang's 

 Valley. 



To amend the public schools act. This empow- 

 ers school sections in disorganized municipalities to 

 sell lands for taxes just as if they were munici- 

 palities. 



Respecting liens of mechanics, wage-earners and 

 others. This generally consolidates and simplifies 

 the act, and makes it easier for workmen to estab- 

 lish and enforce their lien. 



To amend the game-protection act. The open 

 seasoji for prairie chickens is shortened so as to 

 begin on Oct. 1, instead of Sept. 15, and close on 

 Nov. 15, instead of Dec. 1. No person is permitted 

 to shoot more than 20 prairie chickens in any one 

 day, or more than 100 in the season. No one is per- 

 mitted to have any prairie chickens in his posses- 

 sion fifteen days after the season closes. The close 

 season for muskrats is to be from May 1 to Dec. 1, 

 instead of from May 15 to Nov. 1. The killing of 

 beavers is totally prohibited. Persons wishing to 

 domesticate game birds or animals must secure a 

 permit from the Minister of Agriculture. When the 

 two years close season for deer expires on Oct. 1, 

 1898, the law of 1896 prevails, which provides that 

 not more than two deer can be shot in a season by 

 one person. 



To amend the county courts act. In debts against 

 traders the amounts received under execution must 

 now be divided pro rata among the creditors, fol- 

 lowing much the same system that prevails in the 

 Queen's Bench. 



To amend the medical act. 



The Legislature adjourned on May 4, 1898. The 

 following paragraph from the speech of the Lieu- 

 tenant Governor was the most important: 



"I join with you in the feelings of gratification 

 which every one of you must enjoy upon seeing the 

 satisfactory results of the efforts of both my Gov- 

 ernment and that of the Dominion to promote 

 immigration. The large influx of the most desir- 

 able class of settlers so far this year, and the pros- 



pects for the remainder of the season, can not but 

 nave a great effect upon the business and trade of 

 the province generally, and with a continuation of 

 the good crops of recent years and a maintenance 

 of the prices which the farmers have realized for the 

 products of their farms during the past year, must 

 place the province of Manitoba in the very front 

 rank of desirable countries for incoming settlers." 



The provincial Treasurer delivered his budget 

 speech on April 5. The ordinary expenditure for the 

 year was stated to be $774,353, compared with $761,- 

 635 in 1896. The receipts were $683.705, or $124,- 

 730 less than had been estimated. The estimated 

 revenue for 1898 was $900,035, and the estimated 

 expenditure $1,009.588. 



Progress. Perhaps nothing shows the develop- 

 ment that is going on in Manitoba and the terri- 

 tories more directly than the sales of farm lands. 

 All reports from the large land companies show a 

 steady and rapid increase in land sales. The sales 

 made by the Canadian Pacific Railway land depart- 

 ment during 1897 were more than double those of 

 the previous year. The largest sales were made dur- 

 ing the last three months of the year, but the Ca- 

 nadian Pacific Railway land sales to the end .of 

 August this year aggregate more than were made 

 for the whole of last year. The number of acres 

 sold monthly by the Canadian Pacific Railway 

 land department for the past three years was as 

 follows. The total given for 181'b 1 is to the end of 

 August only : 



Crops. In 1895 the area iinder wheat, oats, bar- 

 ley, flax, potatoes, and roots was 1,887,796 ; in 1896, 

 1,614,221 ; in 1897, 1,958,025 ; and in 1898, 2,210,942. 

 The official estimate of beef cattle in the province 

 in June, 1898. was 7,901, and of milch cows 74,773. 

 There were 35 cheese factories in operation. The 

 crop was splendid, and the farmers came through 

 the year with much financial benefit. 



Railways. For many years a standing grievance 

 cf the farmers of Manitoba against the Canadian 

 Pacific Railway was the fact that they had to ship 

 their grain through its elevators or else pay the 

 elevator its regular charges whether the grain went 

 via the elevator or not. In July the railway finally 

 gave way and granted the privilege of loading grain 

 directly into the cars from vehicles or platforms. 

 In 1897 Mr. Greenway had conceived a project to 

 connect Winnipeg with Duluth, Minn., by rail, 

 and thus give the people competition with the Ca- 

 nadian Pacific Railway. The objection to this was 

 in the introduction of American lines to Canadian 

 business and the consequent transfer of Winnipeg 

 traffic to the United States. Much opposition was 

 raised, especially in eastern Canada, where large 

 sums had been paid to build the Canadian Pacific 

 Railway and to obtain the Manitoba market. 

 Eventually the Manitoba Government found that 

 it would be impossible to secure control of the rates 

 on the proposed line and it was abandoried. In 1898 

 the Government took up and approved the Ontario 

 and Rainy River road, giving connection with On- 

 tario over Canadian territory. 



