570 



NOVA SCOTIA. 



will be pleased to learn, from a report to be sub- 

 mitted, that large areas in the island of Cape 

 Breton, hitherto considered of doubtful mineral 

 value, offer good fields for mining enterprise and 

 investment, and that explorations during the past 

 season have shown that the area of the Cumber- 

 land coal field is much more extensive than it was 

 previously believed to be. 



" Very satisfactory progress has been made in 

 the construction of the Midland Railway between 

 the towns of Windsor and Truro. We have every 

 reason to look forward to the completion of this 

 road during the coning summer. I regret the 

 progress made with the projected railroads be- 

 tween Halifax and Yarmouth during the past 

 year has not been as satisfactory as we could 

 have desired. The subject of certain railway 

 claims of this province against the Federal Gov- 

 ernment ha* engaged the attention of my min- 

 isters during the recess, and renewed efforts have 

 been made to have these claims effectively placed 

 before the federal authorities. A delegation vis- 

 ited Ottawa recently for that purpose. 



" Since the last meeting of the Legislature, by 

 a decision of the Judicial Committee of the im- 

 perial Privy Council, it has been determined that 

 the ownership of the beds of lakes and rivers, and 

 inferentially of the foreshores in bays and along 

 the coast, is vested in the provincial Government. 

 While this decision in no way affects the responsi- 

 bility of the Federal Government in respect to the 

 regulation and protection of the fishing industry 

 of the country, it has made it clear that the 

 right to issue leases of fishing privileges over a 

 defined area is vested in the provincial Govern- 

 ment. A measure dealing with this subject will 

 be submitted for your consideration. 



" A great deal of importance is properly at- 

 tached to the question of the maintenance of our 

 common roads. A large amount of intelligent 

 discussion and the introduction of modern road 

 machinery in many parts of the province have 

 done much to assist in bringing about a more 

 desirable condition of affairs. It has been felt 

 that our present road law does not meet present 

 requirements. 



" The act of the last session providing for a 

 revision of the statutes required that the work 

 should be completed on or before the 31st of De- 

 cember, 1808. The commissioners appointed for 

 this purpose, while proceeding with the work 

 with the utmost vigor, have officially reported 

 to my Government that it was absolutely im- 

 possible to complete the work in a thorough and 

 satisfactory manner within the time specified, and 

 for this reason the complete work can not be 

 submitted to the Legislature this session." 



On March 10, in pursuance of a policy that 

 the Liberal provincial governments were putting 

 in practice of supporting proposals made by the 

 Dominion Liberal Government, Attorney-General 

 Longley moved the following resolution regard- 

 ing the constitution of the Senate of Canada, 

 and it was carried by a vote of 30 to 2: 



" That an humble address be presented to her 

 Majesty the Queen setting forth that the pro- 

 visions of the British North America act, 1867 

 respecting the legislative functions of the Senate 

 of Canada, are unsatisfactory, and should be so 

 amended as to bring that body more into har- 

 mony with the principles of representative gov- 

 ernment, and praying that her Majesty may be 

 pleased to recommend to the imperial Parliament 

 such an amendment of the said act as will pro- 

 vide that if the House of Commons passes any 



1 and the Senate rejects such bill or fails to 

 it, or passes it with any amendments to 



which the House of Commons will not agree, and 

 to which amendments the Senate adheres, the 

 Governor General may by message, upon the ad- 

 vice of his Council, convene a joint sitting of the 

 tw r o house's, which sitting shall decide by a joint 

 vote, without debate, the question in controversy 

 between the two houses." 



The session of the Assembly closed on March 

 30 with the following review of its work by the 

 Lieutenant Governor : 



" The special act respecting roads will, I feel 

 assured, meet with public approval. It is a meas- 

 ure of reform which should bring about a more 

 efficient supervision of this important branch of 

 the public service. I notice with satisfaction the 

 passing of an important measure in relation to 

 agriculture, including provisions for the assist- 

 ance of creameries, which should have the effect 

 of giving to all the counties of the province the 

 advantages of improved dairying. It is gratify- 

 ing to observe the passing of an act for the en- 

 couragement of the production of iron and steel 

 in this province, w r hich, I trust, will have the 

 effect of leading to a larger development of this 

 most important industrial enterprise. The legis- 

 lation of the session with respect to the fisheries 

 will, it is hoped, enable this province to efficiently 

 carry out provincial interests in this leading in- 

 dustry. Prominent among the measures which 

 you have passed is an act to consolidate our mar- 

 riage laws; also acts relating to juries, mechan- 

 ics' lien, secret bills of sale, and an act effecting 

 a change in the granting of Crown lands. I con- 

 gratulate you upon the passing of these impor- 

 tant measures." 



Iron and Steel Industries. The legislation 

 and discussion connected with this important 

 branch of provincial development attracted much 

 attention during the year, and the work already 

 accomplished w r as well reviewed by Mr. Whitney, 

 the American-Canadian capitalist, in a letter to 

 the Premier, from which the following extracts 

 are taken: 



" Through your position with the Government 

 of Nova Scotia you are, of course, cognizant of 

 the history of the coal trade in your province 

 and of my connection therewith since the year 

 1893. Although you are aware of the facts, you 

 will, perhaps, pardon me if I pass in review the 

 history of the coal business in Cape Breton County 

 since I became connected therewith. I wish to 

 do this as I am about to make later in this letter 

 a proposal to you leading to a further and larger 

 development of this trade. You will remember 

 that I procured the organization of the Dominion 

 Coal Company, which has already spent in the 

 purchase of mines and in equipping them with 

 modern plant and machinery between $6,000,000 

 and $7,000,000. The greater part of this money 

 was fresh capital, and came from outside of the 

 province. That the company has been successful 

 appears from the fact that the output of coal 

 from the mines which were purchased by the 

 Dominion Coal Company has been increased from 

 700,000 tons a year to 1,200,000 tons. The wages 

 have increased from $700,000 (the highest ever 

 paid by the old companies) to $1,100,000 a year. 

 The royalty paid by the Dominion Coal Company 

 is substantially greater than that paid by any 

 other coal company, and the increase in the pro- 

 vincial revenue has been very considerable. I 

 found early in the history of the 1 Dominion Coal 

 Company that it w r as cramped for markets, and 

 Avith a view to the further development of the 

 mining industry in Cape Breton I promoted in the 

 city of Boston the formation of a coke and gas 

 company, involving an expenditure of about 



