Mr. FOSTER asked:

What was the total payment in 1896 to the permanent Civil Service employees of the inside service at Ottawa, and of those employees not in the then Inside Civil Service, who were paid out of lump votes and Civil Government Contingencies, respectively, in the branches and departments added to the Inside Civil Service by the Act of 1908, and what is the sum estimated for the similar divisions for the year 1909-10?

Hon. W. S. FIELDING (Minister of Finance).

We are collecting the information, it is not yet ready. I would ask that the motion stand.

1. Referring to press reports accrediting Mr. Hayes of the Grand Trunk Railway as saying that there are 50,000 level crossings on the Grand Trunk Railway system in Canada, and to the return brought down to the House on the 16th instant gave 14,999 as the total number of level orossings in Canada on the 30th June last, (a) are the figures of the return correct, (b) what is the number of level crossings on the Grand Trunk Railway system in Canada, (c) how many of these are said to be protected, (d) in what ways are they protected, and how many of eaoh class?

2. Of how many of these crossings (a) protected,^ (b) unprotected, have the government or Railway Board plans, drawings or photographs?

3. Of Grand Trunk unprotected crossings,

(a) how many according to the company's statements to the board, require protection,

(b) how many have the board claimed to require protection or (c) has the question been taken up at all between the board and the company?

4. About what amount is said to be the cost of installing a set or pair of gates at a railway crossing, say in Ontario or Quebec, (a) in a city, town or village, (b) on a country highway or elsewhere, and (c) what is the ordinary average annual cost of up-keep, exclusive of attendance?

1. I am not prepared to say how many crossings the Grand Trunk Railway Company have in Canada, but I understood Mr. Hays to make the statement that there are about 3,000. It seems to me that it would be comparatively correct The Board of Railway Commissioners have not the plans

of the Grand Trunk Railway system. These plans were filed many years ago, probably with the government, and long before the board was in existence. The only plans that the board has are locations made by railways since 1904. Plans previous to that date are with the Department of Railways and Canals.

2. Submitted herewith is a list of the plans of the larger cities and the Grand Trunk and Canadian Pacific Railway Companies are supplying the smaller ones at the present time showing what crossings are protected and unprotected in the cities.

3. No statement has been furnished by the Grand Trunk Railway Company to the board as to what crossings they think require protection, and while a large number of orders have been made ordering protection, it does not appear that the question of general protection has ever been taken up by the board with the company.

4. The average cost of installing a gate is about $600. That would be approximately $700 in a city where the street is wider and a tower is used and $500 on a crossing in the country. With a watchman, fuel for his equipment, oil for his lights, shovels, etc., the average up-keep for a gate operated in day time only would be $600 per year. If operated day and night $1,200. This would cover all contingencies for ordinary repairs to the gate.

List of City Plans, Eastern Lines.

Belleville, city plans, shows crossings.

Guelph, city plan, shows crossings.

Hamilton, city plan, shows crossings.

Ingersoll, city plan, shows crossings.

London, city plan, Canadian Pacific Railway plan, shows crossings.

Montreal, city plan, shows Canadian Pacific crossings; Canadian Pacific plan shows Cote St. Paul; Grand Trunk plan of terminals, crossings; Canadian Northern Quebec Railway location city.

Ottawa, city plan.

Quebec, Canadian Pacific Railway plan.

Toronto, city plan, showing Canadian Pacific crossings.

Toronto, city plan showing Grand Trunk

crossings.

Woodstock, Grand Trunk partial plan.

Niagara Falls, Grand Trunk street crossings.

St. Catharines, Grand Trunk street crossings.

Brantford, Toronto, Hamilton and Brantford location, city.

Edmonton, city plan

Medicine Hat, city plan.

Regina, Canadian Pacific Railway yards.

Vancouver, city plan.

Winnipeg, Canadian Northern Railway yards.

Winnipeg, Canadian Pacific Railway yards.

Fort William, Canadian Pacific Railway yards.

Port Arthur, Canadian Pacific Railway yards.

1. How much money was spent on the Newmarket river canal on the Holland river, before March, 31, 1908?

2. How much money was spent in April. May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December, 1908?

3. What contracts were let since the 31st March, 1908?

4. Were tenders asked for?

5. Who were the contractors?

GRAHAM (Minister of

Railways and Canals):

1. $31,444.26

2. April . ..$ 440 06May . . . . 10,330 00June . . .. 12,168 72July . . .. 10,073 26August .. .. 10,962 50September . . .. 26,986 50October .. .. 43,218 48November .... 22,145 73December . . . . 20,548 403. Contract section 2, with John Riley 12th February 1908, and assigned to the York Construction Company, Limited, on the 3rd April, 1908, $652,009.50.

Contract with the Lakefield Cement Company on the 7th July, 1908, for 5,000 barrels cement at $2, $10,000, less $2,000 for empty sacks returned value of contract, $8,000.

Contract with the Hamilton Bridge Company on the 10th October, 1908, for three bridges as follows:

Green) ane $ 6,482 00

Yonge street 5,655 00

2nd Con. Road 5,655 00

Total $17,792 00

Contract Lakefield Portland Cement Company, February, 1909, for 15,000 barrels cement at $1.60 per barrel less bags, amount of contract, $18,000.

4. Tenders for all work now under contract were asked for.

5. The York Construction Company for section 2. The Lakefield Cement Company for cement. The Hamilton Bridge Company for bridges. Section 1, is not under contract.

1. Has J. Dolmage been dismissed as post master at Souris, Manitoba? If so. whe*>?

2. Were there any complaints made agains! Mr. Dolmage as postmaster? If so, what was the nature of the complaints?

3. Was any investigation made into tnr. manner in which Mr. Dolmage conducted th office? If so, when and by whom?

Mr. GRAHAM.

1. Yes. Instructions were given to inspector on the 15th January, 1909. The office was transferred to the new postmaster on the 28th January, 1909.

2. The removal of the postmaster at Souris was directed upon the ground of political partisanship.

3. No formal investigation was considered necessary.

1. Was the wharf which was constructed at Wallace Bridge, N.S., during the year 1908, built by contract or by day labour p

2. If by contract, (a) what was the amount,

(b) to whom was it given, (c) was it let by lender? If so, was it let to the lowest tenderer ?

3. Who were the tenderers, and what was the amount of the various tenders, respectively?

4. If constructed by day labour, (a) what are the names of the several persons employed, (b) what rate per day did each man receive, and (c) what total amount?

5. If any horses or teams were employed, from whom were they engaged, at what rate per day, and what is the full amount paid to each person in this connection?

6. From whom was the site for the wharf purchased, when was it purchased, and what was the price paid?

7. If the wharf was built by day labour, (a) what prices were paid for the materials used in its construction, (b) what quantity of each kind of material was used, (c) from whom were the various materials purchased, and (d) were they purchased by tender?

8. If by tender who were the tenderers and what is the amount of each tender?

9. What is the height, length.and breadth of the wharf?

10. At what date did actual work begin at the site of the wharf, and when did it cease?

11. What is the total cost to date, and is the wharf now completed?

Hon. WM. PUGSLEY (Minister of Public Works):

2 and 3. Day's labour.

(a) (b) (c)

Per day.

Scott .. . .$2 50 $107 50

. . 1 50 61 50

.. 1 50 39 00Simpson Langville . - .. 1 50 37 12Manson Meade.. .. . . 1 50 20 63