1. Matter under consideration.

2. Resolutions passed by the town council of Whitby and the county council of the county of Ontario, petitions sent in by owners and captains of vessels trading on Lake Ontario and representations made by prominent individuals submitted as follows: That Whitby being the shortest

railway route between Lakes Huron and Ontario, it may be an important unit in the moving of large quantities of the grain product of Manitoba and the Territories to the sea-board by an all Canadian route; that the comparatively central situation of this harbour and its position with regard to the outlet of the Welland canal make it a desirable one for a harbour of refuge on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and further, that, owing to its railway connections with Midland and the Ontario government Temiscaming Railway, Whitby Harbour would, if improved, serve as a natural outlet of the trade of Central and New Ontario.

3. Port Whitby Harbour Company.

4. No record in the department.

5 and 6. No.

1. George F. Blarney is collector of Customs at Oshawa; salary, $1,200 a year.

2. The customs revenue collected at the port of Oshawa is as follows:

During 1904-5 $ 40,684 66

During 1905-6

50,325 699 months during 1906-7

50,042 61During 1907-8

73,729 6911 months during 1908-9

71,691 07

necessary to make the Oshawa harbour a harbour of refuge by providing for the undertaking of the improvements referred to in the government engineer's report.'

Further representations were made to the effect that ' the town needs a harbour of refuge for freight as well as passenger purposes, for the export of fruit and import of coal,' and that, if the harbour improvements were carried out, the local manufacturers would be placed on equal footing with any others in Canada.

Mr. THOMAS CHISHOLM asked:

How many acres of land are still undisposed of by the government in each of the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta?

3. The following expenses in addition to

the collector's salary have been incurred in connection with the customs service at Oshawa from July 1, 1904, to March 1, 1909, viz: $556.65.

4. The petition of the town council of Oshawa states : ' That the decrease in revenue of this port is largely due to the want of much needed improvements in the way of added dock and breakwater protection and dredging at the harbour which the Harbour Company is unable to supply; also that unless some action is taken to supply these needed harbour improvements, the harbour will become unsafe and unapproachable for vessels of ordinary capacity, such as are required for the heavy classes of freight, viz: iron and other raw material used by the numerous local factories and the coal required not only by them, but by all the people of the town and most of the farmers in the surrounding country. This has already seriously affected the grain trade and will continue to do so until remedied, and, if longer neglected, it will soon cut off the large passenger business now done at this port, and, what is of greater importance, the town shall lose the check upon the freight and passenger rates charged by the railway companies, which the competitive water route has always heretofore afforded; this would so hamper the manufacturing and commercial interests that its possibility must be regarded as a present serious menace to the prosperity of the town and of the surrounding farming country of which it forms the trade centre.'

The council therefore resolved that, in its belief: ' an urgent necessity exists for the prompt intervention of the Dominion parliament to prevent by timely aid at its present session (1898), this loss to this community which cannot longer be averted by private enterprise,' and requested the government ' to take such action as may be

Hon. FRANK OLIVER (Minister of the Interior):

,

Undisposed of land in Manitoba at the 1st January, 1909, is 17,862,240 acres.

Undisposed of land in Saskatchewan at 1st January, 1909, is 104,878,159 acres.

Undisposed of land in Alberta at the 1st January, 1909, is 117,369,630 acres.

These figures are approximate.

Mr. STANFIELD asked:

What were the amounts paid by the Intercolonial Railway for stationery and printing for the year July 31, 1905, to June 30, 1906; from July 1, 1906, to March 31, 1907; and from April 1, 1907, to March 31, 1908.

1. Year ended June 30, 1906-

Printing $ 88,509 70

Stationery 18,428 43

Nine months ended March 31, 1907-

Printing $ 86,921

Stationery 13,325 16

Year ended March 31, 1908-

Printing $104,188 76Stationery

34,330 46

1. For what wharfs in the counties of Queens and. Sunbury did the Department of Public Works call for tenders in October last?

2. What was the date of the call for tenders, and what was the date stated within which tenders would be received?

3. Was there a department estimate of the cost of these wharfs? If so, what was it in G9iCh cas6 ?

4. Were tenders received for all the wharfs for which they were called, and what was the lowest tender in each case?

5. What was the reason that none of the tenders were accepted?

6. Is it intended to call for new tenders for all these wharfs during the present year, or to build them without tender and contract?

2375

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

1. How many new daily mail services were established in the counties of Queens and Sunbury, N.B., in the months of September and October last, and how many new post offices ?

2. Did the Post Office Department before ordering the establishment of these services and offices have a report from the post office inspector as to the cost of maintenance and probabe revenue? If so, what was it in the case of each office established?

3. Had any of these mail services or Post Offices been previously applied for and refused? If so, when and on what grounds were the applications refused?

LEM1EUX (Postmaster General) :

Only one daily mail service was established in the counties of Queens and Sunbury during the months of September and October last, to serve a new post office at Washa-damoak, the cost of such service being $25 per annum. The following is a list of new post offices established showing also estimated revenue and cost of service:

Elm Hill-

Estimated revenue $15

Cost of tri-weekly service 35

Established upon report of post office inspector.