Mr. REID (Grenville).

And the minister knows that these gentlemen occupy minor positions now to those which they occupied before the strike.

Mr. MIDDLERBO.

I call the attention of the Minister of Railways to an article which appears in to-day's Ottawa ' Journal ' giving an account of an interview between the trainmen and the government; the article concludes:

It is asserted here that he (the Minister of Railways) has informed the Grand Trunk authorities that he will not put through the Grand Trunk Pacific estimates until they have settled with the men.

I wish to ask whether the Minister of Railways or any member of the government represented or intimated to the de- [DOT] putation in any way that the Grand Trunk Pacific estimates would not be put through or would be delayed until these men had been taken back.

Mr. GEAHAM.

What is the date of the paper and what interview does it refer to.

Mr. MIDDLEBKO.

It is to-day's Ottawa ' Journal ' and I will read the article:

There arrived in Ottawa yesterday a delegation of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, headed by Messrs. Berry and Murodck. To-day they interviewed Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Mr. Graham on the subject of the reinstatement of the striking trainmen. At present 265 of the strikers are still out of employment.

It will be remembered that when, at the end of July, the strikers demurred at the elastic nature of the Grand Trunk authorities promise to replace them ' as fast as possible.' Mr. Mackenzie King, Minister of Labour, told them that he had received an assurance that it meant within 90 days.

It now is four months instead of three, and these 285 men are still out of work. The delegation is waiting on the government to see about it.

The matter is serious for Mr. Graham, in whose home town of Brockville some 30 or 35 men are still on the company's black list. The rest of the railway men sympathize with these men, and the matter is of electoral importance to the Minister of Railways.

It is asserted here that he has informed the Grand Trunk authorities that he will not put through the Grand Trunk Pacific estimates till they have settled with the men.

Mr. GEAHAM.

I am glad to say, that no matter how gentlemen on the other side may regard this matter, it is a matter of a great deal more than electoral importance to the Minister of Eailways. It is a matter of justice to the men and that is the light in which I have viewed it. A deputation was here to-day and the Minister of Labour and myself went from the deputation to council without luncheon and we came to the House in the same way, I have been interviewed by no newspaper man since I met the deputation and I gave no such assurance and I had no such communication with the Grand Trunk Pacific.

Mr. MIDDLEBRO.

I asked the minister whether he had given the alleged assurance, and he has not answered.

Mr. GEAHAM.

I answered it absolutely, no.

Has the government any further information, beyond what appears in the newspapers, with regard to the mining disaster at Bellevue, Alberta? There is no doubt that where such a sad calamity has occurred there will be a great deal of suffering and I would ask the government to inquire immediately if anything can be done to relieve those in distress. I am sure both sides of the House will concur in extending relief to the bereaved people, if it be needed.

Mr. MIDDLEBEO.

Sir WILFRID LAUEIER.

So far as I know, no information has yet been received officially or otherwise by the government, except what has appeared in the newspapers.

Sir WILFRID LAUEIER.

I would suggest that all the questions be called whether they are marked with an asterisk or not, and then the minister in charge may say what disposition has been made of them.

Mr. BRODEUR:

1 and 2. The dockyards at Halifax and Esquimalt were closed about the year 19041905, when Halifax ceased to be the secondary base for the fleet which it formerly was. .

The headquarters of the North American squadron then changed from Bermuda to Devonport, England.

This squadron is now principally employed in home and West Indian waters, with the exception of the ' Brilliant,' which is employed on the Newfoundland fishery patrol.

On the Pacific station the admiralty had been for some time reducing the squadron, and, when Esquimalt yard was closed, only one ship remained.

The two small sloops, the ' Algerine,' of 1,050 tons, and ' Shearwater,' of 980 tons, employed on the Behring sea patrol, are now on the Pacific coast, and still make Esquimalt their headquarters.

Previous to that date the following ships were on the North American station:-

Tons.

Ariadne (sister ship to Niobe) 11,000

Indefatigable (sister ship to Rainbow) 3,600

Charybdis 4,360

Pelorus 2,335

Prometheus 2,135

Pallas 2,575

Fantome 1,070

Alert 960

On the Pacific station were:-

Grafton 7,350

Flora 4,360

Bonaventure 4,360

Shearwater 980