Mr. SPEAKER:

At best, the question

is not of such a character that it can be put on the Orders of the Day. The hon. member will have opportunity, on an item in supply, of submitting his question to the Government.

Mr. S. W. JACOBS (George Etienne Cartier):

May I ask the Prime Minister

whether we may expect before prorogation the correspondence in reference to the resignation of Judge Robson?

iSir ROBERT BORDEN: I shall consult with the Minister of Trade and Commerce (Sir George Foster) who is more familiar with that matter than I am. I hope to be able to do so in the course of the afternoon or to-morrow.

Mr. CAHILL:

Why is the Dominion Government building a bridge at Banff? Is it for the National park? .

Mr. J. D. REID:

This is a re-vote for repairs to a bridge in the National park.

Mr. CAHILL:

Has this expenditure been recommended by the Department of the Interior?

Mr. J. D. REID:

Yes.

Mr. McKENZIE:

It looks like a provincial work.

Mr. J. D. REID:

The Dominion Government has to look after the bridges in the national parks.

Mr. ROBB:

Hon. gentlemen all know that the Banff National park is owned and administered by the Dominion Government. It is perhaps one of the greatest sources of revenue that we have in that line in the western country. It attracts a lot of tourists, who leave a large amount of money with the railways, and with the residents. Undoubtedly the old bridge over the Bow

river requires repairing, and I think $3,000 is a moderate sum. But in view of the present condition of our finances I think the Government might hold up for a while, until labour is cheaper and the work can be done more economically. $100,000 is a lot of money for a new bridge that is to be built just about 30 or 35 feet west of the present one and I understand the abutments aire already in. Perhaps if we passed this item for repairs, the minister would promise not to go on with the new bridge for a while.

Mr. TWEEDIE:

I do not think we should strike out the item for the new bridge at that point because it is absolutely necessary. The bridge now being used is unsafe, and it is the duty of the Government to go ahead with the construction of a new one with the least possible delay. If we struck out this $100,000 item the new bridge could not be completed for two years. We want to get the heaviest part of the work done in the fall and winter when the water is low. There are no abutments there at the present time, so far as II know. Tenders were called for and the tender accepted was in the vicinity of $100,000, but that will not complete the bridge. This new bridge is an absolute necessity for the safety of the people who are using the park.

Mr. J. D. REID:

As stated by the hon. member (Mr. Tweedie) this new bridge is an absolute necessity, and its construction has been strongly urged by the Department of the Interior. Before these Estimates were submitted to Parliament every oare was taken to strike out every item that we could possibly hold over for another year.

Mr. REID (Mackenzie):

Why is the Federal Government building a bridge in the province of Alberta? I understood that the province looked after its own highways.

Mr. J. D. REID:

This bridge is on the private property of the Dominion Government at Banff. It is not a provincial matter at all.

Mr. McKEINZIE:

The minister says the bridge is on the private property of the Dominion Government. Can we in view of the state of our finances afford to expend $100,000 on a bridge on private property which we are not using? If there is any use of the park it must be by the people of the province and visitors to that province. There is no revenue coming to this Government from the park, I suppose.

Mr. J. D. REID:

I cannot say as to that. While this park iis 'the private property of the Dominion Governmeht it is open to the public. The Provincial Government has no jurisdiction over the park or its roads and bridges. We could not ask the Provincial Government to assist us in building ja bridge in this park any moire than we could ask them to build a bridge over a stream on, the experimental farm at Ottawa, notwithstanding that many people in the province visit that farm.