EN
🔍

House of Commons, 6 February 1905, Canadian Confederation with Alberta and Saskatchewan

599 COMMONS
[...] man able to tell us that any petition came in against this postmaster. There may have been, but if so, the petitions were sent in without the knowledge of the free and independent electors there, and had they known it a contrary petition would have been sent in signed by a great many Reformers as well as Conservatives. I think I have given the true solution, namely, that he was engaged in business and had a partner in the store. Well, Mr. Speaker, you know that in small places like that postmasters often have other business, the post office business is so small that it does not occupy much of their time, and it frequently happens that they employ competent men to assist them. I say again, I regret that the hon. gentleman, finding himself unable to give the information, did not allow the motion to stand, because I would have been able to enlighten him on many points. His friends probably misled him. I think possibly he would not have made the change had he been cognizant of all the facts.
Sir WILLIAM MULOCK. I think my hon. friend would have done well to reserve his judgment. When he receives the papers I think he will have occasion to change his views. A large number of his own friends asked for it.
Motion agreed to.

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES PROVINCIAL AUTONOMY.

Mr. F. D. MONK (Jaques Cartier) moved for :
Copies of all correspondence between the government of Canada, or any member thereof, and the government of the Northwest Territories, or any of its members, in reference to the granting of provincial autonomy to the said Territories, since the date of the last prorogation of parliament.
He said: The object of this motion is to obtain the correspondence in regard to the autonomy of the Northwest Territories that took place since the last prorogation of parliament. We had two returns during the last parliament, bringing down only a part of the correspondence. The object of the motion is to complete it.
Motion agreed to.

POSTAL BUSINESS IN THE DISTRICT OF ALBERTA.

Mr. WM. J. ROCHE (Marquette) moved for :
A return showing in detail the business done during each of the past ten years, and also in the aggregate during the same period, in connection with the transmission of mail matter; and with the issue and payment of money orders and postal notes at each post office in the provisional district of Alberta.
Hon. Sir WILLIAM MULOCK (Postmaster General). Perhaps my hon. friend would 600 explain what he means by the statement ' Showing in detail the businesg done during each of the past ten years, and also in the aggregate during the same period, in connection with the transmission of mail matter.'
Mr. W. J. ROCHE. I want to get at the amount of business done in that provincial district in each post office for each year.
Sir WILLIAM MULOCK. Does the hon. gentleman mean the number of letters and the number of the various kinds of mail matter ?
Mr. W. J. ROCHE. Yes.
Sir WILLIAM MULOCK. I would point out to him that to give in detail what he asks for would be impossible, because there is no account kept of each piece of mail matter that passes through the post office. Every six months an enumeration is made of the business of an office for a period of about two weeks, and from these enumerations an estimate is formed of the amount of the mail matter of different kinds mailed at a particular office. Therefore this could only be an estimate.
Mr. W. J. ROCHE. It is the general business done that I desire to get at.
Sir WIILLIAM MULOCK. The secretary of the department tells me that they would have to correspond with every postmaster in Alberta to get this information, and to get it as fast as the hon. gentleman wants it. Therefore there would be considerable delay involved in gathering the information.
Mr. W. J. ROCHE. I am anxious to get an idea of the business done so that it may be discussed when the question of autonomy comes up.
Sir WILLIAM MULOCK. Very well, I will give all information we can now. But if we have to correspond to get anything, it might be better to have a partial return made now, and give the rest later. I would suggest that we strike out the words 'in detail' and substitute the words 'an estimate of.'
Motion, as amended, agreed to.

INLAND AND CUSTOMS REVENUES, N.W.T.

Mr. W J. ROCHE moved:
For a return showing the amount of revenue collected, (1) by the Department of Inland Revenue; (2) by the Department of Customs, during each of the past ten years : and also in the aggregate during the same period, at the following points in the Northwest Territories, viz.: Edmonton, Strathcona, Red Deer, Calgary, Medicine Hat, Maple Creek, Lethbridge, Coutts, Cardston and Macleod.
HON. WILLIAM PATERSON (Minister of Customs). When the hon. gentleman says ' in the aggrogate' does he mean to have the [...]

Source:

Canada. House of Commons Debates, 1875-1949. Provided by the Library of Parliament.

Credits:

.

Selection of input documents and completion of metadata: Gordon Lyall.

Personnes participantes: