Hide Article Text (OCR)
To the Electors of Alberta. Gentlemen. Having been selected by a con vention held a year ago in Calgary,I have the honor to offer myself as an independent liber al candidate at the forthcoming election for the representation of Alberta in the House of Commons. I have taken an independent position be cause I believe that an intelligent and pro gressive policy towards Alberta and the rest of the Territories is the greatest necessity for the general welfare and substantial pro gress of Canada. ‘The responsibility of in dicating to parliament and to the govern ment of the day what is and what is not for the benefit and advancement of the Ter ritories necessarily rests upon our parlia mentary representatives. If they are bound to a certain party their freedom of action in the special interests of the Territories is restricted and the Northwest and the country generally are losers to that extent. I support the liberal party in their policy of tariff for revenue, believing that the present protective tariff increases and in equalizes the public burdens and that it is particularly unjust to the agricultural in dustry in all its branches, which industry under protection has to bear its full share of the necessary public burdens of the country and most largely contributes to the special encouragement given to many of the manufacturing industries. The reduction in the protective duties made a year or two ago on certain items of farm machinery were a distinct benefit to the agricultural industry of the Northwest. Like reduc tions on other articles would also be bene ficial and should be made. As the protec tive system increases the cost of the farmer's purchases and does not increase the selling price of his products—as it cannot do if he produces a surplus which is compelled to find a market in other countries, as is the case with all the more important of the products, of the farm—it is a dead weight upon the farming industry, which especially in these days of low prices of farm products should be lightened as much as possible. The party led by Sir Charles Tupper is com mitted by his address to the electors of Canada, to a continuation of the protective policy, while he characterizes the liberal policy of tariff for revenue as revolutionary. This clearly compels those who wish to re lieve agriculture from the unjust burdens which it bears at present to support the opposition rather than the government. I believe that the time has come for a change in the policy of railway monopoly which at present prevails in the Territories, and that this should give place to a policy of the encouragement of effective railway competition. Railways are built in a new country to develop traffic, not for the sake of the traffic already existing. There are vast areas of the Territories whose develop ment depends upon railway — extension. These extensions should be pushed as fast as the resources of the country will admit. Such extensions cannot be made without government aid. This aid should be given so as to secure effective railway competi tion, which would result in a reduction of the present, in many important instances, excessive freight rates to the usual com petitive standard, and thereby not only develop new country but greatly increase the advantages of that already supplied with railway facilities. The fact that the Northwest is under an unrestricted railway monopoly is a great hindrance to the pro gress of the country, irrespective of the rates actually charged; for capital is shy of investment in any region where the profits are at the mercy of a single railway corporation. A change of the government policy from the enforcement of monopoly to the encouragement of competition would at once give confidence to capital looking for investment and to settlers with means look ing for a location. I consider this question of railway competion the great question for the Territories today and particularly for Alberta, the most westerly portion of the Territories. In all cases of government aid for further railway extension either by the C. P.R. or any other company effective government control over the rates in con sideration of the aid given should be assur ed. The railway schemes at present claim ing attention are those of the Crow's Nest pass, the British Pacific and the Hudson’s Bay. I believe that the best policy regard ing the latter would be that it should be built as a common outlet for all the railways of the Northwest. The development of the Mackenzie basin by the extension of mail and telegraph services, the construction of roads and the improvement of navigation is of the highest importance to the prosperity of Northern Alberta and would receive my best support if elected. The general policy of the government in administering the lands, timber, hay and minerals of the Northwest and in the con struction—or rather failure to construct— necessary public works, has not been guided by a due consideration of the best interests of the actual settlers. This has been due partly to the fact that our parliamentary representatives gave more attention to justifying departmental action than to directing that action in the interests of their constituents, and partly to the idea of those who were charged with the adminis tration of Northwest affairs that the gain of the settler was the loss of the government. I hold that the gain of the settler is the sain of the country, and that land, timber, mineral, grazing, and irrigation regulations should have for their first object the ad vantage of the settler and should be adapt ed to the conditions prevailing in different parts of the country. A homestead of 160 acres of purely grazing land is not of the same advantage to the settlers as an equal area of agricultural land, therefore in the grazing regions the homestead area should be increased, where possible without monopo lizing water rights and irrigable lands. The experimental stage in the affairs of the Territories has been to a great extent passed and the time has come to adapt the regulations to the various conditions pre vailing. The introduction of irrigation in South ern Alberta, renders necessary a declaration of policy in regard to that matter. I be lieve in giving every facility to individual and co-operative effort competent to handle minor works, and government assistance (as a means of assuring government con trol of water rates) in the case of the large schemes. In regard to the Manitoba school ques tion,as between the two different policies of the government of the day, namely coercion and conciliation, as expressed respectively in the so-called remedial vil and in the pro posals of the commissioners went to negotiate with the Manitoba government I have no hesitation in declaring myself distinctly against the policy of coercion and in favor of the policy of conciliation, which also has been the only policy of the Liberal party ever since the question arose. I oppose the policy of coercion expressed in the remedial bill not only because it was calculated to upset the school system of Manitoba, but because, by not adequately providing for government aid to Roman Catholic schools, placed the schools’ of the minority, who were supposed to be benefitted by it at a distinct disadvantage as compared with the schools of the majority and therefore, provid ed a bone of contention for all time. I sup port the conciliatory proposals of the Do minion commissioners and Manitoba gov ernment because under those proposals, while Manitoba was left in control of her own — schools, the Roman Catholic minority were granted full and equal privileges as to religious instruction in their schools, and also were placed on an equal footing with the majority in the mat ter of government aid to schools. I pledge my self if elected to vote against coercion as ex pressed in the terms of the Interemedial 21], no matter who shall propose it, and to vote in favor of conciliation along the lines suggested in the propositions and counter propositions between the Dominion com missioners and the Manitoba government no matter who the proposition comes from. In conclusion I do not ask the support of the electors of the district for personal, sectional or party reasons but simply as one desirous of doing the best that can be done in the interests of the district and of the country. I am unable to make a personal canvas of the district, but as far as pos sible will meet the people publicly for the free discussion of the questions at issue. I will not be able to visit every important point as the time before election day will not admit. I hope that those whom I am unable to meet—as well as those whom I do meet—will consider that this is a matter concerning their interests rather than mine, and that it is a duty they owe themselves on polling day to take all necessary trouble to cast their votes for the principles and t he candidate of their choice. Respectfully youre, Frask Onionis,
Newspaper Details
Edmonton Bulletin
Edmonton, Alberta, CA
Mon, Jun 01, 1896
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Cherish M.
USA 27 Jun 2026
Other Publications Near Edmonton, Alberta
Edmonton Daily Bulletin
Edmonton Bulletin
