Show POLITICS CANADA J IN II STATESMEN li-STATESMEN OF CANADA By Frederic J. J Haskin years C a ago o. o In Jill July 1896 1856 to tobe tobo F bo ho exact o Sir Wilfrid Laurl r be became became be- be came prime primp minister r and head o ot 01 tho the nt of the dominion of Canada Ho Is now V at tho the ago alte of or iO 0 an active soil and hardworking hl man In Intent Intent Intent In- In tent upon lIpon the time promises and amid obligations h he made marle wh when n lie he Hr first t as- as office The TImo negotiation of tho the pending tariff agreement nt with tho the United States Is the crownIng crown crown- III lug Ing ach achievement l of s hi his hi long Ions career care When hen the time dominIon dominion domin domin- 1 ion was isas formed In 1896 the tue govern Ko t the party came In Int Into Into In- In to power and until 1896 the government govern t s s ment of Canada was fl practically allIn all always allY Y In the tho hands of the Tor Tories I 0 s. s Fifteen W years ago ngo tho the Liberals Liberals Lib Lib- eral placed Laurier nl at the tho headS head of their forc fortes M. M the times they suddenly sudden sudden- t. t ly Iy gained control of ot the he great Fr French speaking province of Quebec and thereby carried the tho general elections of 1896 1806 Since that time the Conservatives have havo been unable to dislodge o their rivals Under tho the I administration Canada Canada Canada Can Can- ada has progressed more rapidly than ever c before its people arc are more prosperous prosper prosper- ous than they ever over were and Canada Itself claims and receives recel greater reater recognition both from tho mother country countr and from foreign nations The chief Issue of tho the campaign of 1896 which brought broush the Liberals Into power was as tho the tariff The Conserva- Conserva o tl government o had been devoted dc to what was known as tho time national polle which was VR another name nama for protection It was as asserted b by the Liberals that this polIty policy had failed tailed that Canadas Canada's Industry I arid and agriculture had languished under I It It I I and that what was needed was a general genera general systematic and radical reduction of ot th the I tariff duties This r reduction was to b ho bo accomplished In iii three ways Imperial preference rence for Great Grent Britain reciprocity I with the United States and actual re reduction re- re I of the general scale of ot duties b by the tho parliament Unfortunately for tor the reciprocity portion por por- lion tion of the program program politics In tho the Unite States veered toward higher protection and McKinley was elected president nt th the theeo very cry year car came Into power The Th Dingley bill of 1897 ISn placed the American America union on the thc hl highest protective basis It then ha had known but hut It also made provision provi- provi aba slon for reciprocity treaties A treat treaty with Canada was negotiated but hut It wen went Into the senate committee on foreign af affairs at- at fairs and never since has seen the lI Ugh light ht of or da day Finally the Washington government government govern govern- ment meat refusing to tako take any action whatever whatever what what- ever tho ho Indignant proclaimed a aa as asa asa a fixed pol policy c of his government NT No Nomore o more pilgrimages to Washington II He kept his lila word The present ne negotiations negotiation resulted from an American pilgrimage to OUa Ottawa wa Laurier then turned his attention t to the reduction of or the thc general tariff b by byr granting r a preference to Great Britain and by tr treaties with other countries which taken together have hae reduced th the level Jevel of tho the Canadian tariffs tariff about 2 25 pet per cent since 1896 1856 It Is true however that for the tho greater part rt of administration he has devoted otoo more at attention attention at- at to Industrial and anil agricultural de de- de and the general strengthenIng strengthen strengthen- Ing of the Canadian position than to th the tariff flue question upon which he was elected However ho lie did accomplish the ImperIal Imperial Impe Impe- rial nat preference and the general reduction 0 of duties at on once c and he ho took up th the matter of ot r with the United Unite States as soon as there thero was any of or getting results The tariff measure now pending In th the Canadian parliament and th the American I congress Is different from other I city m measures ur s In that It Is hi a simple a agreement and not a a. treaty Tho effect will bo be exactly the same but there ar are Important differences tho the main one ono bo be- be In Ing that an agreement arcement Is much ea easier easle ler to make mako effective than a treaty trel On th the Canadian side there thero Is an art IncreasIng objection to treaties l. because Canada 1 Is not a a. sovereign 80 pow power r and cannot annot make mak tr treaties treaties- s. s directly hut only onh through th the Imperial foreign office at London The Time objections to a treaty on th the American side Ide are arc oven even stronger Th The Thea a agreement rN requires only a majority o of each house houM of ot congress and Is considered In open s session Islon A A. treaty requires require a two thirds ote vote of tho the senate and I Is considered b by that t hod body In secret session the thin house of representatives having ln nothIng noth noth- log Ing to do with the thA matter mailer President Taft thought it possible to secure a n. ma ml of the tho senate And nd of ot the house bu buhe hut he knew that lucre was no hope whatever of getting two thirds of tho senate Rende Under the cabinet system of government govern govern- ment mont borrowed from England which pro pro- vails valls In Canada nada tho timo premier and th the theother theothor other othor fourteen cn members of the tho cabinet ar arc aro called the time government Th They y all alJ are alP members of cit the time house hOUM of commons th time thA lower chamber of parliament and th the theare they are arc at all an tinier times subject ct to the time will of th the tho majority of the com commons monEl It If the ministry minis minis- try is defeated on any ny vote it must insign ro rc- rc sign at once or 01 bring about a a. dissolution tion of or that tha parliament and a um genera general en raJ election In which the point at issue i ican Is can carried carded led he before fore th the voters The whole Canadian system is a miniature mod model 1 of the British as fa faas faras tar far taras' taras as as' the forms o of government Jo are conc con con- c coined although in Its federal aspects aspect Canada has borrowed from the tho United States At the head of or the Canadian government Is the time governor o general H He Heis is an aim appointee of tho lie kIn king of England and he represents the time Imperial crown o of oC Britain In Canada His Him relation to th the actual processes process s of government Jo In Canada Canada Can Cnn ada is III almost exactly eXl that of tho the king kingto I Ito to the English government go Every cry legislatIve action IK is formally taken In th the name of th tb the governor ov genera gen gen- era fral ral although h he really Is subject always advice of his IdA ministers He to time the serves s a useful purpose as time tho Incarnation o of the thA permanent spirit of the nation ASan as asan asan an Imperial superior to all nil party part consid- consid orations rations and as aJI a sentimental reminder and tin aim actual ambassador from the mother moth country Countr In fact however ho r. r practically II all aU actual power In Canada Is vested In the house of commons and Is exercised b by the cabInet cabnet cab- cab I net met representing a majority of the house This house o now Is compo composed td of or 21 members The Time British North orth America Amer Amer- ica act provides that Quebec r c always must have 51 sixty five member CrR of tim lower house Oth Other r provinces p have sucha such a l number as DS hear dr tIme th no same Ram relation to th their lr total population as sixty five bears beaNe I to time the population of ot Quebec Ontario now noVo has imas 86 Nova No Scotia 18 New cw Brunswick Brunswick Bruns Bruns- wick J 13 13 Manitoba 10 10 British Columbia T i. i 4 Prime Primico Edward rd Island land 4 i. i Saskatchewan 10 Alberta 7 and Yukon territory 1 Tho Time representation of the w western provinces pro laces inces probably will be greatly enlarged after next year The upper of the time Canadian parliament par par- in is called time the senate but It bears I a much closer resemblance to the British I hou of ot lords than It rI does s to the tho upper upper upper up up- per of or tho the American congress congre I. I Tho Time Canadian senate now consists of eighty eighty- Seven rn senators Senatore appointed for life DV bv time the crown whIch crown which means tho hO governor o Seral gen S Jn- Jn eral which moans the tho premier In office AL At the time of the federal union In 1867 HIM three great divisions dl of or Canada Canada- Quel Quebec c Ontario end and maritime provinces pro wore were each given n I twenty four lr fo members member of th tho ho senate tP J This was a modification of tho the American constitutional theory which gives h. h s each state r regardless o of Its itA population exactly equal representation In n tho the senate I But In Canada this theory was 4 not nt adhered to and tho the senate Renate n never ver ha has Importance R ns as a 11 legislative e factor As other provinces were ad admitted ad- ad I tho the size of the senate was In Increased Increased In- In creased to seven eighty 1 seY n members Senators Sen- Sen hold office for tor life Ufe and arc aro utterly utter utter- ii ly h Irresponsible But as they have bave practically practically no imo power tower except that of delay th the 8 senators are not Important factors In Canadian politics Tho The governments government of ot the separate provinces pro inces bees In Canada are miniature copies of ot the dominion system There Thoro Is Is a n. lieutenant lieutenant lieu lieu- tenant governor to represent time the crown a provincial parliament and a a. provincial cabinet all nJ based on the responsible government government gov gov- system a system a boon for which the Canadian people struggled many long years ears The Liberal p party has han been In power for teO so o man many years ears that Its Ite leR leaders leader are I much more prominent than those of the minority Chief among amonI them thorn Is Sir Wilfrid Wil rid frid the premier the representative tive of or Quebec of ot the old French element element element ele ele- ment and of the progressive political thought of the nation Ho lie Is a most astute astuto politician and he has gathered about bout him In his cabinet a group of ot re remarkable re- re men Mr Ir William S S. S Fielding minister of pf finance and one of ot the principal negotiators tors tom of ot the reciprocity agreement Is so popular and has managed the treasury of C Canada nada so eo well that when his health failed last year vear and It was known that he had hind made no money for himself tho the admiring people of Canada by public subscription made mad up a purse pUrIe of or 12 and presented It to him Fortunately his health hE was somewhat restored but hut It Is 19 believed belle that he lie will be forced to retire from office as soon as u the reciprocity legislation Is tl disposed of Other remarkable men are arc Sir William Paterson minister of or customs George e Graham mini minister Iter o of railroads and In Indeed In- In deed one ml might ht print the whole list lI of ot the cabinet officers under this head It Itis Itis is 13 perhaps a 8 great tribute to Sir Wil- Wil u II II- frid that his lila three score years and amid ten have ha not made ml him afraid of ot anything ln merely meret because it is new and radical He created d 3 ministry of ot labor and placed at its Ib h head ad the Hon lion W. W I L. L McKenzie King who Is lit one of or the foremost progressive progressive pro pro- rc students of ot Industrial problems In the world Under Mr Ir Kings King's administration administration admin admin- the Laurier government has gone far tar ahead of any other country In making experiments for legislative e and executive control of ot labor unions trusts trusta and corporations These experiments In Inthe tho the control of combinations both of labor and of capital are being watched b by the whole world with absorbing interest t. wih The stat statesmen at al the helm of the Canadian ship of or state tate have ha a much rosier easier task than tho those thoe e In the United States State not only because there thero is not that division of or responsibility and power which from time to time throws the United States Into political chaos I Tomorrow Tomorrow Politics politIcs Politics In Canada HOW HOW 1 HOW CANADA IS GOVERNED |