Canadian Transport Sourcebook

Railway Bonuses.

The new trans-continental road will cost much money directly and much indirectly. At the close of last session it was announced that no more railway bonuses would be given, but that assistance would be rendered to a new railway to the West. This session bonuses are to be given freely in addition to assistance to this new transcontinental road. This is a reversion to the old order of things which most people believed had gone forever.

The Canadian Northern Railway has received a bond guarantee of some eight or nine millions. That was the first breach of promise. If that were the last, most people would overlook it. Now comes the announcement that the country is prosperous and can easily grant more bonuses. There are to be other breaches of the promise, breaches which will be condoned by both sides of the House.

The country is prosperous. There is no doubt of that, but the reasonable conclusion would be that this prosperity would remove the necessity of bonuses. If bonuses are to be granted because the country is prosperous, then they may be expected to increase in size and number as the years go by. Surely the absurdity of this would have revealed itself to such shrewd and able men as Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Hon. Mr. Fielding.

The real reason for this revival of subsidies is due, no doubt, to compromises which were rendered necessary by the Grand Trunk Pacific scheme. The Canadian Northern people have considerable influence in both part ies and they demand subsidies as the price of their acquiescence in the Grand Trunk's magnificent bargain. The same may be said of the Canadian Pacific people, the Trans-Canada crowd, and the Quebec Bridge promoters. In order to smooth down the opposition to the Government's bargain with one set of financiers, all the other sets must get a share of the plunder.

The weakness of the politicians on both sides of the House, and the selfishness of our financiers was never more strikingly exhibited. The country is prosperous, the revenue is increasing, trade is doubling, profits are growing, therefore increase the bounties on steel production, on silver lead refining, on binder twine manufacturing, on bridge construction, and on railway building. Truly, prosperity hath its dangers as well as stagnation. In Great Britain prosperity and an expanding revenue means a reduction of taxation; in Canada they mean an increase in the levies and a more generous giving to him that hath.—October Canadian Magazine.