CANADIAN POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 May 1908, Page 7

CANADIAN POLITICS.

A. DEADLOCK. > REFUSAL TO VOTE SUPPLY. COMING. DISSOLUTION sy TELECttArn —niKs association —copYiaoin. (Rec. May 28, 10.20 p.m.) Ottawa, May 28. A deadlock in the Canadian Houso of Commons, owing 'to tho Opposition's refusal to vote Supply until tho Electoral Bill is amended, caused an all-night sitting. It is. rumoured that Sir Wilfrid Laurier contemplates a dissolution in tho summer. THE PARTIES AND ISSUES. A Federal electitm (says tho "Daily Mail") is approaching in Canada, though no date is .vet fixed. Tho last General Election was in 1301, and Parliament sits for five yoars, though few Cabinets hold to offico to the last. Tho Liberals, in overwhelming majority, havo been uninterruptedly in office for sixteen years, and will probably .survivo the coming ordeal. To the Liberal party, under ' Sir . Wilfred' Laurier (Canada's ablest statesman), and to tho Conservatives, under Mr. E. L. 13ordcn ; <(a leader of some promise), is to be added tho Labour party, whose chief platform planks are: Free and compulsory education, a minimum living wage, an eight hours' day, public ownership of franchises, taxation , Jreform, exclusion of Chinese, abolition of the Senate proportional representation, and abolition of property qualifications'. On the other'hand, the Conservative, party has a very advanced and rather compromising .Radical wing. ' . Tho Conservative "programme,, is chiefly: (1) Better control of public expenditure; (2) ap-' pointment by merit of public ' officials; (3) purity of elections; (4) reform of the Civil Service; (5) reform of the, Senate; (6) .more careful system of immigration; (7) management and development of the public domain—including the national franchises—for the public benefit; (8) Government to be managed by an independent Commission; (9) waterways to be devfcloped; (10) railway commissioner's powers to bo 'extended; (11) telegraphs and telephones to be nationalised; (12) better postal facilities, and (13) encouragement of liomo trade, with }>roferonco within the Empire. There is also no'hostility to the "All: lied Route" scheme. ~ v :, On the other r haud, the Liberal party,_ in which there is some unrest and apprehension, will appeal to the country on its performances, which have helped to givo the community "unexampled prosperity. It strongly supports tho " All-Red Route" scheme, and, always, sympathetic to the Grand Trunk Co., as tho Conservatives are' ( by-.'tradition' to the;'. Canadian' Pacific, has a strong railway policy; in aiding tho new trans-continental line; while it may also agree to tho Canadian Northern B.C. building the much-wanted Hudson's. Bay Railway. Tho Liberal party is opposed to some of tho extreme Conservative proposals, such- as the nationalisation of telephones, telegraphs, and railways, and .can claim a sound attitude generally towards trade and commerce. Sir Wilfred Laurier will: probably: have his greatest difficulty in. meeting tho charges of administration and party- corruption,; but. he lias recently adopted a strong purgative policy in this respect. . "