Dealing with certain misconceptions regarding his plan, Mr. Beatty said that his intention had) always been that ownership of the CUR. should remain vested in the Government, and that any savings obtained by joint operation of the railways should be divided fairly between their owners. The management of the unified system should be in the hands of a private company, since the experience with direct control by the Government has not been good. The Government should have 8 say, however, in the control of rates and service. The savings that will be effected will depend partly on the existing traMe conditions, but Mr. Beatty disputed Dr. Manion's [stalement that the savings that have been shown under the present plan of ce-operation and pooling are the most that could be realized.
Dealing with the capital expenditures that would be necessary: n his plan for unification, Mr. Beatty ointed out that expenditures would only be made in prospect of adequate savings, It is generally recognized that the years of depression have taken their tol both in the way of depreciation and obsolescence, and where rolling stock should be scrapped in favour of modern improvements true economies may be rea-Tized.. The matter" of dealing with and industries on lines to doned is also" disposed simply, the answer being that care would be taken to avoid grave hard-hip and communities - would still have access to. transportation services. "For trace who have located railway centres compensation can be provided in. Individual Instances when the true Toss has been assessed.
The questions which Mz. Beatty put before the Minister of Railways. and thers who critize his plan for unify cation are:—1, Can labour, or others dependent. on railway operation for iheir existence, be assured of employment, of stability of earnings, oF of their present standard of living.
the industry on which they depend {s unable to earn a. return on the money invested in it? 2." will a country like Canada prosper "if one of its major industries, supporting one-seventh of the population, can be kept alive only" by " subsidies derived in the last' analysis from general taxation?
This statement has been inter preted to mean that the Premier will retain the leadership at Toast Until the end of the session. Wheth-not he will guide his party through the struggles of the coming lection campaign "tilt remains an enigma. He has given no hint, as yet, regarding whether there will be Fapprochement with Mr. Stevens, or any other Cabinet changes before the' dissolution of Parliament.
The Railway Problem On a number of occasions I have referred to. the railway problem as tone of the most important to be faced by Canadian logistators. Tt has Jong been a matter of grave concern to thinking citizens, and the fact that the present Government has not seen to take any very concrete steps to attack the mounting deficits and interest charges of the Canadian Na: ational system is very disappointing.
Not only has the Government failed to "attack the problem at its roots ut the Minister of Railways, Dr. Manion, ina public address "som time ago, made light of the present difficulties, He assorted that the revival of trade that he believes is under way would solve the CUR. defies, and he strongly opposed aa amalgamation of the C.P.R. and CUR. under joint management. He denied, though without any very strong coa: sons, that there could be a saving of $75,000,000 annually by unification, as proposed by Mr. E. W. Beatty. And he further <uggested that any plan "for operation under joint management" would. ye extremely hard on the employees of the two Highway to be Opened Another important link in. the /neans-Canada automobile highway will be forged on "Dominion Day, uly 1, when the 467-mile "stretch between " Winnipeg and. the twin cities of Port Arthur and Fort Wile Tiamat the head of Lake Superior will Be officially opened. to trate. Appropriate ceremonies have been arranged, and visitors from many finland points will gather' at the lake head to witness "them. Special sporting events, and various excurslons will also tempt the visitors to prolong their stay.
Although much focal importance attaches. to the inauguration of the road through Kenora and the beautiful Lake of the Woods area, of which that town is the centre, owners of automobiles in other sections of the Dominion will be interested. in the completion of this new Highway. Although the Trans-Canada. int through Northern Ontario has not yet been completed, and there is stil ome discussion concerning the route! hat it should follow, this does not prevent motor cars." being placed Rooard a passenger steamer at Sarnia or Sault Ste. Marie, and ferried to Port Arther, Thence, tourists may continue by car right through the remainder of Northern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchawan, Alberta, and British Columbia fo Golden. A short train journey {to Revelstoke in special cars attached regular passenger trains provides the second and final liukiu te trans:
[Canada Highway, which passes through some of the fines: scenery enjoyed in any country.
'Mr. Beatly has' just delivered an \ddrese to the Canadian Club of Toronto in which he reiterates his slond, answers Dr. Manion's objec: ions, and goes on to put a few "Het Volk" (Amsterdam) reports that the boycott of German pro-nets, organized in 1933 by the Netherlands Vegetarian Society, has questions to anyone who disputes his been abandoned,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.