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 REPORT" 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Canadian Legislative Coniniittee, 
 
 ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR. 
 
 tCorento : 
 
 Hkinteh hv MiLLKR & Soole, 31 King Stkeei' Wkst, 
 
 iBSe. 
 
s IRepoct s 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Canabian Xeotelative Committee. 
 
 -.->♦<-.- 
 
 (To tbe (Bcncral /Raster T!DIorftma» an5 Executive JBoarft of tbe Icniflbts of Xaboc : 
 
 We, your Committee, met according to arrangement at Ottawa on Monday, 
 March 5 last, and at once placed ourselves in communication with members of Par- 
 liament representing the constituencies in which we reside, for the purpose of being 
 introduced by them to the Government of the day. They arranged an interview 
 for as with the Government on Wednesday, and at the time appointed your Com- 
 mittee, accompanied by our members, met the Prime Minister, Sir John A. Mac- 
 donald. Your Committee called the' attention of the Prime Minister to the neces- 
 sity for a Dominion Factory Act, on the grounds, first, that it would bring about 
 uniformity of law throughout the whole Dominion, which, in a country like ours, 
 with our differences of wages, hours of labor, and social customs, was very desirable, 
 if the Provinces which pay the highest wages and work the shortest hours are to have 
 a fair chance of competing against those who pay the lowest wages and work the 
 longest hours, and which are the least able to obtain that strict enforcement of a 
 fa':tory act so essential to the requirements of the case. And, secondly, that it 
 woiMd settle the much-vexed question as to jurisdiction between the P'ederal and 
 Provmcial Governments, which at present is rendering almost useless the several 
 ProviiK ial factory acts. In spite, however, of the fact that a supporter of the Gov- 
 ernment had introduced such an act into the .Dominion Parliament twice, and with- 
 drew it the second time on a promise from the CJovernment that they would intro- 
 duce a Government measure the following se.ision, which the Government did, and 
 carried it to a second readirig, arguing that the Federal Parliament had jurisdiction. 
 Sir John Macdonald told your Committee that he had come to the conclusion that 
 the Dominion Parliament had no jurisdiction in the matter. We then asked the 
 (Government for tlie enactment of a Dominion Workshops Regulation Act, made 
 necessary by the Provincial Factory Acts only applying to premises where machinery 
 's used, and exempting tailor, dressmaking and other shops, where inspection as to 
 sanitary conditions is very much required. We were met with the same answer — 
 want of jurisdiction, as we were also with respect to our demand for an Employers' 
 Liability Bill, making employers liable for accidents that occurred to employees 
 through their negligence or the negligence of those in authority under them. As 
 they could not pass a law giving workingmen or their survivors compensation for 
 injuries, we asked the Prime Minister to either allow Mr. McCarthy's Bill for the 
 protection of the lives of railway employees to pass or to incorporate it in their gen- 
 eral railway bill that was then before the Railway Committee of the House. He 
 said he would consult with Mr. McCaahy and try and meet our wishes in the mat- 
 ter. We then called his attention to the injurious system of assisting immigrants to 
 this country to compete with and lower the wages of those already here, in a labor 
 market in which the supply is much greater than the demand. He assured us most 
 positively that after .\})ril 27, 1888, the assisted passages would cease, and pointed 
 out that the amount asked to be voted for that purjiose during the ensuing year was 
 reduced by $100,000. We asked him if he could give us any assurance that the 
 vote would not be exceeded, as it had been during the past year; he said he could 
 not. Your Committee, seeing it would be useless to waste their time trying to get 
 the Government to deal with questions which they said were out of their power, and 
 on which the two largest provinces already had some such legislation, we determined 
 
(4) 
 
 ti) devote our onergies to one or two important questions, where the lives of our 
 members are continually at stake, and often sacrificed, to the greed or through the 
 carelessness of their employers. A season of navigation rever passed on our great 
 lakes without its chapter of accidents and its crop of sacrificed human lives ; and we 
 scarcely ever pick up a newspaper without reading, or, at least, without seeing, the 
 MOW familiar heading, "Another Hrakeman Killed." The former generally occurs 
 through greed in overloading vessels or not carrying men qualified to handle them, 
 or on account pf their small number, and often their entire lack of knowledge of 
 their business, o'Aiiers on our lakes preferring to carry "green hands" at unfair 
 wages to competent hands at '"ur wages. 'Ihe second disaster generally occurs on 
 account of proper precaution not being taken in the construction of the cans, the low- 
 ness of the bridges under which they i)ass, or from not blocking the " frogs " of the 
 .^witches on ail railways, .so that these cpiestions appeal to the conscience of every 
 man and woman with a spark of humanity in their constitution. We saw a much 
 better chance of obtaini..g legislation on them during this session, rather than on 
 (luestions that only appealed to the class interest of our people, and that these ques- 
 tions could be so put that no member of Parliament with a spark of manhood could 
 oppose them. 
 
 The Chairman of your Committee took advantaf,e of the presence at Ottawa of 
 liro. A, \V. Wright, Secretary of 1). A. 125, and with him interviewed the several 
 .Ministers under whose departments these and other questions come that we require 
 legislation on, with a view of bringing under their n^iice the wants of our Order. 
 
 We waited on the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, and asked him to so amend 
 the law in reference to the safety of ships as to prevent owners or others sending 
 them to sea in an overloaded or unseawoithy condition, by enacting that every ship 
 .iliould have a load line painted on her side so that every inspector, sailor or other 
 f)erson could see it, below which no vessel should be loaded ; diat the hulls, rigging 
 and equipments of sailing vessels should be inspected, and that every vessel should 
 carry a competent crew, .\fter listening to our recpiest the Minister promised to 
 consider the matter and if possible to give us the legislation required. 
 
 We then went to the Department of Agriculture and Immigration to request the 
 Minister to still further reduce the e.xpenditure for immigration He assured us that 
 no public money would be spent in assis'ed passages, but the whole attention of the 
 Immigration Department would be directed to distributing literature showing the 
 advantages this country offered as a field of settlement for farmers from the old 
 countries, with capital, and especially in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. 
 
 We also interviewed the Minister of Justice, asking him to so amend the Sea- 
 men's Act so as to give those charged under its provisions with the serious offence 
 of going on to a vessel against the instruction of the owner, mas.er or mate, the 
 right of a trial by a jury of their peers, in lead of being tried and perhaps sent to a 
 penitentiary on the judgment of a magistrate alone, under existing law. This la\t 
 has been used in the past to prevent members of labor organizations boarding ves- 
 sels where men were working against their own and fellow-men's interest, to ccmsult 
 with and advise them as to what they should do in their own and their fellow-men's 
 interest, but the Minister informed us that the law was directed against "crimping," 
 which was very prevalent in the Province of (Quebec at the time the act was passed, 
 but that lie would look at the- matter again, and would do what he could to meet the 
 wishes of the labor organizations. We saw him subsequently and he said he had 
 looked into the question, and foun^l the law was only against crimping, and that so 
 few convictions had taken place under the act that he did not feel warranted in 
 amending the law this session. We also saw the Minister of Marine, and he said it 
 was not the intention of the Government to introduce any legislation this session 
 for the protection of the lives of sailors. But your Committee was determined in 
 connection with the latter question (where not only the material and social welfare 
 of our members were at stake, but tlieir very lives as well) not to take " No " for an 
 answer, and they decided that as soOn as the first favorable opportunity occurred 
 they would engage him upon the subject again. We had not long to wait, as the 
 occasion presented itself, wiien Mr. Dawson moved his motion for a return showing 
 the number of Canadian vessels lost or wrecked on the great lakes during the past 
 season of navigation ; also the number of lives lost in the case of each wreck ; also 
 
(5) 
 
 a statement showing what, if any, steps had been taken to ascertain the cause of loss 
 of Hfc in each case. 
 
 This motion was moved first on February 27, and on that occasion Mr. Dawson 
 spoke at some length. He stated that, at a [)revious session, he had brought this 
 matter before the House, when he showed that during the year preceeding that in 
 which he had brought this matter up, some three hunflred lives had been lost on our 
 lakes. He showed that last summer the barge Oriental, registered to carry three 
 hundred tons, had been sent to sea in tow, loaded with seven hundred and sixty 
 tons of coal. The weather got rough, the tow-line parted, and she went down with 
 all hands on board. That the John Hurlburt, a vessel used to carry firewooi.. had 
 been engaged to take some workmen down the lake ; a storm came on and the cap- 
 tain of the tug that had her in tow, in order to save his own vessel, cut the tow line ; 
 the other vessel having neither sail or oar on board with which to keep her straight 
 before the wind, was entirely at the mercy of the waves. She went down with 
 thirty men, who were strangers seeking work, and all were drowned. He also cited 
 the case of the pro[)ellor California, of Montreal, which left C!hicago with three pas- 
 sengers anJ twenty-fwo of a crew. She was loaded with corn to her fullest capacity, 
 besides which she had 690 barrels of pork on her deck. She was caught in a storm 
 and, on account of her deck load of pork, which rolled from one side to the other, 
 she was stove in and foundered, seven of the crew and two of the passengers being 
 drowned. This was most clearly a case of overloading. These facts were taken 
 from the report of the Minister of Marine, which also show that the disasters re- 
 ported to this department, as having occurred to vessels on the inland waters of 
 Canada, and to Canadian vessels on American inland waters, during the year 1887, 
 were 39, and the tonnage involved was 13,137 tons, registered. The number of lives 
 lost was 21, and the amount of loss, both partial and total, to vessels and cargo, as 
 far as estimattd was $90,915. 
 
 Mr. Dawson read a statement in reference to barges in tow of tugs which de- 
 manded they should have the sti'bility of a sailing vessel and, if not of sufticient sail 
 power to take caie of themselves under all circumstances, they should be provided 
 with good ground tackle—that is, good anchors and chains, suitable to their tonnage. 
 This, of itself, might be the means of saving the crew and vessel, A boat should 
 have all ne<:essary appliances ready for immediate use, life-buoys and life-preservers for 
 the crew, properly placed, a captain and mate with certificates, .substantial windlass and 
 bits, towports well secured, and tow lines of sufficient length. Barge towing is very 
 hazardous and every reasonable precaution ought to be used. When you consider 
 the tug and her tow on a lee shore, the tow-line parted and the barge left helpless, 
 her anchors, handled by competent men, might even then save both crew and 
 vessel. The tug towing the barge has no security that her machinery may not give 
 way at a perilous time, showing plainly the necessity of a barge being well found in 
 crew and outfit. The unsecure vessels that are under repairs : Manitoba, Detroit, 
 Champion, Owen Sound, Frances Smith, CoUingwood, Southern Lelle, Deseronto. 
 The hull inspectors, up to date, know nothing of repairs done to the resurrected 
 craft ; they have no power. Hull inspectors are not privileged to use their discretion 
 in mattors of inspection materially affecting their duties. They are hampered by 
 not being allowed to see vessels undergoing repairs. When closed up and com- 
 pleted the repairs are not noticeable to the inspector, and the only possibility of 
 ascertaining the correctness of the statements furnished by owners of the repairs is 
 by re-docking, which causes great expense and dissatisfaction. 
 
 We think when such evidence as this is produced on the floor of Parliament by 
 capitalists it shows conclusively that the demands of the Labor party for the inspec- 
 tion of hulls and rigging, and for the establishment of a load-line, is very necessary. 
 In tact the mover of the motion distinctly advocated the establishment of a line on 
 all vessels ^uch as is known in England as the Plimsoll line, below whioh no vessel 
 should be loaded. 
 
 The discussion, which was quite animated, was taken part in by some of the best 
 speakers of both sides of the House. Mr. Davin, who followed the mover in a few 
 clear and forcible remarks, pointed out that in the case of the California she was 
 valued at $27,000, and, although unscaworthy, was ip.sured for $21,000, and it was 
 a great temptation to owners to overload such vessels. He appealed to ihe Minister 
 
(6) 
 
 of Marine, on the ground of humanity, tj give his attention to ^'a question with a 
 view to an improvement of the conditions of those whose very lives are at stake. 
 
 Mr. Kirkpatrick called upon the Minister to compel the inspectors to perform 
 their duly more faithfully and urged il thousands of lives iiad been savtd in England 
 by compelling all vessels to have the Plimsoll line we should have one here. He 
 lead a letter from the owner of the Oriental to show that she was not unseaworthy 
 or overloaded. 
 
 Sir Richard Cartwright asked the Minister of Marine if the statement was true 
 that appeared in some papers that ce*ain portions of the hull of this vessel were e.\- 
 hii)it.d to him and were found in a state of aovanced decay. 
 
 Hon. Mr. Foster said .some very small portions of the vessel had been brought to 
 the department for examination, and labels had l)cen put on them to show the parts 
 from which they came. It is scarcely possible until the vessel is raised, as I l)elieve 
 the owner intends to do, to say, accurately, whether it is true that these came from 
 those portions of the vessel or not. He said it must not be supposed that the 
 Government at any time neglected to do their duty to protect the lives of men en- 
 gaged in our inland marine, and, in reply to Mr. Kirkpatrick said the inspectors 
 generally did their duty and that the examination which was held on the cause of 
 the foundering of the Oriental proved she was unseaworthy. 
 
 Dr. Sproule made an able speech in favor of tne motion. He pointed out the 
 need of better inspection while in port and during building, repairing and loading, 
 and the necessity of the inspectors being shipwrights. 
 
 Mr. Masson and Mr. Walsh also supported the motion, the latter being a large 
 vessel owner from Prince Edward Island. 
 
 Mr. Wilson, of Elgin, supported the motion and called attention to a paragraph 
 that appeared in the Empire which said the Minister of Marine had given notice 
 of a bill to enable men to art as engineers on small {)leasure boats on our inland 
 waters without passing a regular engineer's examination, but by passing the boiler 
 inspector. 
 
 Mr. McNeil spoke in favor of the motion, and asked for the institr on of the 
 Plimsoll load line. 
 
 Mr. Taylor said he had been instrumental in moving in the matter mentioned 
 by Mr. Wilson by introducing the de})utation to the Minister for the rela.xation com- 
 plained of, but said it was only to apply to small pleasure steamers of 20 or 30 tons. 
 
 The Minister of Marine said he w\';s going to introduce a bill dealing with the 
 suggestion of the member for Leeds. 
 
 After Mr. 1 aster had spoken in favor of more rigid inspection, and some remarks 
 from Mr. Baker in reference to inspection while loading, Mr. Dawson withdrew the 
 motion. 
 
 The wood referred to above was part of the hull of the vessel "Oriental," which 
 had been picked up at, the scene of tlie wreck and forwarded by Bro. J. T. Carey, of 
 St. Catharines, to the Chairman of your Committee, and by him delivered to the 
 Minister of Marine, and contained, among other parts of the vessel, the very board 
 on which her name was painted, so that there was not much room for the Minister 
 doubtinc its being part of the "Oiiental." 
 
 On the evening of the afternoon on which the discussion referred to above 
 took place (April 12) Mr. McCarthy's Bill for the Protection of Railway Em- 
 ployee: came up for discussion. In the absence of the mover of the bill, Mr. Deni- 
 son moved its second reading, and, in speaking jn favor of such legislation, said that 
 during 1886 there had been 357 accidents, eighty-four of which had resulted in 
 death among men working on the tracks and in coupling cars in Canada. He pro- 
 duced a copy of a presentment of the Grand Jury of the County of Elgin praying for 
 the enactment of laws similar to the one under discussion. 
 
 Mr. Cook supported tiie bill very warmly, and said the Dominion Government 
 should pass some such act as the one under consideration, because by an act passed 
 by the present Government taking control of all inter-Provincial railways they had 
 deprived the railway employees of the Province of Ontario of the benefits of an act 
 of this kind which he introduced into the Ontario Legislature, and which was ulti- 
 mately passed by the Ontario Government. He thought the bill should go farther, 
 and compel railway companies to have their switches open at least six inches. He 
 
(7) 
 
 J 
 1 
 
 X 
 
 said that in view of the large number of persons employed on railroads it was the 
 duty of the (iovernment to make every protection of life and limb. He cited a case 
 in which a man working on the Midland Railway met with an accident and sued the 
 c <mpany for ('....nages under the Ontario Act, but, an account of the action taken by 
 this Government the Ontario Act did not apply and the complainant was non-suited. 
 
 Mr. Jones of Halifax thought in an important matter like this the (Iovernment 
 should take it up and make it a Ciovernment measure. 
 
 Hr. Wilson of Elgin spoke very strongly in favor of the bill, and agreed with the 
 previous speaker that the bill was of such great importance, affecting as it did the 
 lives of so many of our most valuable citizens, that the (Joveinment should incor- 
 porate it in their general railway bill. He .said no men ran greater risks to life and 
 limb in the servi( e of the public than railway employees, and it was the duty of the 
 Government to afford them every jirotection in their power. When the Government 
 assumed the control of tlic Prm incial road < they deprived the men of the i)rotcc- 
 tion of Provincial legislation, and they should have made provision for the blocking 
 of the "frogs" and other safeguards by which the lives of the men could be pro- 
 tected. He dwelt on the indifferend' of the public to the danger the men had to 
 undergo, and advocated the establishment o." the best and .safest running boards that 
 could be obtained. He concUuied a long and able speech by saying that it gave 
 him great pleasure to support the bill. 
 
 Mr. Shanly said there was no objection, so far as he was concerned, to the bill 
 going to a special committee, but so far as the bill itself was concerned, it was a Rip 
 Van Winkle bill. He did not believe that any legislation of this House could ever 
 settle these questions; that the subject was now engaging the attention of a far abler 
 parliament than ever did or ever will assemble within these walls for this particular 
 purpose -a parliament composed of men of the best trained intellects of the world. 
 It is a parliament composed of the master mechanics of the continental railways, in 
 which Canada is represented, and in which every man knows what he is talking 
 about. They had already issued a decree abolishing the old Aishioned coupling, 
 which had been the cause of so much loss of life and limb. The decree had gone 
 forth that on all continental roads the automatic coupler must be used. He said 
 that before the bill now before the House could take effect on the millions of cars 
 on this continent the necessity for brakesmen running along the tops of cars will 
 have passed away forever. He said the clause in reference to running boards was 
 useless, because it could ^nly apply to the comparatively small number of cars owned 
 in Canada, and not to the large number owned in the United States that passed 
 over our railways. He was in favor of the clause providing for the blocking of frogs. 
 
 Mr. Liste"" spoke strongly in support of the bill, and said the tendency of our 
 time was for a Government to surround the lives of working people with every pos- 
 sible safeguard, and if the manufacturers were compelled to do so, the railway com- 
 panies should be compelled to make .some provision for the protection of ihe lives 
 of the thousands from the dangers incident to their employment. He opposed 
 referring the bill to a special committee — that would prove a delusion and a snare. 
 The workingmen are led to believe the honorable gentleman who introduced the bill 
 was their friend, and if it is referred to a special committee it means that the bill will 
 not be crystalliy.ed into law during this Parliament, and probably never. He con- 
 cluded by pressing the House very strongly to adopt the clause in reference to block- 
 ing frogs, giviiig several instances ,where men had lost their lives through this precau- 
 tion not being taken. 
 
 Mr. Tisdale was in favor of sending the bill to committee, and if the committee 
 did not .-uit Mr. Lister he would second any committee that gentleman would name. 
 He was in favor of blocking the frogs, but thought if we adopted a running board 
 with all these safeguards and the brakesmen got used to and relied on them, when 
 they got on an American car without such safeguards, they would be sure to go 
 through, and if you consulted brakesmen he would venture to say it was doubtful 
 whether they would approve of these improvements on mixed trains. He said we 
 should not legislate on such mitters without taking the opinion of persons used to 
 managing great railways. 
 
 Mr. Barron was opposed to the bill going to a committee, because that would de- 
 prive the workingmen of the protection of its provisions for another year. He was 
 
(«) 
 
 so.ry the bill did nut deal with overhead hridges, becausfi; it had been held by the 
 roiirts that the section in reference to overhead bridges in the j^eneral railway bill 
 did not apply to the (Iraiid Trunk Railway Company as lessee of the Midland Rail- 
 way, and tl.j company has, as a consecjuence, escaped the (obligation to raise the 
 overhead bridges to the proper height. In the Province of Ontario, on about haff 
 the roads, the brakesmen had not the protection of the overhead clause, on account 
 of the roads being leased. 'Ihus it was that in a (-ase where the C.rand Trunk was 
 niomlly responsible f(jr the lo.ss of a man's life, it escaped that liability by reason of 
 our legislation not being sufficient to meet the case. 
 
 Mr. Temple was ir. favor of the clause in regard to blocking Irogs, but thought 
 the clause in reference to running boards and oil cups ii!ipra(:ticai)le. 
 
 Mr. Armstron;; .said he was happy to hear that the greates' intellects of the con- 
 tinent were consideiing this subject, and we may expect to have the matter settled as 
 sojn as they see fit, and that all these evils will then be remedied, but he thought 
 they were a mighty long time about it. Thousands of lives had been lost during the 
 last thirty-five years — in fact, not a week passes but we hear of the death or the 
 maiming of some railway employee yet these demigods have been asleep or on a 
 journey all that time, and it is only now, when there is an attempt to do something, 
 they tell us to keep quiet and they will settle the whole difficulty. I caimot help 
 thinking that it will not do fcjr us to shelter ourselves behind tliose gigantic intellect,s. 
 .Mthough our intellects may be small and our experience limited, yet we have a great 
 responsibility resting upon us. These men we desire to protect are the employees 
 of rich and powerful comiJanies; they are exposed to the greatest dangers, and have 
 iiot the ^awer to protect themselves. So well known is this that insurance com- 
 panies charge the highest premiums to brakesmen, and it is a well-known fad, estab- 
 lished by statistics, that the life of the brakeman is the shortest of any cla.ss. And 
 it is therefore high time that the House took action in the matter. 
 
 Dr. SproUle was in favor of the bill going to a conuiiittee with a view to the con- 
 sideration of some desirable amendments, but thought it w?.s important in the inter- 
 est of humanity that some action should be taken in the direction indicated by the 
 bill. He believed it was intended to go further in this law, and provide that com- 
 pensation be given for all accidents to employees on the road, no matter from wliat 
 c:ause. Other countries had adopted it and found it to be not injurious to the rail- 
 ways and to be Ijeneficial to the employees; and, rememljering the kvrge number of 
 accidents, and the careless iiidifTerence which is generally exhibited by railway com- 
 panies as to the .safety of their employees, it becomes ail the more important that the 
 Legislature should pass such an imi)erative law to compel them to provide for the 
 safety of human life. 
 
 Sir Charles Tupper said he had listened to the discussion with a great deal of 
 interest, and felt the force of what had been said on both sides of the House as to 
 the great resi)on.sibility that rested on the Covernment in relation to a matter of this 
 kind, affecting the .safety of human life, and the prevention of a great number of very 
 deplorable accidents. He thought the debate had better be adjourned till tue mover 
 was in the House, and then the bill could be brought forward, and suggestions can 
 be made, and the Government can incorporate any fe.'iture of this bill in their gen- 
 eral railway bill. The debate was adjourned. 
 
 When the bill was reached again Mr. McCarthy, who was present on this oc- 
 casion, made a very able speech, giving facts and figures in support of the bill. He 
 said he desired to press the bill; that whether or not the (iovernment incorporated 
 it in their railway bi", some of its provisions should be passed this session. This 
 bill deals with three matters: compelling the packing of frogs, ordering that the c'l 
 cups used for oiling the valves of the locomotives shall not be placed outside, and 
 requiring that the running boards on top of freight cars shall be a certain width. He 
 said he was not wedded to any of the remedies suggested in the bill, and was willing 
 to accept and adopt amendments from any quarter that would make the bill more 
 effective in protecting the lives of our railway employees. He acknowledged the 
 difficulties of obtaining uniformity in running boards on account of our Government 
 oniy having power to pass law.^ regulating the width of running boards on Canadian 
 cars; many of the cars passing over our railways belong to American lines. He 
 thought the bill should be sent to a small, select cominittee of the House. Since 
 
(9) 
 
 the bill had come before the House he h:i<l nniiiy suggestions made to him to im- 
 prove it. 'I'hey could all l)e dis( ussed by liie < (imiuitlee, and the House could 
 adopt those most suitable to meet the objects sought by the bill. 
 
 Mr. McCarthy pointed out that the cjuestion was being dealt with in the neigh- 
 boring Rejiublii, and said he understood the power brakes were in use on the Pacific 
 roads, on the Denver and Kio drande, tlie I'ittsburg, Cincinnati and St. Louis, the 
 Chicago, Hurlington and Quincy, and the 'lopeka and Santa Fe. If it is in force on 
 these railroads it is not impossil)le that it should l)e used on ours. At the same 
 time the automatic coupler was coming into use by legislation in some of the .states 
 of the Union. At the present lime, in the States of Connecticut, New York, Michi- 
 gan and Massat husetts these automatic couplers are reiiuiretl to be put on all cars, 
 under a penalty, after a certain date. He said the greatest danger exists in coupling 
 cars, and he had found that in this country, in 1885, 285 men were kiiled while 
 coupling cars, and, in 1886, 222. In 1885 there were i 17 killed by falling from en- 
 gines or cars, and in 1886 there were 67. He a.sked the House to refer the bill, and 
 afterwards the House could, under the direction of the Government, take such action 
 as they pleasetl on the report. 
 
 Sir Charles Tupper said that there was no objection to a second reading of the 
 bill, but he would suggest that, instead of a special < ommittee, it should be referred 
 to a committee of the whole House, and should be Ijrought up when the l)ill of the 
 Minister of Railways was under consideration. He assured the House that every 
 opportunity wuuld be given for di.scussing the bill then. 
 
 Mr. haurier agreed with the suggestion of Sir Charles, and said that he believed 
 a large number of members on both sides of the House are disposed to favor the 
 bill. If there was any difference of opinion in regard to it he cou'd see reason for 
 referring it to a special committee, but, in view of the concensus of opinion, he 
 thought the suggestion of the Finance Minister was a reasonable one. Mr. Mc- 
 Carthy accepted the suggestion, and the bill was read a second time. 
 
 Your Committee soon discovered that it 'vas not only necessary to press for meas- 
 ures of reform in the interest of the ma.sses, but that it was also necessary to use the 
 utmost vigilance to preserve the few rights we at present enjoy. Pressure had evi- 
 dently been brought to bear on the Government, by the owners of small passenger 
 steamers, who, in their desire to obtain cheap labor, have ko little regard tor the lives 
 of passengers who ride on their boats. They evidently Jniid recjuested the Govern- 
 ment to make certain amendments to the Steamboat Inspe(-^ion Act, which compels 
 every j)erson to pass an examination before the Board of Steamboat Inspectors pre- 
 vious to their being qualified to run an engine on any steamboat in Canada ; and 
 before ol)taining a fourth-class certificate under the act, such [)erson must be over 
 twerity-one years of age, and shall have served an apprenticeship of not less than 
 three years in a steam engine shop, and been employed on the making and repairing 
 of steam engines, or, if not served such apprenticeship, he shall have been employed 
 for not less than three years as a journeyman mechanic in some workshop or the 
 m<'king and repairing of steam engines, or shall have served at least three years in 
 some engine room of a steamboat as engineer on the watch, or he sh.ill have served 
 not less than four years in the firehold of a steamboat of not less than thirty nomi- 
 nal horsepower, as fireman on the watcH ; and in any of the above-mentioned cases 
 twelve months of the time prescribed may have been served in a boiler shop or the 
 making and repairing of steam boilers. He shall be able to read, and write in a 
 legible hand ; he shall understand the construction and operation of the feed-water 
 pump, water gauges and safety valves : he shall know when a boiler is foaming, and 
 how to stop the foaming, and also the danger resulting from negU.'ct to keep a boiler 
 clean, and the usual methods of cleaning it. They sought to have the act so amended 
 that, without fulfilling any of these conditions, upon the report of the Inspector of 
 Boilers and Machinery to that efiect, an applicant for a permit under this Act is suffi- 
 ciently qualified to obtain the same, and grant to such applicant a permit autnorizing 
 him to act as engineer on a steamboat carrying passengers and of less than twenty 
 tons registered tonnage. Your Committee saw that in this, as in all other matters, 
 the interests of labor and humanity were identical, and determined to exert themselves 
 to the utmost to prevent its passage in the shape it was introduced, as we considered 
 
(10) 
 
 it would permit men to run engines or boats where hundreds of human h'ves are 
 hourly at stake, who had simply a hook knowledge, and at once sought fand through 
 the interest taken in these questions by Mr. Patterson, of Essex) was able to obtair* 
 an interview with the Minister of Marine at once. Your Committee pointed out to 
 the Minister the great danger to human life by allowing unpractical men to become 
 engineers on board steaniljoats carrying hundreds of lives, and gave him frankly to 
 understand that we considered tHe bill was not in the public interest, but solely in 
 the interest of a class of people who wanted cheap labor, though it had to be obtained 
 at the imminent risk of the lives of the ])ublic. Your ( 'ommittee have reason to l)e- 
 lieve that their exertions were not in vain, as the bill has since been amended in the 
 direction desired by us. 
 
 At the interview above mentioned we took advantage of the opportunity to have a 
 long conversation with Hon. Mr. Foster on another branch of the same subject, 
 and of equal importance to the Order — the necessity of a bill to proiect the lives of 
 our sailors. Your Committee took the ground that under the law as it stood, requir- 
 ing a sailor to make a dejiosit sufl'icient to pav the expenses of inspection and deten- 
 tion of any vessel detained on his or their complaint, rendered the act quite inopera- 
 tive, and played into the hands of a class of men who would and do deliberately 
 over-insure and overload an unseaworthy vessel, and send her to sea totally regardless 
 of what becomes of the lives of those on board, as long as their avarice and greed for 
 wealth is satisfied ; and that the working people thought, seeing that the first duty of 
 government was to protect life and propertv, they should reconsider their former de- 
 cision, and give us a measure this session to meet the object in view. The Minister 
 listened very attentively to what we had to say and discussed some points for a while, 
 and ultimately told us to wait and see what the Government would bring down. That 
 night he gave notice that he would introduce a bill in reference to the safety of ships. 
 The bill was introduced accordingly, and, while being very good as far as it went, did 
 nut by any means meet the requirements of the case. It provided, in an indefinite 
 way, r gainst overloading, but failed to apply the sure but simple remedy of establish- 
 ing a load line, below which a vessel should not be allowed to load ; provided no way 
 by which an owner could recover damages whose vessel had been unjustly detained, 
 and made it next to impossible to obtain a conviction against an owner who had 
 violated the spirit of the law. Your Committee at once set to work to try to influence 
 members on hot'., sides of the House in favor of the establishment of a load line, 
 and to have inserted in the bill a clause compelling all owners of vessels to carry the 
 necessary number of competent men, and also to reconcile the vessel owners in the 
 House to the bill by so amending it as to give them a claim against any person who 
 maliciously detained a vessel, and which would not in any way impair the practical 
 and effective working of the act. For this purpose we suggested the following 
 amendment : 
 
 " Any person making "oniplaint to any collector or chief officer of Customs, under the provisions 
 of this Act, of any vessel, whereby such vessel is detained, shall he .cjuilty of a misdemeanor, if it be 
 proved before any court of summary jurisdiction, that such complaint was made maliciously and 
 without reasonable grounds for believing that by such vessel i)roceeding to sea human life would 
 thereby be endangered, and shall be liable for any expense that may accrue to the owner or owners 
 of such vessel by such detention, or in default of [layment of such expense, or such pai^t thereof, as 
 such court of summary jurisdiction may determine, shall be committed to prison, for not less than 
 fourteen days or more than three months." 
 
 By the time we had arrived at this stage of the question, we were within a few 
 days of the prorogation of Parliament, and being anxious to have other amendments 
 incorporated in the bill, your Committee waited on the Minister of Marine to 
 ascertain if he would, on behalf of the Covernment, consent to such amendnients 
 as would provide for a load line and carrying a competent crew on all vessels. 
 Your Committee first having obtained the information that a number of members 
 of parliament, who are large vessel owners, had waited on him, and that they were 
 not opposed to the demands of labor, but ihaJ:, on the contrary, they thought our 
 demands very moderate and in the inteiest of humanity. The Minister said it was 
 a large subject, and he found there was such a variety of interests to deal with 
 in connection with the subject ; that his bill did not meet the views of either the 
 vessel owners or of our Order ; that it was too late in the session now, when 
 
every one was anxious to get home, to frame a bill dealing with the whole question 
 of inspection, hulls, rigging, and equipment, and number of crew, and load line ; 
 and that even if he had time to prepared such a bill, which he had not, there 
 was not time to obtain for it that consideration in the House which its importance 
 demand(^.d, and that he had made up his mind to make a statement to Parliament 
 to that eflect and promise that during the recess he would have a bill <lrawn up 
 dealing with the whole subject in a more comprehensive way than the present 
 bill. Your Committee pointed out that while the bill now before the House did 
 not go as far as we wished, every resolution passed i)y the labor organizations of 
 the country had approved of the bill as far as it went, and we were willing it 
 should pass as it stood, but that if the Government would give us such a bill 
 next session as he had promised, we would be satisfied, provided that in the mean- 
 time, with the view of preventing loss of time during the ensuing season, he would 
 cause to be issued by his Department a circular warning all vessel -owners that if 
 they sent their vessels to soa in an unseaworthy "ondition, the present lav; would 
 be rigorously enforced. In reply he said that he might let some of the clauses 
 of the bill noAv before the House stand, so as to afford some additional protec- 
 tion for the present. 
 
 By the presence of yo ir Committee at Ottawa, the case of some Belgian 
 brothers, who had been induced under false promises, in the shape of signed con- 
 tracts, to come to this country, was brought before the House. These brothers 
 had been induced to leave their native country by a scoundrel of an immigrant 
 agent named Watelet, who had entered into a written contract to bring them to 
 Montreal .and find thctn all employment at from $2.50 to $3.00 per day. The 
 men broke up their homes in Belgium and c.ime to this country during the very 
 inclement part of this Spring. And when they arrived at Montreal, Mr. Watelet 
 left them to the tender P'ercies of the world in a foreign country, and proceeded 
 to Winnipeg with some more of his dupes, ^vithout making the least effort, so far 
 as v.e can ascertain, to find them employment. The men, being left unde: such 
 circumstances, naturally looked to the Order to investigate their case. The con- 
 tract entered into (or paper headed "The Covernment of Canada") was forwarded 
 to your Committee, who at once showed them to an eminent lawyer for the pur- 
 pose of ascertaining if we could not have Watelet arrested and criminally prose- 
 cuted, but were told that we could not. We at once went to the Department of 
 Immigrati(m and saw the Minister himself ; he expressed his great surprise at such 
 conduct on the part of Watelet, and at once summoned his Deputy for an explan- 
 ation. This official said Watelet was not an authorized agent of the Government, 
 but simply got a commission on every immigrant that he brought out ; that he had 
 been warned, in fact prohibited, from calling himself a Canadian agent. Your 
 Committee asked the Minister, in face of these facts, what he proposed to do with 
 this man. He asked, in reply, what could he do ? W^ told him we thought that if, 
 ill any other capacity, a man had made a contract on paper that had on it the name 
 of the Canadian Government, the Government would find out through their Minister 
 of Justice. He asked us to leave the contracts and he would have the matter investi- 
 gated. We called at the department a few days afterwards and were informed by the 
 T)eputy Minister that Mr. Watelet had been there and that he had been most severely 
 reprimanded, returned as the papers, and .said that was all they could do in the pre- 
 mi.seG. We weie not satisfied with the answer, and determined to have the question 
 brought before the House. 
 
 Mr. Holton very kindly put the following on the notice paper : 
 
 Whether I*. Waleret is employed by Government, in Belgium or elsewhere, *as emigration 
 agent, or in any other capacity? If so, what are hi.s position and dutits, and how are his services 
 remunerated ? Hcnv manj' iuiniigraiUs have come to and settled in Canada through his agency dur- 
 ing the past ye.Tf? Is the Government aware that, acting as a Canadian emigration agent, or pre- 
 tending to be such, the saiil P. Waterel-has very recently induced the removal from V igium to 
 Montreal of a number of artisans, under the promise and guarantee of immediate and profitable 
 employment there; that since their arrival in Montreal a number of these men have not succeeded 
 in obtaining employment, and that no effort has been made by him or by Government officials in 
 that city to procure employment for them? 
 
 .Mr. Carling —This refers to Paul Watelet, not Wateret. He is not an agent of the Government, 
 
'*■ 
 
 (12) 
 
 II 
 
 nor employed by it in any capacity. He is a steamship agent in Belgium, anil is allowed the same , 
 commission as all other agents on the cjiitinent of Europe, for immigrants actually arriving in Mani- 
 toba, but not for any sent to any of the old Provinces. The Government is not responsible for any 
 immigrants he brings out, nor for any representations made by him. As a consequence, however, 
 oi some statements furnished to the iiepirtmeni, an enquiry is now being instituted respecting some 
 immigrants brought by him to Montreal. 
 
 Learing that Mr. Watelet was in Montreal, we at once telegraphed to our col- 
 league, Bro. J. F. Redmond, to app'y to the Police Magistrate and see if he could 
 not order his arrest. The Magistrate said he had no power to do so, and Bro. Red- 
 mond took legal advice to see if he could not have Watelet detained while a civil suit 
 was entered, and he was informed that there was not any law in the coimtry by which 
 he could be punished. Having the promise of Mr. Peter White, Chairman of the 
 Immigration Committee of the House, that your Committee would have a hearing 
 before that Coinmittee, we at once wrote Bro. Redmond for all particulars as to their 
 present condition, so that we could bring the matter betbre the country. Knowing 
 we would have to meet the Deputy Minister, and that he w(>uld make every excuse 
 for Watelet, we took the evidence supplied by Bro. Redmond, and sure enough he 
 was there with a statement which he said was furnished by the Government Agent at 
 Montreal, and which set forth that nearly all the Belgians were working at good wages. 
 We produced our statement showing that a large number of them were out of work, 
 and huddled together in two or three bare rooms, cooking a bit for themselves as they 
 cofild get it. The others were w »rl-: ng for about half the wages promised them by the 
 agent who brought them out. Your Committee also went into the question of pauper 
 immigration. 'I'his (juestion has been brought p.ominently before the labor party by 
 the overcrowded state of the labor market and the great increase of pauperisin during 
 the last winter, which was so great that the resources of the charitable societies were 
 exhausted, and, in Toronto, relief public works had to be started, to prevent having 
 to feed the out of work poi)ulation on charity soup. Your Committee also strength- 
 ened its position by producing cablegrams from Grieat Britain showing that great 
 efforts were being put forth to relieve the ratepayers of the burden of keeping their 
 paupers, by shipping them out to this and other colonies. We laid before the com- 
 mittee the valuable statistics collected and prepared by Bro. I). J. O'Donoghue, which 
 showed that while the population of the Province of Ontario at the last census was 
 1,924,148, the Canadian-born were 1,493,351, and the foreign-born were 430,797, or 
 less than twenty-five per cont. of the whole, and that the criininal, pauper, lunatic, 
 and charitable statistics show that nearly fifty p)er cent, of such classes are foreign; 
 born ; showing further, that by our system the country is not only paying to bring 
 working people to a country where the labor market is already overstocked, but is 
 bringing a class of people here who are a burden on the public after they get here, 
 and if tliat had been the case in the past when we have been led to believe the immi- 
 grants have been very carefully selected, it would be much worse if this country 
 allows the old country to ship their pauper and vicious classes to this country. A very 
 animated discussion took place atnong the members of the House Committee on the 
 subject. Dr. Ferguson, of Welland. and I^r. AVilson, of Fllgin, spoke very strongly 
 against the present system of bringing pauper and often diseased children to this 
 country, and said the Government should take every precaution to prevent trie classes 
 referred to by your Committee from being shijjped to Canada. 
 
 Your Conmiittee also interviewed the Minister of Agriculture in regard to this 
 subject and pressed uj)on him the desirability of issuing a proclamation in Britain 
 warning the poor-law authorities there that if such people were sent here they would 
 be sent back. He said he did not like issuing such a circular, because it might be 
 taken as a protest against desiral)le immigrants from coming here to settle in our 
 great Northwest Territories. We told him we thought a circular could l)e so worded 
 as to overcome that difficulty. He promised to consider the matter and try to meet 
 our wishes. 
 
 It is an old saying that the sting of a resolution is generally in its tail, and it is the 
 same with a session of Parliament, for at a very late date of the session, a bill was 
 reported from the Railway Committee, with over three hundred clauses, giving 
 the companies extraordinary powers, and very summary means of enforcing those 
 
(13) 
 
 powers. And to judge pro})er]y of the enormity of some of these clauses, and the 
 ease with which a company can get a conviction, carrying with it the most severe 
 punishment for what may after aji hv a very small fault, and how hard it would he to 
 get a conviftion against employers under the provisions of another hill, which was 
 introduced by request of the labor organizations, for the protection of the lives of 
 sailors, the first three clauses here given are from the Railway Act, and are for com- 
 parison with the second three clauses which follow them from the Safety of Ships Act : 
 
 296. Every olficcr or scrvanl of, ami (."vtry person eiuiiluyed l)y llie conipaiiy, wh(j wilfully or 
 negligently violates any l)y-lavv, r\ile or regulation of the company, or any order or notice of the 
 Kailway Committee, <ir of the Minister or of the inspecting engineer, of wliich a copy has been de- 
 livered to him, or which has been posteil up or open to his in pection in some place where his work 
 or his duties, or any of them, are to be performed, if such violation causes injury to any jierson or to 
 any property, or exposes anv person or any property tu the risk of injury, or renders such risk 
 greater than it would have been without such violation, although no actual injury occurs, is guilty of 
 a misdemeanor, and shall, in the discretion of the court before which the conviction is had, and 
 according as such court considers the offence proved to be more or less grave, or the injury or risk of 
 injury to per-on or property to be more or less great, be i)uni-.hed by fme or iniprisonmen , or both ; 
 but no such fine shall exceed four hundred dollars and nu such imprisonment shall exceed the term 
 of five years. R.S.C., c. 109, s. 117. 
 
 'J9G, Whenever such violation docs not cause injury to any person or property or expose any 
 person or property to the risk of injury, or make sucli risk greater than it would have been but lot 
 such violation, the officer, servant or other person guilty thereof shall, on summary conviction, be 
 liable to a penalty not exceeding the amount of thirty days' pay, and not less than fifteen days' pay 
 o( the offender from the company. K.S.C., 109, s. 118 /ari. 
 
 297. The company may, in all cases under the two sections next preceding, pay the amount of 
 the penalty and costs, and recover the same from the offender and deduct it from his salary or pay. 
 R.S.C., c. 109, s. 119. 
 
 From the Safety of Ships Act : 
 
 "6. Every owner, managing owner, agent or other person who ends or attempts to send or is 
 a parly to sending a ship, registered in Canada, to sea or on a voyage on any of the inland waters of 
 Cahada, or on a voyage from any port or place on the inland waters of Canada to any port or place 
 on the inland waters of the United States, or on a voyage from any port or place on the inland 
 waters of the United Slates of .\merica to any port or place on the inland waters of (.'anada, in uch 
 unseaworlhy slate that the life of any person is likely to be thereby endangered, is gui'ly of a misde- 
 meanor, unless he proves that he used all reasonable means to insure her be-ng sent to sea or on 
 such voyi.ge in a seaworthy -lit'j, or that her going 'o sea or on such voyage in such unseaworlhy 
 state was, under the circumstances, reasonable and ju-tifiable ; and for the purpose of giving such 
 proof, the owner, managing owner, n^t ;u or other per^(Jn may give eviilence in the same manner as 
 any other witness : 
 
 2. Every master of a ship registered in Canada, who knowingly takes the same to sea, or on a 
 voy.igc on any of the inland waters of Canada, or on a voyrige from any port or place on the inland 
 waters of the United States of America to any port or place on the inland waters of Canada, in such 
 unseaworlhy staie thai the life of any person is likely to be thereby endangered, is guilty of a misde- 
 meanor, u less he proves that her giving to sea or on such vt,_v..,^^,e in such unseaworlhy state was, 
 under the ci,''unislances, reaonable and justifiable ; and for ilie purpose of giving sucli proof he may 
 give evidence in the same manner as any other witness : 
 
 " 3. No prosecution under this section shn',i be in^lituted except by or with the consent of the 
 Minister." 
 
 Your Committee at once pointed out the harshness of these clauses, and also'in- 
 ter\'iewed the Minister of Justice, who had charge of the bill, and called his attention 
 to the severity of the clauses first above given. He said there were no such' clauses 
 in the bill ; that the penalty for a breach of a by-law was forty dollars. We told hiir. 
 that it was a fine of four hundred dollars and fiv^e years in prison. He asked under 
 what clause, and we gave him the number. He went into the House, and Ihey went 
 into committee on the bill that niT;ht. We used our utmost endeavors to get some 
 member to oppose the obnoxious clauses, and secured a champion in Mr. J. D. F^dgar, 
 one of the ablest politicians in the House. Your Committee thought, arbitrary as 
 these clauses were, seeing it- was a Government measure, we had better be quite 
 within the bounds of moderatiim in our requests to have it amended, so we simply 
 asked that the bill be so amend-id as to compel the com[)anies to serve their men 
 with a copy of all rules, regulations and by-laws they had to obey, and for the breach 
 of which, though no injury was done to any person or property, they were liable to 
 such severe punishment as a fine of four hundred dollars and imprisonment for five 
 years. Mr. Edgar moved to so amend the bill, but the amendment, reasonable as it 
 was, v.as voted down by the representatives of the people. 
 
(14) 
 
 One very important and useful amendment was suggested by Mr. VVm. Mulock and 
 ultimately incorporated in the Railway Bill, to the effect that any person who may be 
 injured by non-compliance with the provisions of the act shall be entitled to damages 
 from tlie company, no matter what agreement he may have signed to the contrary. 
 This is a great I)enefU to the railway employees, as many of them are compelled to 
 sign away their legal rights before they can obtain employment. On the motion 
 of Mr. Mulock, clause 296 was struck out. Other amendments were made of a useful 
 character, and the l)ill was passed. 
 
 During the discussion of Mr. Edgar's amendment, Dr. Sproule, who had during 
 the session of Parliament, indulged in a good dea' of cheap sympathy with the work- 
 ingmen, on this occasion, when he had an opportunity of proving the sincerity of that 
 symjjathy, spoke and voted against an amendment which was to do such scant justice 
 to the railway employees. 
 
 After the main clauses of the bill had been passed, Mr. Denison took up Mr. 
 McCarthy's bill, which the Government had promised to incorporate in their bill. He 
 moved the following : 
 
 The expression " packing " means a packing of wood or metal or some other equally substantial 
 ami solid material of not less than two inche-. in tliickn'>ss, and which, where l)y this Act any space 
 is required to lie fdled in, shall extend to within one and a-half inches of the crown of the rails in 
 use on any such railway, shall be neatly fitted so as to come against the web of such rails, and shall 
 be well and solidly fastened to the ties on which such rails are laid. 
 
 On every railway at all times nfier the coming into force of this Act, the space between the rails 
 in each railway frog extentling from the jioint thereof Ijarkward to where the heads of such rails are 
 not lesi than live inches apart and the space between each wing rail and railway frog, and between, 
 each guard rail .aid any other rail fixed and used alongside therenf, and between all wing rails where 
 no other rail intervenes, shall (save only where such space between the heads of any such wing rail 
 and railway frog ;.s aforesaid, or between any .such guard rail and other rail fixed and used alongside 
 thereof as aforesaid, (jr between the heads of any such wing rails where no other rail intervenes as 
 aforesaid, is either less than one and three-quarters of an inch or more than five inches in width) be 
 filled in with packing. 
 
 Mr. SH.VNLY. The filling of frogs should be kept entirely distinct from the filling of wing 
 rails, and I therefore move in amendment the following : — 
 
 " That as regards frogs, tlie space behind and in front of every railway, frog or crossing, and be- 
 _tween the fixed rails of any swilcli where such spaces are less than hve inches in width, shall be 
 filled with packing up to the under side of the head of the rail." 
 
 Mr. denison. I do not accept the amendment, because it is intended to save the employees 
 a little work. 
 
 Mr. SIIANLY. And it may save passengers from very serious accidents. 
 
 Mr. LLSTER. Will the honorable member for Grenville (Mr. Shanly) explain how his amend- 
 ment differs from the sub-section oroposed ? 
 
 Mr. DKNISON. As I un.ler-tand the amendment of the honorable member for Grenville 
 (Mr. Shanly), it is the same as the provisit)n proposed by the member for North Simcoe (Mr. Mc- 
 Carthy) in reference to tlie frogs, saving as to winter rule. lie proposes that the frogs can be taken 
 up in the winter time and the snow swept from end to end, with a broom, I suppose. It is only a 
 question of a little extra work for the employes. 
 
 Amendment proposed by Mr. Shanly agreed to. 
 
 .Mr. .SHANLV. I Ijeg to move as follows : — 
 
 " The space between any wing rail and any rnilway frog, and between the guard rail and the 
 track rail alongside of it, shall be filled with packing at their splayed ends so that the whole splay 
 shall be s(j filled with it where the width of the space between the rails is less than five inches ; such 
 packing not to reach higlier than to the uivkr side of the head of the rail, and provided that it may 
 be in the discretion of the Privy Council to allow such filling to be left out from the month of De- 
 cember to the month of April, both months inclusive." 
 
 He said : This has Ijeen taken from the statute of (Ontario and ha, been found to work very well 
 there. The only ditl'erence is that I leave it to the discretion of the Railway Committee of the Privy 
 Council to say whether the packing can be taken o\u in the winter. 
 
 Mr. HICKEY. I should say that the wing rail is more dangerous than the frog, for if a man 
 gets his foot between the wing rail and the main rail he is held there. If a man gets his foot in the 
 frog he can take it out. 
 
 Mr. shanly. The foot would need to be very small to get between the wing rail. 
 
 Mr. EDGAR. I am of opinion that the danger will be just as great in the winter as in the 
 summer time. 
 
 Mr. mulock. This is suspending the provisions of the Act for four months. I think the 
 time could be made shorter than that. 
 
 Mr. SH.'VNLY. It leaves it optional with the Railway Commitie of the Privy Council. 
 
 Mr. mulock. The option would be sure to be availed of 
 
 In reference to the clause providing for wide running boards, in the Mc(.'arthy 
 
(IS) 
 
 Act, Mr. Thompson, Minister of Justice, sai*^; "I wish to make a suggestion with 
 regard t(j running hoards. The House heard a good deal of discussion when Hill 
 No. 5 was up for a second reading, and I think it was understoofi at that time that 
 it would be unwise to ado[)i immediately the provisions it contained. There is every 
 disposition, I am sure, to make every possible provision for the protection of railway 
 emi)]oyees who have to use running boards ; but there was the |)ractical difficulty 
 suggested that it would perhaps be unwise in Canada to adopt a provision for a run- 
 ning board 30 inches in width because many American railways have narrower foot- 
 boards. I do not say that the House should refrain from adojjting a provision of 
 that kind, unless we are prepared to put something in its place. Therefore, I pro- 
 pose to insert in section 10, which confers powers on the Railway Committee, this 
 sub-section instead of sub-section 6 : 
 
 "To m.ikc r«>gulations with respL-ct to the method of p.issing from one car to another, either 
 inside or overhead, for the safety of railway employees passing from one car to anotlier, and for the 
 coupling of cars." 
 
 This will enable us to adopt that provision and any other appliances, as soon as it 
 can be done with safety." 
 
 We were suprised that Mr. Thompson should make such a statement as the one 
 he did in introtlucing this sub-section, when the facts are that when the Bill was up 
 for a second reading a inajority of those who spoke were in favor of adopting the 
 wide running boards. Your Committee made a personal insj^ection of hundreds of 
 Canadian and American cars and found in every case the running boards on Ameri- 
 can cars were wider than those on Canadian, and so reported to the Minister of 
 Justice, and yet he made the above statement to the House, and as he was represent- 
 ing the Government it was accepted. Thus the brakesmen, on whose behalf the 
 bill was mainly introduced, are left without any additional protection by reason of 
 the insertion of the above sul>section. 
 
 Up to this stage of our work your Committee had confined their efforts mainly 
 to interviewing and trying to influence the (Government and their supporters, but as 
 these parties had defeated Mr. Edgar's amendment to clause 295, we did not intend 
 to let it pass the House without a division, so that the workingmen in the different 
 constituencies could see who were their real friends in the House on such an im- 
 portant question. As Mr. Edgar had moved the amendment in committee we natur- 
 ally put ourselves in coinmunication with him, requesting hini to mo\c an amend- 
 ment to the bill on the third reading, similar to the one he moved in committee, 
 which he consented to do, and accordingly when the bill came up for a third reading 
 and the question being again proposed on the main motion, Mr. Edgar moved in 
 amendment thereto : 
 
 "That the bill Ije not now read the third time, Init that it he referred back to a Committee of the 
 Whole, for the purpose of amending Section 295 thereof by striking out the word " or " where it 
 occurs in the 6th line thereof and inserting the word " and " in place thereof." 
 
 And the question being put on the amendment- 
 ing division : 
 
 Veas: 
 
 -it was negatived on the follow- 
 
 
 Messieurs 
 
 
 
 Armstrong, 
 
 Cook, 
 
 Labrosse, 
 
 Plait, 
 
 
 Bain f iVe>it'd>orth ), 
 
 Curran, 
 
 Landerkin, 
 
 Purcell, 
 
 
 Barron, 
 
 Dessaint, 
 
 Lang, 
 
 Kinfret, 
 
 
 Beausoleil, 
 
 Edgar, 
 
 Langelier (Quebec), 
 
 Rowand, 
 
 
 Bechard, 
 
 Edwards, . 
 
 Laurier, 
 
 Ste. Marie, 
 
 
 Bernier, 
 
 Eisenhauer, 
 
 Lister, 
 
 .Scriver, 
 
 
 Borden, 
 
 Fiset, 
 
 Livingston, 
 
 Somerville, 
 
 
 Bourassa, 
 
 Fisher, 
 
 Loviit, 
 
 Trow, 
 
 
 Bowman, 
 
 Geoffrion, 
 
 McMillan (Huron), 
 
 Turcot, 
 
 
 Brien, 
 
 Gilhnor, 
 
 McMuUen, 
 
 Watson, 
 
 
 Burdett 
 
 Guay, 
 
 Meigs, 
 
 \\eV\on(St.John) 
 
 and 
 
 Cartwright (Sir R. ) 
 
 Holton, 
 
 Mitchell, 
 
 Wilson (Elgin)* 
 
 -54- 
 
 Casey, 
 
 Innes, 
 
 Paterson (Brant), 
 
 
 
 Cockbunu 
 
 Jones (Halifax), 
 
 Perry, 
 
 
 
'fur"—' 
 
 
 (i6) 
 
 Bergeron, 
 
 Bergin, 
 
 Bowell, 
 
 Bnyle, 
 
 Brown, 
 
 Bry^on, 
 
 Cargill, 
 
 Carlinj;, 
 
 '."arpenier, 
 
 Coron (.>ir Adolphe), 
 
 Chaplcau, 
 
 Chisholm, 
 
 Choquetle, 
 
 Cimon, , 
 
 Cochrane, 
 
 Colby, 
 
 Corl)y, 
 
 Cost'cnn, 
 
 Cougnlin, 
 
 Cou)oml)e, 
 
 Daly, 
 
 Daoust, 
 
 Davis, 
 
 Dawson, 
 
 Denison, 
 
 Nays: 
 Messieurs 
 
 De-jnrdins, 
 
 Dickinson, 
 
 Dupont, 
 
 Ferguson (Ren/rew), 
 
 Fergusiin ( IVellan/), 
 
 Fosier, 
 
 Freeman, 
 
 Gigault, 
 
 Girouard, 
 
 Godl)oul, 
 
 Gordon, 
 
 GraniUKiis, 
 
 Guilbault, 
 
 Guillet, 
 
 Hale, 
 
 Hall, 
 
 Hesson, 
 
 Hickey, 
 
 Jamieson, 
 
 Joncas, 
 
 Jones (Dighy), 
 
 Kenny, 
 
 Kirkpatrick, 
 
 r,al)elle, 
 
 Landry, 
 
 Langevin (Sir Hector), 
 
 Laurie, 
 
 Macdonald (Sir Jonh), 
 
 Macduwall, 
 
 Mackenzie, 
 
 McCulla, 
 
 ■^IcDonald (Victoria), 
 
 McDo\igald (Piitou), 
 
 McGreevy, 
 
 McK.iv, 
 
 McLefan, 
 
 McMillan (VaUilreuil), 
 
 McNeill, 
 
 Madill, 
 
 Mara, 
 
 Marshall, 
 
 Masson, 
 
 Mills (Annapolis), 
 
 Montague. 
 
 Montplaisir, 
 
 O'Brien, 
 
 Perley ( Assinihoia), 
 
 Perley (Oltaiua), 
 
 Porter, 
 
 Prior, 
 
 Putnam, 
 Rci<l, 
 Kiopel, 
 Kohillard, 
 Roome, 
 Skinner, 
 Small, 
 
 Smith (Ontario), 
 Sproule, 
 Stevenson, 
 Taylor, 
 Temple, | 
 Thompson, 
 Tupper (Sir Charles), 
 Tyrwhitt, 
 Vanasse, 
 Wallace,' 
 Weldim (Albert), 
 White, 
 Wilmot, 
 
 Wilson, (Arffenfeuil), 
 Wilson (Lennox), and 
 Wood { IVestmorelaml). 
 -98. 
 
 And the question being put on the main question ;— it was agreed to. 
 
 The bill was accordingly read the third time and passed. 
 
 Witii the settlement of this question our legislative work was done. But we can- 
 not bring this report to a close without acknowledging the very great service rendered 
 to our cause in the House by Dr. Wilson, of Elgin, on all questions affecting our in- 
 terest that came up for discussion, as well as by J. D. Edgar and James Lister, on 
 the Railway Bill and the Bill to protect the lives of the Sailors. If the latter bill 
 had been proceeded with, Mr. Edgar had amendments prepared to move to it, and 
 which if carried, would have made it all we desired. We also had valuable assist- 
 tance and advice on the Safety of Ships Bill from Mr. J. C. Paterson, of Essex, 
 and Mr. John l.ovitt, of Yarmouth, N.S.; as well as from Dr. Ferguson, of Welland, 
 on the pauper immigration question ; and we wish to thank Mr. (i. R. R.'Cockburn 
 and J. J. Curran for voting against their party on Mr. Edgar's amendment to the 
 Railway Bill. And we also wish to acknov ledge the energetic and prompt help 
 rendered to your Committee by Bro. D. J. O'Donoghue, of Toronto Trades and 
 Labor Council, Bro. J. T. Carey, of St. Catherines, and Bro. Charles March and 
 his colleagues of the Parliamentary Committee of the Dominion Trades and Labor 
 Congress, in preparing and distributing petitions among the labor organizations, on 
 questions that we wished to bring the whole influence of the Labor Party to bear on 
 in the House. 
 
 It would be impossible, in the space usually allowed to reports of this kind, to 
 give a detailed account of all the work done by your Committee, such as sending 
 copies of bills to the different centers of population and corresponding with members 
 of the Order on questions affecting their particular calling, and where bills were of 
 a general character to send them to the leaders everywhere, asking their advice and 
 assistance in pressing or opposing them, as the case might require, waiting on Deputy 
 Ministers or the Ministers, where some injustice had been done some member of 
 our Order, or seeking some change in the tariff asked for by some trade, talking and 
 arguing with members to explain to them our requirements and asking them to sup- 
 port our cause in the House, and carrying on general correspondence in connection 
 with our duties, all of which took the greatest part of our time, and in doing which 
 we have done our best to serve those in whose interest we acted and in whose name 
 we spoke. 
 
 Alfred F. Jury, 
 
 CliairmaH, 
 
 Toronto. 
 
 Geo. Colms, 
 
 Hamilton. 
 
 J. T. Redmond, 
 
 Stcrttary, 
 10 Chaboilltz Square, Montreal.