THE RT. HON. SIR WILFRID LAURIER, PREMIER OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA. THE RELATIONS OF CANADA AND THE THE UNITED STATES. BY P. T. M'GRATH. 'HE position taken by Canada at the recent conference in London of Prime Ministers of the British self-governing colonies, that unique example for amazed and uncomprehending Europe of how England faces the problem of ruling her empire overseas, with the leader of the Jameson Raid sitting as Premier of Cape Colony, the Boer generalissimo as Premier of the Transvaal, ada,-raises anew the prospect for the future accord of the two sister countries which, with Mexico, share the North American continent. The perplexing feature of this colonial conference was the seemingly paradoxical attitude of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. His cabinet would suggest no subjects for discussion; he, himself, was indifferent as to attending, and from the outset he opposed its being made an the wages average from 2 to 4 cents a day, according as to whether the laborer be a woman or a man,-there are open-cuts instead of shafts, the tools employed are of the simplest, and no attempt is made to work deeper than the hardness of the rock permits without blasting. Although only the most important economic minerals have been discussed in these notes, it would be unfair to deny passing mention to the mining of zinc in British Columbia, the possibility of large finds of platinum and mercury in that province, and the enormous deposits of phosphates lying to the north of Ottawa. These last were once mined on a large scale, but the finding of large areas of equally rich fertilizers in Florida and Tennessee that could be economically quarried naturally ruined the industry. It is believed, however, that the Florida rock is nearing exhaustion, and it is admitted by Mr. W. R. Ingalls, editor of the Mineral Industry of the United States, that the Tennessee rock limit is in sight. The price of phosphate has, for some years, been of an upward tendency. The mineral production of Canada in pro portion to its population is, compared with other large countries such as the United States and Australia, small. Whereas Aus tralia provides about $25 for every member of its population, and the United States about $20, the Canadian output is only equal to about $10 per head. But it is scarcely fair to consider the figures in the light of to-day. What Canada needs is railways and railways. Its government and the public fully realize the necessity, and railways are being built as fast as the scarcity of labor and the inclement winter months allow. The discov ery of Cobalt was directly due to the building of the Timiskaming Railway. The Grand Trunk Pacific will undoubtedly open up new mineral areas, principally in coal. The Lake St. John branch of the Great Northern Railway is tapping an area of Huronian rocks in the Chibougamau District that are known to contain gold, silver, and copper. Very little prophetic cunning is needed to predict that in a few years the mineral output of the Dominion of Canada will be a large factor in the world's production, and that the larger proportion of the output will be coal, iron, and copper.. THE RT. HON. SIR WILFRID LAURIER, PREMIER OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA. THE RELATIONS OF CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. BY P. T. M'GRATH. THE HE position taken by Canada at the recent conference in London of Prime Ministers of the British self-governing colonies, that unique example for amazed and uncomprehending Europe of how England faces the problem of ruling her empire overseas, with the leader of the Jameson Raid sitting as Premier of Cape Colony, the Boer generalissimo as Premier of the Transvaal, ada,-raises anew the prospect for the future accord of the two sister countries which, with Mexico, share the North American continent. The perplexing feature of this colonial conference was the seemingly paradoxical attitude of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. His cabinet would suggest no subjects for discussion; he, himself, was indifferent as to attending, and from the outset he opposed its being made an the wages average from 2 to 4 cents a day, portion to its population is, compared with according as to whether the laborer be a other large countries such as the United woman or a man, there are open-cuts in- States and Australia, small. Whereas Ausstead of shafts, the tools employed are of the tralia provides about $25 for every member simplest, and no attempt is made to work of its population, and the United States about deeper than the hardness of the rock permits $20, the Canadian output is only equal to without blasting. about $10 per head. But it is scarcely fair to consider the figures in the light of to-day. What Canada needs is railways and railways. Its government and the public fully realize the necessity, and railways are being built as fast as the scarcity of labor and the inclement winter months allow. The discovery of Cobalt was directly due to the building of the Timiskaming Railway. The Grand Trunk Pacific will undoubtedly open up new mineral areas, principally in coal. The Lake St. John branch of the Great Northern Railway is tapping an area of Huronian rocks in the Chibougamau District that are known to contain gold, silver, and copper. Very little prophetic cunning is needed to predict that in a few years the mineral output of the Dominion of Canada will be a large factor in the world's production, and that the larger proportion of the output will be coal, iron, and copper.. Although only the most important economic minerals have been discussed in these notes, it would be unfair to deny passing mention to the mining of zinc in British Columbia, the possibility of large finds of platinum and mercury in that province, and the enormous deposits of phosphates lying to the north of Ottawa. These last were once mined on a large scale, but the finding of large areas of equally rich fertilizers in Florida and Tennessee that could be economically quarried naturally ruined the industry. It is believed, however, that the Florida rock is nearing exhaustion, and it is admitted by Mr. W. R. Ingalls, editor of the Mineral Industry of the United States, that the Tennessee rock limit is in sight. The price of phosphate has, for some years, been of an upward tendency. The mineral production of Canada in pro THE RT. HON. SIR WILFRID LAURIER, PREMIER OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA. THE RELATIONS OF CANADA AND THE THE UNITED STATES. BY P. T. M'GRATH. HE position taken by Canada at the recent conference in London of Prime Ministers of the British self-governing colonies, that unique example for amazed and uncomprehending Europe of how England faces the problem of ruling her empire overseas, with the leader of the Jameson Raid sitting as Premier of Cape Colony, the Boer generalissimo as Premier of the Transvaal, ada,-raises anew the prospect for the future accord of the two sister countries which, with Mexico, share the North American continent. The perplexing feature of this colonial conference was the seemingly paradoxical attitude of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. His cabinet would suggest no subjects for discussion; he, himself, was indifferent as to attending, and from the outset he opposed its being made an |