Railway Committee of Privy Council.

The committee met in Ottawa Sept. 5, for the first time since the vacation, the ministers present being Messrs. Blair, Mills and Bernier.

The C.P.R.'s applications relative to the cost of the crossings at Dufferin and Bathurst streets and arching of the York St. bridge, Toronto, were ordered to stand over.

The G.T.R. was given permission to make certain improvements, including the building of a culvert, partly in the Township of Murray and partly in the Town of Trenton, where the track was raised and carried across the Central Ontario Ry. This involves the construction of a highway, the cost of which is to be apportioned between the G.T.R. and the C.O. companies. The G.T.R. applied for an order dispensing with two overhead bridges, and sanctioning the closing of the Streetsville gravelled road and the Indian road, and their deviation to a subway under the Co.'s track by a new street north of the railway. It seemed to the committee that the application should be granted, on condition that the new road be 30 ft. wide.

The Tilsonburg, Lake Erie and Pacific Ry. applied for approval of plans of two proposed crossings at rail level of the Canada Southern Ry., and a proposed crossing of the G.T.R. by means of an overhead bridge. Mr. Saunders for the Canada Southern raised the objection that the charter of the T.L.E. & P.R. Co. had expired, inasmuch as the line had not been completed within the specified time. To this Mr. Senkler, for the T.L.E. & P.R., replied that Parliament had granted subsidies to the railway. In answer to this Mr. Saunders argued that Parliament had granted subsidies to a line not in existence, and therefore it did not revive the lapsed charter. The committee directed that an engineer be sent up to view the localities mentioned in the application, and suggested that the railways interested come to a friendly agreement.

The Sarnia Street Railway's plans for contemplated crossings of the G.T.R. were approved on condition that derailing switches be provided at the crossings.

The application of the city of St. Henri, Que., re the opening of Garneau st. across the G.T.R. tracks was postponed.

The Great Northern Railway applied for the approval of two crossings at rail level of the C.P.R. on St. Andrew's st., Québec, and to put in a track from the Québec and Lake St. John Ry. In the event of the plans being approved by the Chief Engineer, an order of the committee will issue granting the desired permission.

On Sept. 6 the committee considered the C.P.R.'s application for laying tracks on Main and Maple streets, Winnipeg. Mr. Blair said that it looked to him that it would be better to have a subway in view of the future growth of the City of Winnipeg. G. M. Clark, for the C.P.R., said that negotiations had been taken for a subway and a vote of the people, but the necessary majority did not consent to the by-law. W. Nesbit, for the City of Winnipeg, stated that the present council was, if anything, more adverse than the last one to paying the cost of a subway. Mr. Blair thought that the C.P.R. and city representatives should come together and see what they could arrange as to cost. Mayor Arbuthnot, of Winnipeg, said that the subway should be wider than was proposed. The committee adjourned to permit both parties to come together.

Railways: C.P.Ry., G.N.Ry., G.T.Ry., T.L.E. & P.Ry.

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