The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-27

tion. All their present vessels are Clyde
built, and as an economy verging upon stin-
giness is one of the secrets of their success
we presume that they will continue to act
upon the principle of buying steamships
where they can get them cheapest.
Assuming that the Montreal report referred
to has some truth in it, we think it quite pos
sible that Philadelphia may gain at the ex-
pense of Portland. President Grants fore
shadowing of the retributive policy which is
in reserve for Canada, as a consequence of
her present policy, has evidently set many of
her people thinking as to the possibilities of
the future, and Messrs. Allan are not impro-
badly among them. If the privilege of trans
porting goods in bond through this country
be denied the Canadians, the Allan steamships,
coming to Portland, will at once feel the blow.
1t may be that in anticipation of this check to
their prosperity the firm have taken up the
Philadelphia scheme, the success of which
will be largely contingent upon the ability of
the Pennsylvania Central managers to control
permanently paying share of the Western
trade Their plans in this respect are not des
titute of courage or comprehensiveness, and
we cannot close our eyes to their prospective
influence upon the commerce of this city and
State.
The st. Lawrence route is, however,
more formidable competitor than any that
can be established by way of Philadelphia,
1t would be the grandest water-route on the
continent, if the spirit and strength of the
Canadians equalled their opportunities The
development Of the Lake Superior trade will
enhance its Importance. The rise of Duluth
marks the advent of new era in the COM
merce of the upper lakes, and though we
have no idea that Chicago will disappear off
the map, no great stretch of the Imagination
is required to understand possible changes in
tIade-currents consequent upon the extension
of the railroad system to Superior. Philadel-
phia aims at the lions share of the traffic to
be thence derived, but the advantages of an
all-water route are too obvious and substau-
tial to be easily overcome The Pennsyl-
vania Central, it is understood, will establish
a line of steamers from Erie to the head
of the uppermost of the lakes. The firm
that is credited with the organization of a
Philadelphia line of steamships is also al
legged to be negotiating for the purchase of
Ihe Northern Transportation Company's pro-
pellers, to be run from Chicago or Duluth
direct to Montreal. The exclusion of Caua-
dian vessels from our lake ports would rem
der the latter enterprise nugatory. For
though matters might be so managed as to
retain in the United States the ownership of
TIE vessels now belonging to the Transporta-
ton Company, we cannot forget that a war of
reprisals, once begun, would lead to the ex-
clusion of American vessels from the Cana
dian canals. These contingencies have o
direct bearing upon any attempt to speculate
on the availability of the St. Lawrence route
as an outlet for the rapidly increasing trade,
whose wants and value are more correctly
appreciated by the capitalists of Philadelphia
than by those of New York.