Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-05-06
Railway and Canal Transportation.

precedence with any and all other routes
of transportation. There is now ierccr
rivalry than ever before. On Canadian
soil the Grand Trunk railway parallels
the st. Lawrence system of canals, and
extends beyond their Montreal terminus
as far to the east rs Quebec and Port
land. The western terminus is over
Tapped by the distance between Port
Colborne and Detroit, Sarnia, Colling-
wood and other upper-lake ports. At
Collingwood friendly railroad relieves
the steamers of the freight that they SO
recently carried through the Wclland,
and delivers it to other bottoms or to the
Grand Trunk Mt Toronto. In 1873 grain
to the value Of S274, 603 passed over this
route for the Eastern or foreign market.
In 1870 the value Of grain transported
WIS $l,536,35l. This remarkable in
crease of traffic is to receive the alten-
ton OF the United States Government 40
a matter affecting the collection OF Gus
toms and the interest OF American ship
pers in general.
Still other railroad routes in Canada
are to contest the carrying trade. The
building of the Pacific railway bas been
undertaken by syndicate of English
capitalists, and, when once completed, it
will be formidable rival of the water
routes. Indeed, the chief arguments
advanced for its construction are based
upon the taking Of the lions share in
transporting the grain Of the Northwest
"a claim which, if founded on fact, will
close tho new Welland canal from the
moment the railway is opened. Con-
Meeting at its eastern terininus-Lake
Nipissing-with the Canadian railways,
the Canada Pacific will find eastern out
lets without the aid of the ST. Lawrence
canals while, if the Coteau bridge is
built, Ottawa will become railway GEN.
ter whence diverging lines to the south
ward will send the traffic to American
ports in spite Of the proximity and ter
minal facilities offered by Montreal.
The great trunk lines OF the United
States have also asserted their right to a
proportion of the carrying trade. Roll
ing stock has been marvelously in
creased, terminal facilities have been
established or improved at every Allan
tic port where transhipment is Neces-
sary, and the great Northwest-Ameri-
can and Canadian alike-the granary Of
the world, tapped by Northern Pacific
railway, sends its products to the sea-
board. America is the granary of the
world, according to the following ratio:
United States, $50; France, 1913; Rus
STA, 80; Germany, As; Spain, ~ Italy,
80; Austria with Hungary, 80; Great
Britain, So.
A few figures tell the story of trans
portation more briefly than words. The
five great Atlantic ports-considering
Montreal as such-are New York, Bos-
ton, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Mont
real. Between the years 1878 and 1880,
New York, with all its railways and its
lake and canal navigation, has dropped
from 80 per cent. to 81 per cent. of the
whole amount OF grain received at the
above named ports. Within the same
period Montreal, with better canals but
poorer railroads, has varied greatly, but
now drops 70 7.5 per cent. On the other
hand, the three remaining ports, sup
piled exclusively by rail, have steadily
increased.
Although New York has not succeeded
in holding the proportion of the sum
total of grain reaching the seaboard, as
compared with 1874 and 1877, yet it
holds its own with Montreal. And when
we consider the sources OF supply, we
find that during the last season 81 navi-
cation (18S0) the receipts of grain at
New York were $500, 900 bushels by
rail, $4,000 600 bushels by canal, and
100000 bushels by river and coastwise
the largest business ever done on the
State waterways. The canal men take
courage from these figures, and predict
very prosperous season for 1881.
With the interests OF the whole people
guarded against further encroachments
by the land routes, aud with tue curly
completion of enlarged waterways CT,
both American and Canadian soil, the
outlook for cheaper transportation OF
breadstutfs bids fair to be bright. The
greater the facilities for shipping grain,
the better for al lake ports east Of Tole-
do and Detroit, and the less temptation
will the prairie farmer have to burn his
corn for fuel because its worth to him is
10 cents, while in Liverpool the expense
of carrying has increased tho cost to
$1.03. Competition is the life of trade,
and no rail routes, present or prospec-
tive, no improved Erie, no enlarged
Welland aud no Mississippi route, can
hope to secure monopoly Of the carry
ing trade. In bring about this result. as
we have seen, the crest waterways are
performing-and will perform-a most
important part.-Eredes'ick q. Matter,
in Harper's Magazine.
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