The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-11-22
THE WINTER PORT.
canada's Ministry Bent on Selecting
Portland.
The St. John Delegates Leave otta-
wa In Disgust.

An ottawa special to the st. John Globe
says 1t is quite evident, after the interview
the 81 John delegates had Friday with the
oapinet regarding the winter port question
tnat the government have fully determined
on making Portland the winter terminus.
IL was expected that when the delegates ar
rived Ia Ottawa the government would be in
position to say yes or no as to whether or
not they intended granting the demands of
the people the delegates were sent here to
represent. This does not appear to have
been the case. as the only satisfaction they
got out of the Cabinet was that the Post
master General promised to take it under
consideration. The people of the Maritime
Provinces will now be kept in suspense as
long as it suits the government to hold off
giving a definite answer, and as there is ey
cry indication of an early appeal to the peo-
pie, the matter may be held in allowance nm
til after the elections are over. 1t is said the
interview throughout was not satisfactory.
every argument of the Cabinet being in ia
yor OF Portland as winter terminus
Messrs. Weldon and Harding left Friday
night, thoroughly disguised, report says.
The st. John Sun gives this account of the
way the st. John delegates were put off bv
the Postmaster General:
Sir Alexander said he was free TO saw that
the delegation had cleared up a good deal Of
prejudice about the Bay of Fundy and its
logs and dangers. He had also been enIght-
Sno1 ny sne statements made respecting the
deptn OF water in the harbor and at the
MharYes OF st. John. When such vessels as
the Parlslan would be water-borne at low
tlde, 1t was plain that there could be no oh
lectlon to St John on that score. 1t was
necessary tnat the steamers should go else
where than to Halifax on account of freight.
Ihat had been recognized In former CON-
tracts, which read the same as the present
advertisement. He thought that the delega-
ton misunderstood the meaning of the
clause; Il reads as follows ''In winter to
make HalifaX the terminal port in Canada.
and to terminate the winter VOYAGES at Port,
Iand or such other port as the Postmaster
Sfenerai OF Canada may designate or approve
1or That purpose" The words ''or such other
pSort ald not not mean "or such other port in
al was free to designate st. John. There
was the utmost desire on the part of the
government to maintain the essential feature
OF their general policy, Canada for the Ca
nadians, and under changed circumstances
tnere IVA was no doubt what the policy would
pc. Inc government must consider the
whole country. IL freight,lcould not be got
at Portland, the steamers would necessarily
want power to go elsewhere, because with
out freight they could not go on the voyage
az all. 1t was necessary, therefore, that
there should be liberty given in the contract
to despatch the vessels to other ports besides
cortland, but that does not exclude st. John.
The object of the clause was to get freight.
and If freight could be got in Canadian ports
under the terms of the contract. the Post
master General would naturally send the
steamers there. He and his colleagues
would nave great pleasure in presenting the
The members of the delegation then with
grew, after thanking the ministers for the
KIND and courteous hearing they had re-