The Portland daily press., 1890-11-13
SECRETARY WINDOW AT THE SWITCH.
Asked to Turn Trains Onto Roads
South of the Border.
American Lines Make Their Raid on
the Grand Trunk.
Mr.. 9ialne Takes a Hand as a Plain
Citizen of Maine.

dayonthequestion of the privileges granted
the Grand Trunk Railroad Company in the
transportation of bonded ,goods through
American territory.i Secretary Window. AS
sistant Secretary Spaulding and Solicitor
Hepburn, representing the Treasury Depart
ment; Secretary Blaine, representing the
State Department; and the lawyers repre-
senting the railroad and other interests,
were present. Arguments were made by ex-
Senator Conger of Michigan. and c. P. Con-
ger against the continuance of the existing
system, and by Judge Day, representing the
Grand Trunk road, and A. @. Raymond OF
Detroit. and others. in opposition to any
change in the system. The hearing was
continued during the afternoon.
The argument was opened by ex-senator
o. D. Conger of Michigan and G. p. CoDger,
who said they appeared ''in behalf Of a
large number Of American citizens, vast
aggregation of American labor and capital,
and local and general interests in freight
and transportation of American products
and merchandise between the East and West
in transit either way, through foreign Cana
dian territory, and also in the enforcement
of the interstate commerce act" to induce
such a change of the present system as Will
no longer permit cars or vehicles laden with
bond.d freight for transit through ,ntlgu-
Gus foreign territory to be loaded, bonded.
sealed and manifested outside of American
ports and within foreign territory. They
asked that the entire system of granting
such permission be revoked, and such per-
mits be cancelled; that in accordance with
the general meaning and unquestionable In
tent of the law, the work ana supervision of
government officials in this respect shall be
performed upon American territory under
full and direct American supervision, with
American labor and capital, and
for American wages and profit, where
American laws have full local force and
effect. They presented statements to show
that the present system operates to endanger
American revenue; to throw unnecessary
temptations around American officers; to
build up gigantic systems Of foreign railroad
corporations in competition with American
railroads without any returning benefits to
American citizens; to enable these foreign
railroads to escape the operation and re-
strictions of American law to which our own
railroads are subjected; to destroy or impair
the value Of vast amount OF property. of
American citizens; to throw out of employ
ment vast amount of American capital; to
paralyze an immense amount of American
labor; to seriously injure American mer-
chants and farmers, and to affect. injuriously
American vessels. They cOntended that the
Grand Trunk railway Disseminated against
American interests.
Judge VIM. A. Day, counsel for the Grand
Trunk railway, defended the present sy stem
d
on the best legal authority. During
his experience of over qaarter of a century
it had never resulted in the least injury to
the United States. He asserted that the
merchants OF the United states would GER
tainly not be benefited by the proposed
change, since, having choice of routes and
ports of entry, they do not select Montreal
unless transportation charges by that route
are more favorable to them and their
customers than by other routes. Judge Day
coil M ifc
rights under the treaty of Washington and
argued thai article 30 of that treaty fully
justified the present system OF consular
sealing of cars. He denied that the road he
represented had vitiated in any way the pro-
visions of the interstate commerce act.
A. G. Raymond, of Detroit, who said he
represented American railroad interests de-
string the retention of the present regula-
tlOns, followed in the same line of argument
He denied that there was any discrimina-
tion on the part of the Canadian roads
against American elevators, and quoted
statistics to show that American roads re-
ceived more than their reciprocal share of
business in the transportation of merchan-
disc between Canada and the United States.
He argued in defense of the present system
of consular sealing in Canada Of cars con-
tanning goods from Asiatic ports.
Secretary Blaine showed deep interest in
this part of Mr.. Raymond's argument, and
frequently questioned him to show that all
eastern merchandise arriving at ports on the
Pacific coast, botn British and American, in.
tended for Canadian ports, was diverted
from American roads to Canadian roads,
with no corresponding diversion of British
freight arriving at Vancouver to American
roads. Mr.. Raymond argued that this was
the natural result of the struggle between
rival corporations
On this point an informal discussion oc.
cnrred between Secretary Blaine and Secre,
tary Window and ex-Collector Magoun of
New York. Secretary Blaine remarked that
he was present simply as spectator, and
wished to say in answer to Mr. Raymond's
suggestion that this might be policy of re-
taliatioD, that he felt sure the government
had no such thought. Mr.. Raymond, Mr.
Blaine said, was himself the representative
of the Canadian Pacific railroad. Ii the
government of the United States had been
desirous of throwing obstacles in the way of
developing that great road, it would not have
given it the privilege Of going
through two states of the Northwest
and crossing at the 500, nor would
his own state of Maine have given it the lib
its connection with the cities of the mari
time provinces of New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia might be made some 800 miles nearer
MIR. Blaine suggested that the best mode of
resisting retaliation or nnfriendliness was
to make the system absolutely complete aud
perfect He said it would be much more
satisfactory to the section from which he
came If Halifax and st. John could treat
New England as 1airly and generously as
Portland and Boston treated the provinces.
They might land cargo of fish or anything
else at Portland, and ship it to their homes,
but an American fisherman making his catch
hundreds of miles beyond the three mile
limit could not secure that privilege from the
lower provinces. Mr.. Blaine suggested that
Mr.. Raymond would labor to good end in
making the system for which
he spoke absolutely perfect
if he could wipe out the inequality
known and recognized over the whole cOun-
try as far as Vancouver, which was a run
ming sore against which no el0quence could
prevail. In closing Mr.. Blaine said he wished
it distinctly understood that he had spoken
as a citizen of Maine, not as Secretary of
State. Representatives of the Wabash, the
| cag0 and Grand Trunk, the Detroit and Mil
| waukee, the New York. Ontario and West
| ern, the Central Vermont, the Northern Pa
| cihc, the Delaware, Lackawanna and West
| ern railroads were all present, and Mr.. Ray
mOnd explained that these gentlemen, repre-
| senting about 1000 miles of American rail-
| way, were opposed TO any disturbance or in
| reference with the present system of trans.
| portation of American merchandise over
| Canadian roads.
Secretary Window said he would reserve
| the decision for the present.
A Treaty With Brazil.
WASHINGTON, November 12.-Senor Sal
vadOr de Mendonca, the Brazilian gentleman
| who came to this country on a special mis-
| sion year ago, returned to Rio Janeiro a
| few days ago. Mr.. Mendonca carried with
| him draft of the new commercial treaty be-
| tween the Republic of Brazil and the United
| States. The treaty has been in course of