The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-02
An extract from the Toronto Mail is sub
journtd, with these words.

Ontario. and especially Toronto, hasIa direct In
terest IN supporting the claims of that city. [St.
Johnl Ontario shippers and importers prefer
result Is loss to Canadian commerce. If st. John
was Inc winter port they would use it In prefer
e I 70 tne y. .; ports. The distance from st.
water, but the rail route is more expensive and
passes over private bridge at st. John, the tolls
ontario merchan pay the lions share of this
revenue, rom which comes The steamship subsidy.
the question. About a year ago the Toronto
board OF trade passed resolution iavoring 1T.
John. II now has before it for endursation reso-
luton OF the 81. John board passed Nov, g. urging
the government To make 1t compulsory that the
steamers shall call at St. John. The views of
the ST. John board have made marK-d i'm
preston upon the members OF the Toronto board
That is all very well. but while one section
OF the st. John Board of Trade was "resolv-
Ing" that the government should compel all
steamers to land there, another section was
engaged In quite different business. The
same Issue of the Telegraph contained an
interesting report of meeting of the coun-
Gil OF Inc Board at which the agent of the
ruthess line was pouring In hot shot upon
sne naroor and the officials because one of
MS steamers had been delayed some 70 hours.
ne also brought up generally the whole
matter OF the accommodation for his steamers
ana ihtimated that, unless better accommo.
aIOn Was promised, request would be
upou 'ne government to allow clause
20 10 inserted In the new five years contract
Pei'n'''iug the steamers to stop at Halfax
anu trward the freight to st. John bv rail
II would be impossible to continue hrino;nn
the steamers to that port If the evil was ne
remedled. The West India Company alSo
had grievance Of the same nature and tn
Judge by the report several tempers went IN
to a boiling-point during the discussion
The agent of the Furness line upon being
pressed to explain his threat to take his
steamers to Halifax said he could easily ex-
plain. The Furness line steamers were put
on principally for the export trade, but at st.
John there had never been any proper
facilities provided. The dominion govern
ment had always Disseminated in favor Of
haIiiax against st. John, and he had no
hopes OF ever Inducing the Intercolonial
railway TO allow that city;its proper division.
Ahere are no grain elevators at ST Jobn
put there is a grain elevator and proner
warehouses; at Halifax. Mr. Furness was
JUST as willing that his steamers come To
o.' 'onn aS halifax, but he wanted the cost
Oh loading and discharging no more. and also
small advantage In other costs. The
trouble grew out Of the fact that sailing
Scssei occupied the Furness wharf and
UOulo not according to harbor regulations be
tpa 60 1t has been finally settled by taking
"u1rI OF the New York line for the Fur-
an TD ,ino ana peace once more reigns in the
amoi''ouS city. 1t looks as thorgS ,h.t it,
nad = severe attack of the disease called
sweliea head" when it demanded that oil
steamers should be compelled bv ,aw ] ~
land there. regardless of the fact thu NV tS W
are no accommodations worth noan., Lnere
for their. proper handling.