The Portland daily press., 1891-01-13
CANADIAN RAILROADS.
Their Great Benefit to New England
land the Northwest.
Why No Restrictions should be
Placed upon Them.
American Railroads notIserIousIy At
fected by their Competition.

routes over Canadian territory mas Deen II
accordance with the natural laws Of com
merce; that 1t has greatly benefited ever!
section Of our country especially the north
western and northeastern states; that 1t ha!
contributed largely to the construction and
developement Of American roads and the in.
terests depending upon them; that 1t Is oil
the greatest Importance to the commercial
interests Of the whole country that they
should be kept on terms OF perfect equality
with our own railroads and that not t1'
slightest obstruction should be placed In tbs
way Of the natural flow OF commerce.
The geographical position Of the two
countries Is such that the natural lines ol
traffic between the eastern and western por
tions of our country and the upper anC
lower provinces of Canada lie across the To-
tervening territory OF the two countries
The interjection Of the peninsula Of Ontario
between the northwestern and eastern states
makes the route through Canada the shortest
for communication between New England
and the great states Of Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, and the DakOtas. 1t seems a
commercial absurdity TO force the enormous
traffic Of these sections OF our country by
southern aud northern lines around the head
Of this peninsula when IL has direct east
and west route over 1t. The interjeetion OF
the State of Maine between Quebec and the
Scotia makes the route across the State Of
Made the natural and direct one to connect
the disj0inted members OF the Dominion. Il
Is equally commercial absurdity TO f0rct
the traffic Of the separated sections Of Canadf
by difficult and circuitOus route, some foul
hundred miles further around the northern
border of our state instead Of giving IL free
course aero ss its territory. Our American
roads In northern New England and north
cru New York and in the Northwestern
States, disrrgarding the political complica-
tions that might arise, following the natural
laws Of commerce, have sought through Can
ada and In connection with Canadian road,
direct communication for the communities
which they serve. The Canadian roads
forced by the necessities of their positions
an outlet for their vast traffic as well as to
Increase IL by attracting American business
BY following out these natural conditions
the Canadian roads and these American cen
necti0ns have become so inextricably inter
woven that any attempt to separate them OI
interfere with the free interchange of traffic
over them would result disastrOusly to the
roads themselves and all the interests theJ
have tended to build up.
IL by legislative enactment or otherwise
the conditions which have existed from the
time these international connections were
made were to be changed the ques
tlOn arises: What would be the status
OF the American portions Of these
lines? 1t would result undOu Dtedly In fore
ing them into the position of merely local
roads or oblige them to seek unnatural alli-
ances and connections with more southern
routes. Ii these Canadian routes were inter-
fered with, consider what reversal In the
tide Of traffic would take place In reference
to our own city and State and all northern
New England.
But whatever may be the tcishes Of our
American trunk lines In reference to these
Canadian competitors they deny having any
purpose TO disrupt these International line,
or even to embarIass them in the conduct Of
inter State or International traffic. lnsidious
attempts have been made. however, to OBJ.
struct the Datural flow Of this Interstate
commerce over Canadian roads by appealing
to the Treasury Department TO 50 change Its
regulations in regard to transportation in
bond as to hamper and cripple them in
their competition with American lines.
IL Is the argument of those who are hostile
to Canadian roads that Canadian roads ought
not To be allowed TO participate In inter-
State traffic; that 1t belongs to American
roads; that they are as much entitled to
protection in Interstate traffic by land as
American vessels are by water; that we
need not fear any retaliatory action on the
part OF the Canadian government IL we shut
her roads out from American business; that
her natural lines Of communication with
Great Britain and the other nations Of the
world lie across American territory and
through American seap0rts, and that we are
Decessa to her commercial existence. 1t Is
true that American routes are the natural
routes for Canadian commerce as long as
they remain free and unobstructed. but
when you place any obstacle in the way of
the How OF this commerce you will surely
find 1t seeking other channels which Offer
less resistance to its course. The Canadian
government Is not wholly helpless and at
the mercy OF our railroad and other transpOr-
talon interests. She has provided at enor-
nous expense great water and railway COM
munications within her own borders to carry
her immense commerce 10 other nations /;
she can find exits for IL during the whole
year through her own potts. She has spent
over $50. 200, 900 In perfecting her water ways !;
she has the Welland canal to circumvent thu
Falls Of Niagara; the St. Lawrence canal 30
carry her traffic by the rapids of the ST.
Lawrence River; she is now building a
canal on Canadian territory to relieve her Of
dependence upon the canal on the American
sidelat Sault st. Marie. Thus from the north
western shores OF Lake Superior to the har-
bors Of Montreal and Quebec she has during
seven months OF the year a water route that
will carry vessels OF nine feet draft along
side the great ocean steamers. She has also
spent SAC 000, 900 in building the Intercolonial
railroad, a circuitous route to the port Of
Halifax which she can use when ice blocks
the harbors of Montreal and Quebec and
hostile legislation bars American seapOrts.
We need not fear, however that
of New York. Boston, and Portland
to seek by unnatural and circuitous
routes an exit through st. John and
Halifax unless we force IL into those chan
nels. Another point-if we adopt hostile
policy toward Canadian transportation in
terests they might retaliate by closing the
Welland canal to American commerce and
shut up the water route by way Of Lake On
tario.
Lstus now consider the effect of the com
petition Of these Canadian routes with our
American railroad upon the prosperity Of
the Inherent sections OF our country. think
we shall find there Is no interest, except,
perhaps that Of some of our American trunk
lines Of railroads that has not been favor
ably affected by IL and in some instances the
growth and development OF great communi-
ties and sections Of our country have been
greatly accelerated by the construction
and extension of these lines. Our own state
has been most fav0rably affected by the COM
petition OF the Canadian roads with Ameri-
can trunk lines, not only by the cheapening
Of the products Of the West, but also IN fur
nishlng cheaper outlet for the products OF
our mills and factories to the Western States,
and even to the ports of Japan aud China.
The employments OF our people in lumber
Ing, manufacturing, quarIying etc, ETC.,
make them large consumers Of flour, grain,
provisions and other products Of the West
W. w hot dtob III Out uWh ohO WNCh
s1pply for our own people. The rest must
De imported. 1t Is estimated that for the
year ending June Both, 1890 there were
brought into our state at least 800. 600 tons Of
the staple products Of the West, nine tenths
of which came over Canadian roads at COM
petitive rates. Before the extension and de-
velopment Of these routes our importation of
hrradstutfs and grain came by water from
New YORK and via Boston byrail at an arbitra-
ry rate of freight. The whole State Of Maine
was to a large extent tributary to Boston and
New York for Its food supplies. The pres
ent commercial position of our own city
with reference to the trade of the states Of
Maine and New Hampshire Is wholly due to
the competition of these Canadian routes
The prosperity of the city of Lewis
ton during the past decade Is Largely due to
the entrance of the Grand Trunk Road over
the Lewiston branch and bringing TO her
mills cotton from the South. and to her oper-
atives food from the West at competitive
rates of freight which she had never had be-
fore. Biddeford too enjoys the same ad-
vautages from the same source. The State
of Maine and all New England In fact is a
a vast manufacturing Community and 1t Is of
vital Importance to its prosperity that every
thing that enters into its manufactured
product. should be reduced to its lowest cost
All New England. north of the Boston 81 AL
bany Railroad, has been immensely bene-
fitted within the past three years by the en-
trance Of the Grand Trunk Road and Cana
dian Pacific Road within its limits and the
opening of seventeen hundred stations on its
various lines Of railroad to competitive rates
on both East and West bound freight, so
that not only have the articles which 1t con-