The Portland daily press., 1891-01-13
CANADIAN RAILROADS.


this road. -o- ~ wv
Having briefly pointed out some of the
special benefits conferred upon our own
state and all Northern New England, let us
see what these roads have done for Western
communities at the other end of their line.
III Is the opinion of those who are best ac-
quatnted with the growth and development
OF the business interests of Chicago during
the past twenty years, that the extension of
the Grand Trunk Road to Chicago by The
building of the Chicago & Grand Trunk
Road and the superior facilities afforded by
the Grand Trunk Road in handling the bulk
grain business at Its Georgian bay
and other lake ports contributed more largely
to increase the business of that city
than any other enterprise that has been un-
deltaken in her interest. The Grand Trunk
was the protector of the dressed beef traffic
which has grown at the present day to
immense proportions and has increased the
business of Chicago enormously. Before
the entrance of the Grand Trunk Railroad
upon this branch of business, live stock was
supplied to Eastern markets by rail at much
greater cost. and in bad order for .pur-
poses of food. This business has now been
greatly diminished, and Chicago furnishes the
4battoir for the whole East. The advanta-
ges of this important change which was in
PRODUCED and fostered by the Grand Trunk
Road to the business interests of Chicago.
and the hygienic and sanitary condition of
the whole East cannot be overestimated. The
facilities for handling grain in bulk furnish
ed Chicago shippers by the Grand Trunk
Road, has attracted to the lake and raj route
of this road very large share of the coarser
grain tarftic OF Chicago. Its rivals have
suspected that the increase of this business
was brought about by Legitimate means,
such as giving rebates or special induce
ments to shippers or consignees. but it is
evident that this business has been attracted
to it by the exceptional facilities offered to
Chicago shippers. In its elevators, at its
lake ports in Georgian Bay and st Clair
river, where the grain is transferred from
water carriage to rail, it will carry the grain
| free OF all expense to the shipper or con-
/ stgnee until such times as his wants make
| rtquisition upon them for 1t. This has en-
abled the shipper to carry a large stock of
| grain at most convenient distributing points,
at no other charge than that OF interest and
has enabled him If speculatively inclined to
make this property the basis of sales for
future delivery In his own or Eastern mar
kets. Such facilities as the Grand Trunk
Road gives to Its patrons in the grsin trade,
| are not furnished by any trunk line from
| Chicago.
| Besides these artificial advantages there
are natural ones which attract the bulk
grain trade to this route. During the sum-
mer months bulk grain is liable to deterlor-
ate In quality by heating. This trouble IS
largely diminished by transporting il by this
| more northerly and cooler route. Probably
the community that has received the great
est dement, from the extension of Canadian
4 tooOo 10 IuiDucoOtu dDu lDb IlVdl Cltl6S OF
| Minneapolis and ST. PAM, as we'll as Duluth,
| winch have been but recently connected
with the Canadian Pacific Road by the
building OF the Minneapolis, st. Paul and
Sauit 81 Marie Road from those cities, dis
lance of about 500 miles, and the Duluth,
South Shore and Atlantic road a distance of
about 400 miles from Duluth to the Sault ST.
Marie. They cross the Sault st. Marie by
branch of the Canadian Pacific Road,
| which runs to the main line at Sudbury
Junction. A large part of the trade of these
northwestern States has been diverted from
Its old channel, via Chicago and Milwaukee
to this new route. The advantage of this
route is that 1t gives almost an air line for
the traffic. Of this great northwest to the
markets of New England. 1t has put Min
neapolis and st. Paul upon nearly the same
basis as far as rates Of freight are concerned
as Chicago. The distance from Minneapolis
| TO Portland by the Canadian Pacific Road va
res but little from the distance from Chica-
| 20 to PORTLAND by lake and rail.
This diversion OF the trade of these great
cities of the northwest to the Canadian Pa
| ctfc Road, while of iDcalculable benefit to
the cities themselves has resulted in great
loss to the northwestern roads which
formerly carried it, and its influence
| has been felt along the VIII lie line
| of our American trunk lines. This line.
the. 800" line as 1t is called, was
projected by. the great milling interests
| of Minneapolis which desired an alternate
| route to the east other than those via Chica-
go. They found the undertaking too great for
assistance of their Canadian Pacific Road
friends to help finish the work they had be-
| gun so that although these roads are Ameris
| can corporations and have American officers,
they are practically under the control of the
Canadian Pacific road. Not only has this
| route given new direction to the vast trade
OF Minnesota and Dakota but last year these
roads forming this Route reached down into
tie states of Kansas and Nebraska and
brought up immense quantities of corn. !
venture to say there was brought into the
New England states by This new route dur
ing the months of February, March and
April Of the present ) ear at least one thous-
nd cars Of corn containing nearly three
Of this immense traffic and the loss of
| large part of the product of the
| great mills of Minneapolis amounting
from 100000 to 100000 of barrels
| per annum has no doubt been seriously felt
| by our American trunk lines and has tended
to Intensity their hostility to the Canadian
lines.
Having thus attempted to show the bepe-
hcial effect Of these Canadian lines upon the
communities they serve let us consider their
relations to our American roads, and deter
mine II possible whether their interests are
seriously threatened by them. They have
taken large amount Of business from our
trunk lines and have no doubt seriously
diminished the revenues of their nearest
rivals the Vanderbilt lines but they have
built up other roads within the states and
given them sustaining traffic. There would
have been no such development of railroads
IN northern New England IL the Grand Trunk
Road and the Canadian Pacific Road did not
JOIN with them and pour upon them traffic
limited only by the capacity of the roads TO
/ carry it, Some of these roads were built
with English capital at the solicitation of the
Canadian lines to protect the business and
fnir
ly American roads under American charters
subject to our state and national laws.
| Some of them like the $500" lines are not
more heavily loaded with foreign capital per-
haps then the Pennsylvania the Erie and
even the New York Central, Others are en-
tirely American roads and are largely de-
| pendent for their earnings upon the traffic of
| these Canadian lines, and not only upon
state traffic over them, but Canadian traffic.
~ Is tne eh testimony n1 Of Of MT. aickson, Mana
American connections of that road get as
| much out of the traffic that begins and ends
IN Canada as his road does from interstate
business, so that the traffic as far as the Grand
Trunk Road is concerned, is reciprocal.
Would 1t be just to there American roads to
obstruct or interrupt this interstate traffic
which comes to them through Canada and
| upon which their revenues in large measure
depend simply because the trunk lines are
| suffering from the competition.
1t lis the argument of those who are hostile
to these Canadian roads that they are built
by English capital and most of their Amer
| lean connections like the Atlantic q ST.
Lawrence, the Chicago and Grand Trunk
and the $500" lines, but it is we'll known
fact that the stocks and securities of our
American trunk lines themselves the Penn
| sylvania, Erie and even the New York Cen
trail are very largely held In England The
| Grand Trunk Railway it is true has $3.50, OOO
900 Of capital almost entirely English in
vested in their system, upon the largest
part OF which 1t has never made any return.
| Certainly If the English capitalists can bear
TINS condition of affairs with equanimity our
American trunk lines ought not to complain
OF the competition which they are support
| ing. Our American roads have enjoyed this
| free transit through Canada for thirty wears
or more. They were built and extended
| without the slightest expectation that il
| would ever be interfeIed with. 1t Is an ex-
| traordinary position for our trunk lines TO
take that restrictions should be placed upon
| Canadian lines in their Interstate American
business because itdiminishes their revenues
| not considering that it is of vital Importance
to other purely American lines. Tine diver
| sion OF New England freight both East and
west bound from the New York trunk lines
Is enormous, so great that If it were turned
| back upon them in their present over loaded
condition, fancy they would not be able to
do 1t. regard the movement of this Amer
| lean business upon Canadian lines as COM
mercial necessity In the present congested
Cfnf n nrIr anrfn II. r ~