New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-06
SAULT STE. MARIE CANAL.
THE PRESIDENTS PROCLAMATION EN-.
FORCED
OPINIONS IN CANADA As TO THE EFFECT OF
THE TOLLS-THE DOMINION GOVERN
MENr EXPECTED TO REIMBURSE

1871 by discriminating against American shppihe
nassing through the Welland No official an
noupcement has been made from ottawa, Dub IL Is
understood that the Dominion Government IN
tends 20 paw the toll eXacted from Canadian
yessels 1t has got the vessel-owners into the
scrape and must see them out of it, The statistics
Of the freight in Canadian bottoms which has
gone through the United State, canal in late years
are defective. As far as can be made out, $780,
900 tons went through in 1901. OF which $4,000
tons was eastbound freight and te rest merchandise
from Ontario and Quebec for Manitoba or the
eastbound freight about $780, 900 tons went through
after September /. There was a good crop Of
wheat in Manitoba last year, which swelled ship
ments This years crop is not 80 gbOd owing to
drouth in the early summer. and to the frosts
which have struck the standing grain during the
last few nights. II is estimated that about l25.-
900 tons of eastbound freight will be affected b.
the Presidents order. and $4,000 OF 10000 tons
of westbound Some of the Manitoba grain men
talk of consigning their wheat to Boston and
New-York and shipping 1t through the Sault Canal
in American vessels hut the ma joritv Will pay the
toll and ask the Canadian Government TO rcconp
them.
The feeling among Canadians who understand
the question is that the Ottawa Government has
made a serious mistake. AS rule the Tories
defend the Government and denounce President
Harrison and Secretary OF State Foster with con-
siderable heat Some Of them have evidently
never read the treaty Of 1871. 1.-THE Toronto
News" lingo Tory paper, has been calling on
the ottawa Ministers 10 hit back by closing the
St. Clair Flats Canal against American vessels.
That canal belongs to the United States. and it's
navigation by the Queens Canadian subjects, on
terms of equality with the inhabitants of the
United States. is specially provided for in Article
81. Other Tory papers maint,n that the United
States Government has failed 10 secure TO Ca
nadians the privilege of using the State
canals, and quote passage from an article
written many years ago by Mr.. David A. Wells
in support Of that view. In his letter Of August
"a to Mr.. Herbert. the British Charge d'Afiaires
at Washington. Mr.. FostOr says: Immediately
after tho conclusion of the treaty OF 1871. whose
benefcent effects in promoting peace between
the two natl0rs have been SO conspicuous the
United States took steps to carry out the stipua-
tions of Article ~, and without unreasonable de-
lay both the canals of the National and State
Governments, representing vast system con-
Eructed at very great expense, were thrown open
to the use of Canadian commerce without any
charge whatever Canada. on the other
hand. imposed heavy tolls on American vessels
using her canals. Mr.. Fosters statement is, of
course, perfectly correct. Under Article p the
United States agreed not only to throw open the
St. Clair Flats Canal, but to urge the State
Governments to allow Canadians to the
several State canals connected with the naviga- !
ton of the lakes or rivers traversed by or con-
tiguous to the boundary line This was
done, and in 1872 Secretary Fish sent the Ca
madam Government copy Of letter from
Governor Hoffman, of New-York, to the effect
that Canadian vessels were at liberty TO all
the artificial waterways of that State, which
were practically the only State waterways falling
within the provisions OF Article %. One
or two Canadian barges entered the Champlain
Canal in 1875, and because their owners had TO
pay the customs duties on the cargoes, and
to comply with the regulations governing
shipping at American ports the Canadians held
and still hold that they have been bilked out
Of the use Of the State canals. The truth is, the
Erie and Champlain canals Of service or
value whatsoever to them. But they had got it
into their heads that under Article 81 they |
could escape payment Of customs duties on lum-
Der and other articles shipped by the Champlan |
or even by the Erie, and to this day many of
them imagine, if one may judge from the ed- |
torials in their newspapers, that they are entitled
under that article TO the free run Of every State
canal in the American Republic whether con-
nected with the navigation Of the great lakes
and the st. Lawrence or not They also COM |
plain Of the termination by the United States Of |
Article &c. of the treaty Of 1871, which per- |
mitted Canadian vessels 10 carry goods free of |
duty from ports in the United States to other
ports in the United States provided part If the |
carriage was through Canada by land. This ar
rangement enabled Canadian vcssel-owhers 10
handle grain consigned to the Atlantic seaboard
from Chicago and Duluth. They carried it from |
Chicago and Duluth to the Canadian ports Of
Sarna, Owen Sound and Collingwood, whence
1t Was shipped by rail TO its destination, and made
money hand over fist. But Article 30 was one Of
the articles terminable at the instance of either
of the two parties to the treaty upon the condi-
tons laid down in Article 80, and II was ter
minated IN 1885 in due form, on notice being
served by the United States The Canadian
Tories ought not 10 find fault because the United
States has seen fit to do that which the treaty
allowed il to do. The Liberals are much more
reasonable. Liberal papers In Toronto and else
where have succumbed to some extent TO the
lingo spirit propagated by the Tories, but the
Liberal leaders have from the first denounced
the discrimination against American vessels As
Tar back as March z, 1889, Mr.. Charlton, Mem
Der Of the Dominion Parliament for NOriOE, and
the most prominent Liberal from Ontario, next
TO Sir Richard Cartwright, said in speech in
the House:
This 1.-THE Doninion) Government has pursued
toward the United States a policy OF irritation,
characterized by the mode In which the fishery
regulations were enforced, which / do not need
10 alude to more particularly. This spirit of rri-
tation has been manifested In the treatment Of
bhe question OF canal tolls We have imposed
,pon vessels passing through the Welsnd Canal
toll Of 20 cents per ton. and we have granted
rebate to those vessels going TO the port OF
Montreal Of 10 cents We have Disseminated
against the American commerce passing through
hat canal to the extent of 1920, and this in
ace Of the fact that our shipping has been per-
nitted to use the Sault Ste. Marie Canal entirely