The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-27
THE CANADIAN RAILROAD SYSTEM.

The New York Sun has long and very
interesting description of the railroad sys-
tenn of Canada. When Sir John Mac
donald entered public life in 1914 Canada
had but thirty miles of railway in opera
ton. Today it has Is, 600 miles of railway
TO a population under 5000, 900, scattered
over a narrow fringe of territory extending
from Halifax to Vancouver, B. c.
Sir John Macdonald procured the pass
age of an act guaranteeing payment of
interest for term Of years on the bonds of
roads seventy miles long or more. In 1852
the Grand Trunk was incorporated.
One hundred and thirty millions Of the
money sunk in the Grand Trunk is as
good Is lost; it has never paid dividend
to the English stockholders, who were
promised IL per cent. for ali time, and
probably never will.
The next great road to be built was the
Intercolonai, from Halifax to the St.
Lawrence river. The road as constructed
by the government of Canada, and has
ever since been operated by it. With its
extensions it is nearly 1000 miles long,
and has cost the Canadian taxpayer OH
capital account $53, 600. 900. The Canadian
Pacific from the st. Lawrence to the Pa
cific ocean was undertaken as govern
ment work in 1871. commenced after years
of surveying in 1875, transferred to the
present company in 1880, and finished at
the end of 1850.
The British government guaranteed
loan of SIS, 900 600 for the construction of
the Intercolonial and has given yearly
subsidy to the Canadian Pacific steam
ship line between British Columbia
and China, besides indirectly aiding the
railroad to float it's bonds in the London
money market. At the coming session Of
the Dominion parliament the 1ntercolo-
NAL is 10 be handed over to the Canadian
Pacific on consideration that the latter
shall, with the hel p of a subsidy, establish
fast line of steamships between Halifax
and Liverpool. The amount spent by the
Canadian people in building government
roads or in Substituting other roads down
to June 30. 1891, was Sl92, 500, 600. The en-
tire cost of the Ia GOO miles of road IN OPP
Grafton is given in the official returns as
SSH, 900 000, and the net earnings for the last
recorded year as sl3. 230. O00-less than 2
per cent. There remain the land subsi-
dies which have not been included in these
figures. These amount TO 81, zoe, 900 acres,
and may be valued at $3.50 per acre all
round. The Grand Trunk, counting
leased lines. has mileage within Canada
nf II be-. n. 4
provincial aid to the amount Of $40, 495, 900,
and in municipal aid S., 700, 600, or a total
in paid-up subsidies of so, 2S5, OOO Neither
the Grand Trunk proper nor any of its
leased lines has received subsidies in land.
The mileage of the Canadian Pacific within
Canada is given as 5,53s, consisting of 1,697
leased and 1850 owned miles. Down to.
June so, 1891, it had received the following
subsidies. paid-up:
From Dominion and provincial gov
efh!nehSs $70,ll7,OO0
From municipalities 4,495,000
Aotai' Si4,oiI,uVi
In addition the Canadian Pacific and
its absorbed lines have been voted &c. 4OS,-
600 acres OF land, worth. say, SAC. 900, 900
more. It's steamship line on the Pacific
ocean draws subsidy from the Dominion
as well as one from the British govern
ment. In 1889 the Dominion parliament
passed an act authorizing the ministry to
pay subsidy of fl5,0 900 per annum for a
monthly service to China and Japan and
f25, 600 for fortnightly service, provided
the British government was-wiling to
grant f45, 600 additional for the monthly
and $4,000 additional for the fortnightly
service. Leaving the steamship subsidies
out of the calculation, the Canadian Pa
citic has received in money and moneys
worth from the Canadian people a sum of
sli5,000000. When the Intercolonial is
transferred the gifts TO it will reach $780,
100000.