The record-union., 1893-01-05

UNION. THURSDAY. JA
get at least 550J.G00 per annum OF a sub
sIdy-this is the figure seaIi-Oiiicially put
torTh-and probably $4,000. Then it
has bright possibilities in the antipodes,
as the owner of third steamship line
which is to run between Vancouver and
the Australaslan colonies of Britain.
TILE GRAND TRUNK.
The Grand Trunk, controlled from the
first by private company, with its feet
at Portland and its head at Chicago, was
always intended to be an international
road, looking for traffic in the United
States as well as in Canada. The Cana
dian Pacific, on the other hand, was, as
already said, designed as the second and
last link in the all-British route from
Halifax to the Pacific Ocean. Its winter
port was to be at Halifax, its summer
ports ut Montreal and Quebec, and an at
Tempt was ostentatiOusly made at the
time Of the original charter to exclude
American influences even from the man
agement. 1t was soon found, however,
that these conditions were impracticable.
Operated as road traversing British
territory and none other, it would have
speedily landed in bankruptcy. It's main
line from Ottawa to Vancouver serves
region in which, according to the census
OF 1891, there are not more than 100000
whites-men, women and children. Ac-
cOrdingly the policy was adopted of let
ting loose the road into the United States,
to forage as best it might, while still pre-
serving its character and mission as in
imperial and military highway. Ameri-
can directors We're placed on the board.
Mr.. Van Horne was brought from Wis
consin or Illinois, tentacles built i'll part
with Canadian subsidies We're pushed
across the Maine frontier, New York and
Boston became Atlantic termini, conuec-
tiOn was made with Minneapolis and Du-
luth, and so on. Nevertheless, the road
remains what it has been from the begin
ming, British military and political
route. except that now the American
people are good enough to help Inain-
tain it.
THE BONDING PRIVILEGE.
The Canadians set great store upon the
bonding privilege. That privilege had
the treaty between the United States and
Great Britain Of 1874, which provided
inter ALA that mo duties shall be payable
on any goods which shall merely be car
ried over any of the portages or carrying
places on either side for the purpose OF
being Immediately re-embarked and car
ried to some other place or places" In
Lower Canada NOW Ontario and Quebec
obtained the privilege OF sending goods
in bond to United States ports on the At
lantic and of receiving goods from Eu-
rope IN the same way. This part Of
Canada was then entirely cut OIL from
the seabOard in winter by the freezing o
the st. Lawrence, and until the privilege
in question was granted merchants were
obliged to bring to Montreal in the fall
goods enough to last their customers un-
I'll the following spring. On the COM
pletion Of the Welland and ST. Lawrence
Canals Canada made haste to cOncede 4
like privilege to American citizens-that
is, they might send goods to Europe and
receive through the Canadian canals and
the port of Montreal. This is commonly
known as the foreign transit trade, anu IS
of great value TO Canada. Were it abrO-
gated, Ontario merchants would be com
PEELED to use the long and dreary Inter
colonial route 20 Halifax III winter, and
rates would go up accordingly.
The domestic transit trade, or the shin
ment of goods from one point in the
United States TO another through Canada,
was established in 1883 on the bridging OF
the Niagara River, when American lines
III the last began to ship over Canadian
lines to Detroit and Chicago and from
Detroit and Chicago Eastward. The
traffic has become OF enormous import
dAlIC " tllO \ NsllleNtlAdll AOtiNiSs ~ OIA I'LL
standing its statements to the contrary,
the Canadian Pacific would starve fde-
prived of its trade between Minneapolis
and Duluth and Boston and New York.
The Grand Trunk makes lot OF money
out Of its business between Chicago, PorJ-
land and Boston. The carrying Of
dressed beef alone by It's cool northern
route has reached large proportions.
The Canadian Pacific has established a
foreign and domestic transit trade of its
own on the Pacific Coast. Its steamships
to China and Japan carry American
traffic almost exclusively, British ner-
chants preterring to bring their Chinese
goods by way OF the Suez Canal without
breaking bulk. It's vessels between
British Columbia and San Francisco are.
of course, devoted altogether to American
business.
GRAsPING EVERYTHING IN SIGHT.
Naturally, Canadians do not wish to
see this satisfactory state of things dis
turbed. Apart from the loss and incou-
venience to which Ontario and Quebec
would be put in winter by the abrogation
of the bonding privilege, both the roads
would be ruined; or, If they cOntriVel to
keep going al all. it would only be bv
augmenting their local rates within Can
ada to a figure that would beggar the
country. AT the same time the Canadians
confess that 1t is mighty hard, after all
they have done for the two roads, and eS-
peciallv for the Canadian Pacific. that the
bonding privilege should be used TO their
disadvantage, lower rates in proportion
to distance being given to the American
than to the Canadian shipper and they
say also, without hesitation, that it is in
tolerable that a foreign corporation like
the Canadian Pacific should be allowed
70 disregard the laws OF the United States,
binding upon American lines. "If," said
a Montreal merchant, 1--WE in Canada had
a wholesome law like the Interstate Act
in force, I'll be hanged if we'd permit
any American railway to come in and
violate it, least of all an American rail-
way which was subsidy-fed and which
was to help to knock US out in case Of
war"
The Canadian Pacific is the principal
agency Of TOryism from one end of Can
ada to the other. At the election referred
to MIR. Van Horne issued a proclamation
in favor Of Sir John Macdonald, and car
ried thousands of Tory votes to the polls
and home again on free tickets. His road
even brought Tories from the United
States to vote for the maintenance of
state of things from which they them
selves had fled. At the close of the fight
Lord Salisbury cabled his congratula-
tions 10 Sir John Macdonald, ana about
the same time raised one of the Canadian
Z 70,