The Portland daily press., 1895-06-12
CANADA'S NEW CANAL.
An Immense System From Ocean to
the Lakes.

An Immense System From Ocean to
the Lakes.
John Bull has a Distinct Advantage Over
Uncle Sam in these Respects.-Advant.
ages For War.
Chicago June 11.-John Bull on whose
empire the sun never sets, has stretched
out his long arm and with his prehensile
fingers secured one more advantage on
the continent of North America. He has
now an independent water way which
will give him communication between
Lake Huron and..Lake Superior. This is
the new Sault Marie Canal, on the Cana
dian side of ST. Mary's River, which is
now completed and will be opened to
navigation with grand formal ceremonies
Thursday, June 13. Officials of the do
minion government will have charge Of
this notable event
There will be present all the members
of the house of commons of Ottawa, Can
ada, including Mackenzie Bowel,
premier; J. J. Kehoe, crown attorney !;
Collingwood Schrieber, chief engineer of
the department of railways and canals !;
Thomas SPENCE, of the same department !;
]. M. DAILY, minister of the interior; A.
Angers, minister of agriculture; John
Haggart, minister of railways and canals !;
John Montague, secretary of state; John
Costigan, minister of marine and fisher
les; Sir Adolph P. Carron, postmaster
general; Jack Woods, comptroller of inland
revenue; c. Wallace, minister of customs :;
j. A. Foster, minister of finance; j. A.
sOuimet, minister OF militia defense; Sir
Charles Tupper, minister of justice, and
most all the prominent officials Of the
marine interests of Canada. - J. c. Boyd,
of Simcoe, Ont, has been appointed
superintendent, and J. Montague of Win
nepeg, Man., will most likely be appoint
ed mechanical superintendent
There is not likely to be an available
draft of more than IA feet inches at the
opening of the lock. Telegraphic advices
have been received by the Hotel Inter
national to set tables for 300 people
There is one point, however, which the
Canadian government seems to have over
looked, and that is there are no buoys
placed at the foot or head of the new
lock, which will make it difficult for
craft to use the Canadian lock until the
approaches are properly buoyed.
This new Canadian "Soo'' canal gives
the dominion government an independent
waterway, restricted only by the limita-
tions of its various canals, from Port Ar
thur and Duluth, "the zenith city of the
unsalted seas, - to the Atlantic seaboard
This is more than Uncle Sam can boast
For Uncle Sam, in order to reach the At
lantic from the great lakes by an all
water route, must still make use of the
Welland Canal and the St Lawrence sys
tenn of canals, and these John Bull keeps
closed on Sunday from a. m. to p. m.
These and other questions bearing on the
situation may have effect of reviving the
agitation for the United States govern
ment to parallel the Welland Canal on the
American side between Lake Erie and
Lake Ontario, and expend 500, 900, 600 or
so in constructing a deep waterway to
the ocean by a system of canals taking in
part of the ST. Lawrence River, Lake
Champlain, and the Hudson River, or by
some other of the several routes under
discussion.
What was Canada's object, with the
Canadian Pacific Railway and John Bull
in the background in constructing the
new 800" at cost of nearly S., 000 600?
This is question which will be lsuggest-
ed by the ceremonies to take place next
is that Canada wants an outlet of it's own
between Lakes Huron and Superior,
which it can use Independently in case of
any trouble with the United States. 1t
is certain that Canada's merchant ship
ping interests created no particular de-
mand for this canal Each succeeding re-
port issued by the department. of marine
and fisheries shows decline in it's mer-
chant shipping, as will appear farther on
in this article.
What, then, was the real motive back of
the great enterprise?
Some years ago the Canadian govern
ment had rebellion on it's hands, led by
Louis Riel in Manitoba. At that time
an attempt was made to send Canadian
vessel carrying body of troops to the
scene of the insurrection The United
States authorities refused to pass the war
ship through the American canal at Sault
Ste. Marie, on the ground that it was un-
lawful to transport foreign troops through
American territory. Canada was there
fore compelled to land her troops on her
own side of the river and take them across
her own soil until she could find a way
to convey them to their destination Ali
this occasioned serious delay. 1t probably
reused the dominion government to the
necessity of possessing an Independent
water route, to be used in Just such ex-
tremities. The Canadian Pacific Rail
way, subsidized for millions by the Brit
ish government. affords a means for the
speedy transportation of troops between
the two oceans
Another thing may have had great in
fuence in fastening the construction of
the new canal In 1882 tolls on the Erie
Canal were abolished. Two years later
on urgent representations from shippers
and others interested in the grain trade,
orders in Canadian council were passed
with a view to meeting this abolition of
Erie Canal tolls. They reduced them for
the then current season by one-half the
tolls for passage through the Welland and
the St. Lawrence canals on wheat and
certain other food products shipped for
Montreal or other Canadian ports east of
Montreal In 1885 tolls were further re-
duced on such products to 2 cents ton,
and year by year, up to and including
1891 this concession was made by special
orders in council.
In 1892 the reduction was conditioned
on the provision that it should be appli-
cable only to products actually exported
This was construed by the United States
government as an unjust discrimination
aUainSt American vessels