New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-13
CANADIAN COMMERCIAL SCHEMES.

| Colonial expansion and imperial union do not
| begin and end in talk. They have their in
| tensely practical business features. promoted
| by Colonial Secretary and Colonial Minister'S
| who are the most practical OF business men,
A year ago Canada committed herself to the
scheme Of an all-round- the world telegraph sys-
| TEN entirely within the British Empire few
| weeks ago she committed herself TO the policy
| Of an imperial customs union. Meanwhile she
| has been planning a particularly practical
scheme for closer commercial union with the
| mother country. which Is now nearing the point
Of cOnsummatiOn: that Is. fast line OF freight
and passenger steamers. sailing weekly all the
year round from Canadian port for Great Brit
Gin. Conceived by Conservatives, that scheme
is now being pushed to realization by the Libcr-
ais of Canada with zeal that shows that In
such matters there are no party lines in Can
ada. Conservative and Liberal, French and
English. Catholic and Protestant, all are for
the empire-and subsidy.
The salient features of this enterprise are set
forth in special correspondence from Quebec
printed elsewhere in this mornings Tribune.
All necessary capital has been subscribed no
less than S10000O00 Four steamers of 10000
tons each and Of the best modern construction
are to be built. Under the terms of the con-
tract they are to be the equals In all respects
of the very best Atlantic liners now afoat.
such as the crack ships OF the American, Gu
Lard, White Star and North German lines.
They are to carry 1900 passengers each, and
1000 tons of cargo including 500 tons In cold
storage. They are. finally, to make the run
from port to port at an average speed or 900
knots a day. or nearly twenty-one knots an
hour The last is one Of the most interesting
points in the whole case. That speed is ABOUT
equal to that Of the fastest liners now In use,
while the actual distance to be traversed from
Quebec 10 Liverpool is about five hundred miles
less than that from New-York to Liverpool
Thus, at the same rate Of speed the Canadian
sbps will make the run in day less time than
the New-York ships will require. There Is no
doubt that such differences in time VIII ne a
strong factor in favor Of the Canadian line
At twenty-one knots the run from Quebec 10
Liverpool will be made In several hours less
than the record time over any New-York route.
In winter, of course, some other Canadian Ter
minal will have to be used; probably HALIFAX,
though Sydney c. B., Is also suggested. What-
ever port be chosen, it will be some hundreds
of miles nearer Liverpool than Quebec Is, ana
thus have nearly thousand miles advantage
over New-YOrk. 1t is true, rs our correspond
ent points out that Sydney or Halifax Is nearly
twice as far from Montreal and Toronto as
New-York is. Nevertheless, the average tray
eller would doubtless prefer, especially IN win
ter. a longer railroad and shorter steamship
tourney to short one on land and long one Oh
the ocean, He would prefer 900 miles by rail-
and only five days at sea to only 800 miles by
rail and six days at sea.
These natural advantages are not, however,
all the new line will have to count on. Both
the Dominion and the British governments VIII
nav It handsome subsidies, the former or tlO3,-
600 and the latter of FOL 800 That will make,
In round numbers, subsidy Of $4,000 a year,
or the snug total Of $7,500,OOO in the ten years
for which the present contract Is to run. In re-
turn as was to be expected, the vessels VIII De-
long to the British naval reserve, and be at the
service of the Admiralty. as cruisers, whenever
required Nor is that the only Government as
sistance the line will have. Reference has al
ready been made to the cold-storage capacity
of the steamers. Well the Government Is SUD
sidizing cOldstorage warehouses at all impor-
tant shipping ports, and even cold-storage
creameries at all centres of that industry
throughout the Dominion. This as CANADIAN
Ministers say, is for the purpose OF promoting
trade between Canada and Great Britain VI
course in the United States. under Protectioh
Administration, such a subsidy system would
be at least next door to the objectionable SIM
In the British Empire, under nominally Free
Trade Government Though It isn't, by long
shot, it is practical application OF the beauty
of holiness. At any rate. it shows the Amer'
can commercial world what sort of competi-
tion II has to meet 1t may suggest ways and
means for meeting it,