New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-13
THE CANADIAN FAST LINE.
A TWENTY. oNE.KNOT WEEKLY SERVICE
UNDER A BIG GOVERNMENT
SUBSIDY.


RIO cuNARpERs-oo AID TO
DAIRY INTERESTS AND COLD
STORAGE WAREHOUSES.
quebec. July H.
The necessary capital has been subscribed in
England for building the steamers that are to
belong to the new fast Atlantic service between
Canada and Liverpool. This service was projected
by the Tory Administration at Ottawa. The LID
eral Administration has carried out the plan on
some what easier terms for the Canadian taxpayer.
There are to be four steamers of 10000 tons gross
register EACH length SOS feet, draught OF water
not exceeding % feet inches, designed to carry
from 1900 to 1000 tons of cargo, OF which 900 are
to be fitted with cold-storage accommodation Inc
contract further provides that they shall be ouit
fitted and maintained In all respects equal to the
best Atlantic steamers now aficat. such as the
Campania and Lucania that they shall carry not
less than 800 frst-class, 200 secondclass and 500
steerage passengers, ard mako the trip across the
Atlantic from port to port at an average speed
Of 500 knots every twonty-four hours. or nearly
q knots hour.
The contract has been awarded to Petersen,
Tate & Co. of Newcastle -on-Tyne. 1t will last
for ten years The Canadian Government gives
an annual subsidy Of fi03. 600 and the British Gov
crrment annual subsidy OF f5JD, making a
total yearly subvention of 545OO for the service.
The steamers are to carry the British and Cana
dian mails, to sail from quebec OF Mcntredl Ill
summer and from ST. John, n. b., or Halifay In
winter and not TO call at any foreign port. Hth-
erto the Allan vessels which have had the carry
ing OF the mails have made Portland their winter
port In order to obtain cargoes from the Grand
Trunk and American railways. The new arrange
ment confines the fast steamers TO st. John or
Halifax when the navigation of the St Lawrence
Is closed The steamers are to be built under
the supervision OF the British Admiralty. and IN
of maritime war are to be fitted as cruisers.
Two TO be ready to perform a fortnishtly
service before May 81, 1899. two more In
time 10 begin weekly service by May 81, 1900.
The contract good as awarded to the
Aans by the Tory Administration. but the Liber-
ais on taking Office last year. opened negotiations
with the Petersen company and finally closed with
Its offer. The former contract called for larger
expenditure than the present one the Allans nav
ing asked for f225,O0o year in subsidies. The
capital OF the Petersen company is said to be
100000 OF which Sir ]. Blundell Maple has SUBJ
scrbed 100000. The steamers are TO be of the new
turrct type.
Goodwin Smith has pointed out that the estab-
lishment of fast steamers convertible into cruisers
upon the St. Lawrence route may possibly De
regarded at Washington an infringement or
the treaty providing against the maintenance OF
vessels Of war the Great Lakes. The Govern
ment answers that as the steamers VIII not IN
decd cannot go higher up than Montreal there
will be no violation Of treaty. Both shores OF the
St. Lawrence up TO Montreal and beyond are in
Canadian territory.
Fort OF butter, eggs poultry fruit and dressed
meat will be provided in connection with the
steamers: in fact will be established this year In
connection with existing lines. The Government
pays a considerable part Of the initial cost OF
fitting seventeen steamers now running to the
United Kingdom with cold-storage plants, and
exacts in return that the owners shall not charge
shippers more than 10 shlllings ton extra for the
accommodation. OF the 100000 year to be paid
by Canada to the fast steamers. flOGO will be for
cold storage. The Government is also Offering
bonuses for cold-storage plants at creameries all
over the country and cold-storage warehouses at
Toronto, Quebec Halifax. st. John, Charlottetown.
Revelstoke, g. c.. and other points. The object,
Ministers say, is to promote trade with England
by every possible means, since the Dngley Dill
will prevent the shipment Of Canadian products
to the United States. The Canadian tariff,
II will be remembered. discriminates In favor of
British exports This year one-eghth Of the duties
are RENTED on goods coming from England; next
year one-fourth OF the duties will be RENTED.
CHANCES OF THE LINE
1t is not altogether clear that the fast line will
pay. The steamers will. of course. have to depend
chiefly on passenger traffic and comparatively few
passengers cross the Atlantic by the ST. Lawrence
route in summer. while In winter the bulk OF the
travel from Canada goes by way Of New-York.
The Toronto merchant for instance. would hardly
take a free pass and go to Halifax or St. John In
winter when he can reach Nsw-York in half the
time and have something to see when he gets
there. In 1896 the number Of ocean passengers
canadsn ports OF Montreal Halifax ST. John
and at ALI other ports Boston, Baltimore, Phila-
delpha, New-Oreans and Galveston was as foi-
lows
Arrived 1855 $sSSS
Arrived at all others '''V'
Sailed from New York 9CS
sailed from Canadian adam ports 2oS
These figures the entire travel for 1885, sum-
mer and winter. The arrivals at Canadian ports
include a good many second -class and Storage
| passengers whose ultimate destination was the
western and Northwestern States Critics Of the
fast line project say n Tsa p n % as
sure to attract large proportion OF Canadian pas,
sengers. even in summer while In winter II VIII
troduced regular steam navigation on the st. Law
renee route fifty years ago and had some ex be,
twcnty-kno steamers cannot be run prohta6ly once
a week for the subsidy to be paid to the Petersen
| company
| DANGERS OF NAVIGATION.
| Sir Sanford Fleming. who was chief engineer Of
Government railways in Canada, takes the ground
that knot navigation Is impractcabe. or. at
any rate will be extremely dangerous. In the st.
Lawrence during the summer season. owing to the
prevalence Of fog icebergs and submerged Ice.
M nGre to 0S Quebec 10 miles part through
channels which have to be dredged and another
stretch OF nearly two hundred miles. past numer-
ous Islands that form irregular currents. from Que
bec TO the mouth of the ST. Lawrence; while from
the mouth at Remouski or Tadousac to the Straits
Of Belle Isle navigation is frequently delayed by
| fog ard ice from Labrador and Hudson's Strait.
Sir Sanford has written "A couple OF pamphlets In
onposit.on to the fast line His idea Is that none
hui steamships of moderate speed. designed prnci
| pally for freight, should be employed on the st.
lawrence route: that "any attempt to establish
| line to rival the steamships running to and from
| n
II we desire 10 establish fast iinc successfully the
| vessels must arrive at and take their departure
| from one of oui Atlantic seaports," and he names
| sydney Cape Breton. the likcliest OF the sea-
ports because 1t is only 2,l60 miles from Loeb Ryan.
| in Ireland which could be reached by a twenty
knot steamer in four and one-half days, whereas
| he places the distance from New-fork or rather
| sandy Hook TO Liverpool at 1906 miles.
The weak spot about Sydney is that It Is 900
miles by rail from Montreal and 200 from Toronto.