New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-06

that Canada had actually done much to justify
her expectation OF capturing the grain carrying
trade while on the other hand the State of
New-York was apparently Indifferent to the
fact that 1t was likely to lose Its commercial
prestige by failure to improve Its transporta-
ton facilities
But soon came limitations that Canadas
prospects were not quite SO rosy as they ut
first seemed to be. The Canadians began to
ask whether after all the Corners syndicate,
being an American concern, might not turn out
to be sort of wooden horse filled with posi-
bilites of evil to Canada. The concession to the
syndicate was confessedly a valuable one and
loyal Canadians asked what was TO stand in
the way of its members working the grain
carrying trade In the interest of the United
States and thus making Montreal a sort of
northern entrepot to New-York. This was a
startling view of the case. and all the more so
because nobody could throw any light on 1t.
One thing was certain: Individual Americans
would get some of the profits out of the new
route, and 1t was asked, with considerable
reason from the Canadian point of view, why
the opportunity to make this money had not
been given to Canadians.
But another trouble now comes into view. 1t
seems that the canals are not yet ready for the
expected trade although everybody seems to
Israel Tarte, the Dominion Minister of Public
Works. anno1 nces that he will ask for a large
sum in order to build locks and dams and to
pay for dredging so TO make North Bay an
upper lake port In commenting on this decla-
ration THE Hamilton (Ont) Spectator says;
When Mr.. Tarte says "a pretty large amount
OF money" it may be taken for granted that the
sum he will ask for will be small change.
And the odd thing about it is that Mr. Tarte
has just discovered after the expenditure OF
millions the Improvement of the st. Law
renee canals that the object for which that i'm
provement was made is still unaccomplished.
Vast sums of money have been expended upon
the st. Lawrence canals, and the Government has
entered into an agreement with the Corners
syndicate to divert the Canadian grain from the
Buffalo route to the Montreal route. And be-
fore the route gets trial of any sort, Mr.
Tarte makes up his mind that the st. Lawrence
route is useless and that it will be necessary TO
spend an immense of money on another
route, which. he asserts. is absolutely necessary
to accomplish the end for which so much money
has been expended on the st. Lawrence
On the whole, therefore, it appears that,
while Canada is undoubtedly greatly improving
her canal system and is menacing more and
more the grain trade supremacy of this port,
her waterways are not so TO speak, altogether
free from snags and sawyers. She may re-
move them She probably will. And her rivalry
is therefore seriously to be reckoned with. But
the real lesson of it all is simply that New
York should bestir herself, and show energy and
enterprise comparable with that of her northern
neighbor. If the Empire State shall do that
promptly and intelligently she will remain the
Empire State in commerce. and in grain COM
merce, as well as in other respects. But in no
other way than that Is the Canadian menace to
be satisfactorily dispeed.