The Portland daily press., 1900-10-03
Cold Storage a Political
Issue.
Plan Outlined in Press Adopted
as National Issue.

| tunity for the building up OF Portland
and for filing our harbor with big steam
ships all the year around is at hand and
only requires active work and enterprise
to bring about the one thirg which this
city has been dreaming about for years.
The PRESS is informed from men who
are In a position to know what Is going
on in railroad circles, that 1t is a "toss
up with the Canadian Pacific railroad
whether Portland or Boston Will be made
its entrepot for the great Northwest
The Boston and Maine railroad with all
of its influence and power is endeavoring
to secure this big business for Boston
It is in Bosom that the Boston and
Maine's largest stockholders are interest
ed in real estate and in other ways and
naturally they are throwing their strength
for that city. But for all of this the
| Canadian Pacific officials look upon
Portland favorably. They see that there
is an opportunity here for the develop
ment of a great transatlantic business.
There are many miles of water front
about the harbor proper and along the
shores of Casco Bay within easy reach of
the city which are available for docks
and warehouses and this property is not
held at the almost prohibitive figure at
which it is valued in Boston.
1t is a fact well known ths.t at one time
the Canadian Pacific railroad, that great
trunk line which with the Grand Trunk
stretches out through the Northwest was
on the point of coming to this city. Even
plans for docks hal been drawn and
property for this road had been bonded.
| The connecting link was to be the Port
land and Ogdensburg railroad. At a
cri tical period in these negotiations the
Canadian government stepped in and
threatened to Withdraw its subsidies from
the Canadian Pacific if such thing as
coming to Portland was attempted. So
the project was dropped but even to this
day. SO the PRESS is informed by a gen
tleman in Montreal in close touch with
the railroad interests, the Canadian Pa
ciic people are looking with longing eyes
towards Portland.
The swinging of the Canadian Pacific
business to Portland would be the MAX
ing of this city. That this city has
great future before it Is acknowledged by
all who have been here. In late years
the Grand Trunk railroad by its progress
sive American management has done
much towards turning the eyes of the
Canadian people to this city. They have
seen the Grand Trunk business constant
ly increasing, the establishment of a
summer line OF steamships which are be-
ginning to pay we'll and in the winter
time the capacity of the Grand TrunK
taxed to its utmost. All OF this has
come about in very few years and has
been the result of the shrewd foresight of
one man, General Manager Hays of the
Grand Trunk. He has seen the possibil-
tiles OF Portland and has done all in his
power to develop It's bu siness and to ad-
vertise its natural advantages. This has
been done by him, not because he has
any personal interest in the development
of Portland, but because he sees here the
very facilities for which Canada has long
been looking.
! The Canadian Pacific railroad has made
it public that 1t is not we'll pleased with
It's Inter Colonial connections and desires
a change The Boston and Maine rail-
road, quick to see the opportunity, has
come forward ana urged upon the Cana
dian Pacific the advantages of Boston. In
spite of this the Canadian Pacific people
are much impressed with the advantages of
Portland and it now only remains for the
wide awake business men of this city to
take the matter in hand and by their in
fiuence bring about the selection of Port
land as the entrepot for the great North
west.
GOLD STORAGE AN ISSUE.
In connection with this idea it may be
interesting to the people of Portland
60 learn that the project outlined in the
| PRESS last summer of giant cold
storage system has been taken up in Can
ada as political issue. The opposition
party called the Conservative Liberals,
headed by Sir Charles Tupper, are max
ing a fight along this line. They are ap-
pealing to the farmers OF Canada aud
holding out to them the advantages
which would be afforded them by a
national cold storage scheme. Sir
Charles Tupper tells his constituents in
a long article published in Saturday.
issue of the Montreal Gazette that the
party In power has not done as much
to aid this cold storage scheme as it
might have done. Because Of the govern.
ment's neglect Of this industry Sin
Charles Tupper charges that the farmers
Of the Dominion have suffered. He
promises that if the Conservative Liber
ais are placed in power that their policy
viii be to give this cold storage plar
such material aid that it will be boon
to 5he producers Of the entire Northwest.
He calls attention to the fact that tht
cold storage equipment of the steamer;