New-York tribune., 1901-05-10
CANADA'S GRAIN ROUTE
THE DIVERSION OF COMMERCE. To
AMERICAN PORTS DUE To
IT'S DANGERS.


terianus. The competition OF the American ports
is proving destructive. and he Canadian Parlia-
meut Is Clamorous for prompt action by the Fed
eral Government 10 improve the approaches TO the
gulf and the river. The Dominion Line has gone
70 Portland the Johnson Line to Boston, the
Hamburg-AmerIcan to New-York. and even the
Leyland Line refuses to 90 up the river beyond
quebec. Montreals trade is dropping, and in the
face OF the appalling record OF disaster which the
marine insurance underwriters present as the out
come Of their St. Lawrence business in the last
ten years II is difficult TO see how anything else
can be expected
The 81. Lawrence route has long had a most IN
snviablc repute for shpwrecks Two years ago
Lloyds' rates We're increased considerably above
those ruling for American ports The Canadians
cried out against this as unjust discrimination
against them and attempt TO discredit their
national waterway. This year they have sought
Incorporation for Canadian Iloyds and bill 70.
the purpose is now before the Ottawa House. The
marine insurers against whom this is aimed have
met II with a statement showing the amazing
tent Of the losses on that and the worth
less characte- OF the lighthouses signal sta
tions and other aids to navigation which line the
gulf board from Belle TO the head Of tide
water. This statement Is almost destructive
blow 20 the pretence that Canada has in the St
Lawrence a safe and advantageous shipping lane.
In brief, the document which covers the years
1859 1899 inclusive shows that during that period
twenty-eight ocean steamers were totally lost
thar route. and thst eighty-four strandngs oc-
Cured. fifty OF them in the channel between Mon
rrea and Quebec At least 40 per OF the losses
had been in the 81. Lawrence River and Gulf and
some Of the disasters to the finest steamers
on the route, and attended by loss OF life.
The financial aspects were equally discouraging.
The insurance companies during the decade paid
losses on outgoing huIls Of s. $4,000 and cargoes
SOsS 0po. on incoming hus s.. $4,000 and cargOes
sl525e0o over and above the premiums actually
received the companies lost 100000 a year on
ships and huIls. and there seems little or no pros
~-F rplflC
the premiums again.
DANGERS ALONG THE ROUTE
This hopeless showing is confirmed by the report
IN the condition OF the waterway from Montreal
70 the Newfoundland banks, which is section of
the ST Lawrence route nearly eight hundred miles
long and brstl.ng with danger from fog, ice, cur
rents and defective charts and signals the whole
rav An inquiry was foot by the pilots
and shtpmasters frequenting the route as TO the
conditions OF navigation prevailing and the i'm
uroverents which could be effected The master
mariners thirty-three in all. whose evidence was
obtained united in The conclusion that the existing
beacons were obsolete. and that not only should
they be greatly modernized, but number Of new
ones ought 10 be up. They condemned the lights
as weak the fog signals as lacking in power, the
buoys as being unreliable. the signal stations as
wrongly placed and the coast badly charted-
Bad as these conditions were in the outer waters
Of the gulf. where soundings could be got ana
the ships had room, they were worse in the
being less than feet wide and IS feet deep Every
facility existing along the route was Of far lower
standard than the steamer captains considered
necessary and the imperfections were so many and
so glaring be altogether inconsistent with the
greatest security 10 life and property and the ad-
vantage not only the large Atlantic liners. but
also Of all classes Of shipping interested In the
cOasting ocean trade.
With such conditions existing il IS not surprising
that marine risks should be high and the ST
u of the large
shipowners. Even tramp steamers avoided II. be-
cause the burden vas so excessive insurance
rates there have been so arranged OF late that
ship paying ~ per cent 10 Baltimore would pay
s. 10 or even II per cent Montreal. This would
mean an extra charge OF $4,000 On boat worth
half a million making five round trips there during
the season OF open navigation which is about seven
months-trom May TO November. inclusive These
charters the American ports, without much DIM
sTeshts 9 are diVerSed from Montreal to the com
more and more every year.
COMPARISON OF EXPORTS
How great this injury is be realized by the
fact that the United States exports annually 9oo-
100000 bushels OF wheat and -four. 20oo000oo bushels
Of corn and an equal dead weight Of oats. barley
bacon. pork and kindred commodities. Canada's
largest expectation OF grain in one year was but
100000 and much OF this came from the
American West, because until the last two or three
years a goOdly stream Of United States products
shortest and most direct route to Europe But the
frequent losses. the increasing insurance and the
general dissatisfaction compelled them 10 turn 10
seTce5 1orfs Ttiu The other side Of the matter is
in the fact that the Canadian province OF
Manitoba last year exported oo'V'gVoy b1slleis pL
grain 10 Great Britain. and out Of that quantity
other g per cent going out through American chan
nels. Montreal last season did a much smaller
and with the withdrawal Of the steamer lines now
year.
ESTIMATED COST OF IMPROVEMENTS.
To improve the ST. Lawrence route TO an extent
which would enable il TO compete with Portland.
Boston OF New-York wiH involve expenditure
OF 100000 and such outlay the Canadian Gov
ernment IS not disposed 10 undertake until IL IS
satisfied that Montreal continue 10 be the great
rational port OF the Dominion. The danger q ms
lies in the fact that Quebec is really the natural
hsr6or. whereas 10 reach Montreal lnyoIEes uIeag-
sg tne river up 70 mat point % 10
The present depth OF water Is about twenty-elght II
thirty feet. But New-York Is now planning Ior a
FORTY foot channel and the question Is usAeo
whether even II il can il wise attempt II with
quebec available at such a short distance away
grain other products distance Of lsj miles
Ess serious matter but nowaoags; % vs. &ia %IIn the H
Operation, this problem loses much OF IT'S serious
ing 10 consider whether the centre of commercial
gravity should not be shifted 20 quebec especially
as such huge ships are now being built every year,
demanding much in the way OF sea room. So much
are the Western grain men, both t-anaqlah anu
are already shipping wheat 10 Quebec 10 supple
Ment the lumber cargoes which are gehefaHy % %loau-
"a there and will admit OF consideraoie gram e
stored IN the lower holds into which il Is aiihcult
10 stow the deals Canada last year thought to
SlihHlste M0ntreaIs gram trace oy cohlieSSs L te
deepening OF her canals to fourteen feet plI me
benefits therefrom being neutralized by the dis
ssters along the ST. Lawrence seaboaFd Inc pro-
state canals now urder CONSIDERATION, Is also a
her