Arizona republican., 1901-12-10
RIVAL STEEL TRUST
Sir Christopher FurnesS to Build Plant in Canada
English Shipping Magnate Returns After Visiting Cape Breton Coal Fields - The Plant Will Cost S1O,OOO.0OO.

New. York. Dec. 9.--Sir Christopher
 Furness, M. P, ship owner, shipbliIder.
 railroad owner and engineer. who owns
 125 steamers and expects to have as many more before 1903. started for
 England today on the North German
 Lloyd steamer Kronprinz Wilhelm after tour of Canada and the United
 States that began last September. Sir Christopher, who iS the head of Fur
 ness. Withy & Co. and of the Furness
 line, the chairman and director of IT,
 vines Shipbuilding and Dry Dock com
 pany, Tees Bridge and Engineering works. West Hartlepool Navigation company and the Wilson's and Furness- Leyiand line, came over here nominally
 to learn how it was that america was
 getting to windward of Great Britain
 in the matter of commerce and trade. As Q side issue. his trip was also 10 make ara ngements looking toward the erection of an enormous steel plant in Canada, and he visited the coal fields Of Cape Breton to learn what thu, re- sources Of the island are in the matter of supplying fuel for this Canadian plant and the steamers which he in- tends to engage in the trade.
 More than fifty steamship men of this city were at the cInard pier. from which the Kronprinz started, to see the great English shipping man off. The majority of these were his guests last night at a banquet which he gave at the Waldorf-Astoria. SO it was learned today. and the additional infor-
 mation was vouchsafed that following
 the dinner he had a conference with aeveral of them and that they had an option to join his new Gnti-American steel trust when he got ready to CT ganize the same. Sir Christopher was accompanied on the KTonprinz by his secretary, w. II. Rockingham. The English magnate had the finest suite Of rooms ou the Kronprinz.
 Regarding his trip throughout the country, Sir Christopher said:
 After visiting Cape Breton and see ing what we could Of the coal fields and
 mining facilities there, I made a most
 interesting examination of the re sources of Canada. chiesly about Mon treal and Quebec. Then l went across your country as far as san Francisco, because ] wanted to see it's facilities for handling the trade of the orient and far east, which sooner or later is to b. enormous. Then I went to ranches in California, also with a business object the nature of which l cannot divulge. l then went to New Orleans. thence to Newport News and am now going back home
 My observations? Well. they are many To be sure. do not care to take the public into my confidence So l;r as the question of a steel plant ia Canadn is concerned. On that subject I shall remain as dumb as your cele- brated oyster for some little time to come.
 "Of your country I nave much 10 say. Our railroad companies in England will have to alter their methods if England is to hold her own in the i'm dustrial world When I consider what the Northeastern Railway company does and compare its methods with those I have seen here. I realize our difficulties and deficiencies. Just fancy seeing thirty wagons, carrying fifty tons each, drawn by one engine, and then compare that with what is done by any of our Durl-.sn or Northumbsr- land lines! It is simply astonishing. Ard the wonder Of it. all is that the cost of hauling these 1.5O0 tons is moi a whit greater than would be the cost of drawing 500 tons on the other side. How can our country compete with yOIr railways with a giant difference ! of that kind ?
 Few on the other side recognize the l gigantic importance of the United ! States. When l gay few ain speaking of a class in Great Britain that is sup posed to be pretty fairly informed on questions affecting North Ainerica's | commerce, railroads, stea Tslips, har- ! bors and internal greatness. You have ! the country and you have the land | Canada is sure to profit by the great i ness of the United States. There is T o reason in the world why the dominion ! should not be as great in every way as ! the United States. The question of '. open water on the St. Lawrence all the ! year around will be a small one with | the modern ice breaking appliances