The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-23
SIMPSON A RIVAL
People at Vancouver Fear the New
Port Will Capture the
Trade.
For That Reason the Grand Trunk 5
Plans Are Viewed With
Apprehension.
Special to Tho Journal.

Tacoma Wash. Dec. 2S.--The charters
applied for by the Grand Trunk railroad
in British Columbia, for the construction
Of its transcontinental line, If granted,
threaten to take from the port Of Van
couver a large share Of the shipping trade
which at the present time 1t enjoys, and
transfer it to the new port to be estab-
lished by the line at Simpson further
north on the coast. H.
This feature Of the increased transport
tation facilities of the Canadian northwest
is causing much worry in Vancouver, and
1t is said that opposition will be encoun-
tered in the provincial legislature against
acceding to the Grand Trunk demands,
which opposition is being backed by the
Canadian Pacific, unless change In the
route Is made and Vancouver assured of
being at least terminus on the Pacific
coast. H. ...+# ~
A we'll known financial man from Vic
toria. who Is in the city, in speaking Of
the matter to T ne " a |, said:
There Is a fear among the residents
of Vancouver that, with the Grand Trunk
establishing it's coast terminus at Fort
Simpson, where there Is as good har-
Dor as is to be found on the Pacific coast,
in the development of the oriental trade
from Canada much which would naturally
come to Vancouver will be taken to Simp-
son. This feeling is being agitated by
the Canadian Pacific road, and it is not
at all improbable that there will be some
opposition in the legislature to the grant
ing Of the Grand Trunk franchises until
Vancouver is assured that the privileges
British Columbia Is giving away will not
be, detrimental to her own interests.
Port Simpson is 700 miles shorter tc
Yokohama than Vancouver, by reason
of it's geogra phical position. The new
| transcontinental line will pass 2SO miles
| to the north and almost parallel to the Car
l. Va toto
! line from Quebec to Port Simpson will be
| $3.50 miles, and the construction will cos1
| somewhere in the neighborhood OF $96,
! O0O, 0oO ~... -..- -..s -.
| "In western Canada, where the Crane
| Trunk will pass over a part of the terri
! tory covered by the Canadian Pacific, Il
| grown annually at the present time abou
81, oOo. 900 bushels of wheat Now, large
share Of that trade is secured by the Ca
madam Pacific. and 1t Is taken to Van
couver, from where it is shipped to Eng
land and other parts of the world: Thu
districts where this amount Of wheat Il
grown lie in Alberta. Saskatchewan
Athabasca and Assiniaboia It is bu
natural that that trade would go to thu
port affording the shortest mileage to tn
old world, and therefore it is the genera
belief that the chances are In favor o
Vancouver losing by the building of tn
new line more than winning. =:
l There is another thing that the peopl
Of Vancouver are considering. In tn
event of England being forced to sem
troops to the orient. at the present tim
the Canadian Pacific would be used an
all shipments would be from Vancouver
II However, via the Port Simpson route Their
would be several days saved, and therefor
Vancouver would lose that trade.
whether or not the opposition is SUI
ficient to cause any delay in the grantin
of the franchises and the beginning Of tn
work remains to be seen. The fight,
there is to be any, win be conduct yer
quietly, and it will probably be along tn
! lines that Vancouver must be made
3 terminal point for the road, even II con
struction is taken to Port Simpson"