The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-20
RAILROADS.
The G. I. P. SCHEME
Railroad Experts Slow to Talk, but
Some Say It Cant Be
Carried Out.
Estimate of $4,000 a Mile in Noun
tains Too Low Blair's
Resignation.
epecial to Tho Journal.

dean railroad officials and financiers who
have been asked for their views on the
scheme for the building Of a new trans
continental across Canada, are generally
reluctant to be quoted, but in general,
the opinion of American railroad experts
is opposed to government control or OPP
GRAFTON of a railroad, and for this reason
If for no other, 1t is natural that the
opinions of the railroad magnates of this
country are generally opposed to the
scheme as laid before the house of COM
mons
The president of one of the northern
railroads. well qualified both by his own
railroad experience and by thoro knowl
edge of Canadian politics. gained by per-
sonal experience in the house of commons,
is. perhaps, the most caustic critic Of the
Grand Trunk Pacific scheme. In effect,
he says:
IF they try to put the scheme as out
lined In operation, I venture to say that
twenty years from now the people Of
Canada will still be paying interest, not
on 900 but on pretty nearly twice
that sum. It is easy enough for people
to sit down and figure out that they are
going to build a railroad for 100000 per
mile thru a wilderness like northern Que
bee, and then make it pay the interest
on the expense of building It; but have
built a railroad or two myself and know
that you can't build them on the earth
nearly so easily or cheaply as you can on
the map. My knowledge of the route to
be traversed by the government section
OF the new line leads me to- the belief
that If they build that 1900 miles Of road
at an average of $4,000 mile, equipped.
with proper terminals, elevators, freight
yards, ETC., thruout the system, they will
be getting it mighty cheap. They can't
lay a trunk line down in 1906 like we
could in 1895. When we came to hill
J..
we have been busy ever since digging thru
those hills. If the Canadian government
follows our original plan, the road will
be the anomaly of the century in railroad
building; the government will probably
undertake to put down low grade line.
There Is hardly a foot Of the whole dis
tance that lies thru fiat or level country,
and good many Of the cuttings In north
Ontario and Quebec will be thru Lauren
tan granite. If you want a good example
of the way granite hills help run up a
bill for the builder of a railroad, J. R.
Booth of Ottawa can testify that about
$7,OO0,000 due him from the Canada At
lantic, in addition to the capitalization
originally intended was due to the gran
lite formations s4
Il do not condemn the plan to build a
railroad across Canada, but believe that
the building of this railroad should be
left to practical railroad men. The head
constructive engineer Of the Denver &
Rio Grande, the Oregon Short Line or the
Great Northern will be about the right
man to put in charge; but it is a pretty
safe guess that he will not be the man
employed.
II believe that the government will
utilize the Intercolonial railway. OF
course that railroad wastes few hun
dred miles in trying to get from one
place 70 another without leaving Canada
This Is doubtless very patriotic stand,
but the Canadian people at large should
be taught that the true commercial spirit
Of the age forgets international boun-
daries. It may be all right for the Cana
dian government to loop the loop around
New Brunswick, but I don't want my
railroad doing that in any territory where
there is not sufficient local traffic to pay
$4,000 mile per annum net"
Engineering Features.
An Interesting opinion on the engineer.
ing features Of the plan comes from al
engineer who had a good deal to do witt
the construction of the Hartman and the
Hill lines thru the Rocky mountains.
II see they expect to build a mountain
division Of Grand Trunk Pacific at $4,000
per mile. I think the expectation is op
timistic, and I don't believe that it will
ever be fulfilled. From what I know O.
building railroads thru the Rocky noun
tains, know that all calculations ar,
likely to go very far astray. Some o
the mountain divisions of Union Pacif
cost, completed, as high as $500, 900 pc
mile and where there tunnels to b.
run, the cost will run well over $500, 000."
The sudden resignation Of A. G. Blair
minister Of railways and canals, from tn
Laurier cabinet, is the subject of consid
cradle comment In railroad circles. MI
Blair was regarded here one Of tn
most able ministers Of the government
This estimate was based upon the fac
that he had during his administrator
turned the yearly deficit Of the Intercolo
NAL into a surplus.
"EvlIs OF Government Control"
The exact causes that led to his resig
nation and the evils Of government con
troll and construction Of railways is pu
thus: The New Brunswick and Nov
Scotia members of the house insists upo
the construction of the new line. TIL
old line is not to be used, because if
Is, the members who fail to get rail
road thru their constituency will be likel
to be looking for job after the next cleo
ton. The government needs the Ne,
Brunswick and Nova Scotia vote There
fore Intercolonial is to be relegated t
the position of side track No motive
of economy, railroad wisdom, finance Q
anything else can override the exigencie
of politics. For that reason, because Nj
Blair opposes at all costs the determine
ton to build another road where one
already the Canadian cabinet loses a
the most critical period of It's railroa
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