New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-17
VINCES AND THEIR POSSIBILITIES.

Pacific is also projecting new lines through the
Western wheat fields. and the Canadian
Northern, too, is formulating a generous pro
gramme for reaching the products Of this won
derful granary, the expansion OF which is so
rapid as TO see every year excel the most rosy
predictions respecting its advance 1t is esu-
mated that in the great development Of the
American West between 1870 and 1900 the
railway mileage of the United States was in
creased by 10000 in the regions directly affect
ed and a corresponding increase in the Ca
madam mileage within the next quarter century
would not be surprising.
AS the wheat belt is peopIed and its products
demand more outlets, these will have 10 be pro-
vided, either TO the shores of the St Lawrence
or of Hudson Bay, and a glance at the map VIII
show how much Manitoba and the new Western
provinces would gain by railroads striking
diagonalIy toward Hudson Bay and connecting
with grain carriers to Europe, even for the brief
period for which that northern water IS avail
able when compared with more southern routes
From points such as Prince Albert, in Saskatch-
evan and Edmonton in Alberta, which repre-
sent virtually the northern radius OF Canadian
Pacific Railway activity, but which will be bases
on the main line of the National Trancontl-
mental Railway, whence branches viii be sent
further north, the railway mileage TO the shores
of Hudson Bay will be only One-thlrd or that
involved in reaching a Lawrentlan outlet con-
seQuently, the tillable areas extend norIhWaru
to the Peace River and Pine River valleys, the
problem Of railway extension TO Hudson Bay
viii gradually settle itself, because then com
rarstfveIv small lines of freight roads will suffice
to convey the products Of this north land to the
shores of the bay, whence the sea voyage TO
(
Montreal not TO mention the immense shorten
ing of the costly rail haul, which is 1000 miles
less from Regina. the capital Of Saskatchewan,
TO Hudson Bay than it is from Regina TO the St.
Lawrence.
Because the whole trend Of industrial endeav-
or in the Canadian West Is toward the growing
of cereals and the railways there exert such in
fuence upon political affairs, while the probable
com petftion between the Canadian Pacific Rail
way and the Northern Transcontiuental Rail-
wav will reduce freight rates so materially as to
lessen the burdens the farming communities
il is unlikely that the movement for a Hudson
Ray railway viii acquire much vitality for some
years to come The more rapidly the regions
near the International boundary are peopled the
more expensive will be the building programmes
can. When. however, the grazing and ranching
possibilities Of Alberta are more generally
availed of and the foothills of the Rocky Noun
tains to which it extends. are thickIy tenanted
with cattle and sheep while in the north root
crops are raised. the demand for the more di-
rect communication with Europe which Hudson
Bay AFFORDS VIII have TO be complied with and
the transportation problem revoIuttonized
When IL is remembered that the population Of
Manitoba Increased 1871 per cent. between 1891
and 1900. and that the boon had then but be-
gun; that the thrush Of American settlers 10 the
Northwest started only after this and that
migration there from Northern Europe and the
British Isles has been active only since the
century began, IL is not unreasonable TO expect
great future for the two provinces now called
into being Sir Wifrtd Laurer estimates a pop
ulation IN each OF them OF 100000 at the next
census, as against combined population OF
10000 for the three districts in 1901. That this