The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-12-12

I" 90 had not been proved. =
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
ally overrides conservative opposi-
tion.
The west wants the road built and
probably western conservatives would
join the government in advocating it,
IL the other western demand is grant
ed-which is that this new grain OUT
let be owned and operated by the gov
ernment.
The western farmers claim that the
present railroad conditions-their
control and operation-do not tend to
the advancement of the country as
should be expected of them, and that
only by this entirely new route being
held completely out of the control of
the three dominant railway COM
panies will 1t be Of enough practical
advantage Of the west to warrant its
construction.
AS yet the government has made no
authoritative statement as to it's in
tentions regarding fits control, but the
following reference to this Hudson
bay road in the speech" shows de-
sire to interest the east in it's con-
struction: "The connection Of the
great west with the eastern portions
Of Canada and also with the overseas
markets will greatly assist in the de-
velopment Of trade."
This draws attention to the topog-
raphy Of the country, which as yet Is
almost unknown to the general pub
lie. As surveyed the line will run
northeast from Le Pas near the
boundary between Manitoba and
Saskatchewan until 1t reaches Hud-
son bay, where two terminals are un-
der consideration, Port Nelson and Ft.
Churchill. For hundreds Of miles on
either side of the projected line there
is no trace of civilization except at the
few Hudson bay pests dotted over the
country near the river courses.
Therefore, 1t seems to be the desire
for gaining new transatlantic
route and what amounts to a sea-
board for the big wheat provinces
that is the great factor in pushing
the project. .u
From Saskatoon .or Winnipeg both
representative western centers the
Hudson bay line would provide a
course to Liverpool over 600 miles
shorter than any lne cutting across
the continent to tho ports of Quebec
or Montreal; but even the lessening
of the transatlantic course might not
be sufficient incentive without the
further conviction. that the govern
ment ownership Of the pioneer line
would improve geneel economic con-
dftionstions connected with the rail-
way problems, and also that the east
ern provinces would benefit by the
undertaking, which they will help to
finance IL the dominion government
carries it through.
| Contrary to perhaps the general no
tion OF things this benefit to the east
might be expected, for-once feet of
trading vessels were In operation on
Hudson bay another port at its ex-
treme southern shore would be only
146 miles from railways already con-
structed directly to Quebec, Toronto,
Ottawa and Montreal. Allowing for
detours along this LAG miles, rail-
road of probably $50 miles would con-
meet these manufacturing centers
with the west by new route. This
new route would be over 200 miles
shorter by rail than is even the most
direct transcontinental line.
There would, of course, be 800 miles
of Hudson bay to traverse between
these prospective shore terminals and
trans-shipment to be considered, but
as the northern "clay-belts" of On
tario and Quebec bordering on the
bay become settled as new wheat
fields, Hudson bay ports may natural
ly become fiourishing business CEN
ters for which the present railway
Canadian government have always
looked we'll ahead in their railway
Transportation policies. The use of
all possible waterways is also one of
Canada's strong points.
Opposed to all these pleas in be-
half OF this Hudson bay route is the
contention that under present cli-
matte conditions the big bay will be
navigable for only three months of
the year, and Senator Casgrain of
Montreal has recently urged the peo-
pie to consider the opportunities Of
tered by the Panama canal as far
more advantageous than those offered
by the Hudson bay route. He directs
attention to the excellent Pacific
coast ports of British Columbia, open
all year, which would receive western
wheat ready for shipment via the
Panama route. He refers to the easy
grades of the new transcontinental,
the Grand Trunk Pacific. as ensuring
proper transportation for any amount
of grain. There is also the Canadian
Pacific railway busy In that direction
and the Canadian Northern is plan
ming Pacific coast connections, but
these provisions do not touch the case
of the western farmer because his
contention is that he desires to be
free from the methods adopted by
these three railways and that a gov
ernment owned Hudson bay line
1 would introduce the needed element