Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-21
FACT AND GOSSIP
IN MONEY MARTS
Some Facts About Canada
That Disturb Popular
Fiction.
BY 8. c. FORBES.

~ LN lohN. June Ill dIldtd SlINCk
me as a new and enlarged edition Of
Scotland. One of the first store signs 4
read in Toronto was: Come ava in
The first cabman I hailed had recently
migrated from "Glesga,' which, being in
terpreted, means Glasgow The first bank
president spoke to told me he had
brought over three hundred of Scottish
Youths within the last few years, as he
found they made excellent bank clerks.
ON all sides there were shingles bearin6
unadulterated Scottish names Then
when travelling through the agricultural
regions, was struck by the number of
Scotchnen on the farms The language
Of middle Canada has distinctly Scot
fish navor while farther west sturdy
Youths from "the land O cakes are ar
irving by thousands to till thevirgln soil
Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa are cities
Il banks and churches. In New York
most corners are disfigured by saloons: in
Tic Canadian towns the banks occupy
those choice locations. Yet let me add
TIA saw more intoxicated men in Can
at2 ono week than l had seen in New
4e' curing whole year.
We are constantly told in the United
States that the Canadian railroads are
models. that they give the country serv-
ice unapproached here and that they
are the pride of the Dominion 1t was,
therefore, a shock to learn from the lips
of shippers. especially in eastern Canada,
that il is extremely difficult to get prompt
delivery of goods. Both the Canadian
Pacific and the Grand Trunk. it is com
planned. are short Of equipment Ener-
getie as the roads have been yes. they
are by no means asleep-they have not
grown quite as rapidly as the country S
agricultural and industrial activities.
Railroad congestion is likely to be rather
severe across the border before 1912 ends
The Canadian Pacific has Just ordered
500 locomotives and 1880 freight cars,
AT a total cost of almost $40 900 900 And
5000 600 is to be spent in double-track-
ing the road through the Rockies The
company should offer a premium for
prompt delivery of the new equipment
Every engine and every car is needed.
The Grand Trunk, too | understand. has
far too few powerful engines.
Canadian railroads are more self-con-
tanned, so to speak. than American ones
If one may he allowed for convenience
TO use the word american" as covering
aient to calling Great Britain England -
Tho Canadian roads, for example. run
their own express companies and their
own hotels at various centers. while the
c. r. r. has an enormous fleet of steam
ships-a fleet not matched by any Amcri-
can railroad All this is sometimes held
mp against the United States lines. But
my opinion is that our own railroad com
panes have BIZ off quite as much as they
can comfortably chew Let the govern
ment give us comprehensive parcels
post system, and let the express compa
MICS be brought to their senses, and the
people will have no occasion to clamor
for railroad ownership of the express
business. Nor is there urgent necessity
for the railroads going into hotel keeping
on an elaborate scale lnnkeeping and
transportation arc two distinct vocatons.
and save in exceptional cases, the .Nmeri-
can roads are wise to leave the former
alone shoemakers should stick to their
lasts Tho newest and finest accomplish
ment in the way of railroad hotel build r
ing in Canada is the Chateau Laurier. a
$1,000 900 edifce opened this month by the
Grand Trunk at Ottawa. The establish
ment is worthy Of the Dominion capital.
Manager Bergman was able TO show me
royal SUITE ana II QiIudl ouiit 40 at
tractivc If not 50 gorgeous. as anything
in New York. while the cuisine and the
service do not suffer by comparison with
the best we can offer.
But are the Canadian roads well ad-
vsed in erecting palaces as stations? OF
course, after inspecting our local Penn
sylvania and New York Central stations,
we can not With propriety throw stones
at our Northern neighbors. Still, the
Grand Trunks new station at ottawa did
appear too expensive a structure even for
the capital To build q palace costing q
believel something like 81 900 600 for a
town of 100000 population is surely an
investren; of questionable wisdom. At
per cent the toll levied upon the people Is
$50 600 per annum. or more than $1,000 a
week. exclusive of the necessarily heavy
upkeep charges. Naturally. the towns
folk are proud Of their new station ant
arc enthusiastic over the G. p. RS plaus
for another sumptuous building for
similar purpose. but when 1t WAS pointed
out that each ton Of freight hauled int,
the yards would have to bear part of tIH
burden enthusiasm was slightly modified
Prosperity is beaming upon the Domiu-
ion AT This moment Tho people thcrs
an not understand Why VIC nave not alsr
beer going ahead My humble guess
.har Canada has shot her bolt for t
oresent. that her boom is nearing its cDi-
uination that there viii be a real ostafc
.opapsc and that tho flood OF new capita
rom Europe win he temporarily stoppcd
n it's Observation-Disclosures
BUT all this can only be a prelude 10 -
fresh movement forward. Canada is only
youth promise great things