The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-05
CANADA LEADS WORLD IN 1,
 RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION,

Twenty-six years ago today, on July 5, 1886, the first through passenger train on the Canadian Pacific Rail- way reached Port Moody on the Pacf- fic Coast, having left Montreal seven days before. That event marked an epoch in railway building in the Dominion. Today Canada has more miles of railroad per capita. than any other country on the globe, and it is predicted that the Dominion is now on the threshold of an era of greatly accelerated activity in railway con struction. While the Canadian Pact- fic was the first road to stretch an unbroken line of steel across British North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, it is soon to have plenty of competition The Great Northern is already in the field, although a considerable part of it's mileage Is i'll the. United States The Grand Trunk Pacific and the Canadian Northern Pacific are now pushing toward the Western ocean, and with their com pletion Canada will have tour great trans-continental lines.
 In addition to these vast projects of empire building, the Canadian Pacific will double track its line be- tween Calgary and Vancouver, as a preparation for the increased traffic expected to follow the opening the Panama Canal,.s New branch lines are being rushed by all the roads m Western Canada. The Grand Trunk Pacific is expected to -be-scompieted to Prince Rupert next year.. Port Mann will be the Western terminus of the Canadian Northern Pacific. A railway to Hudson Bay is another vast undertaking that will become a reality within a few years. The Dominion government is now making surveys to decide upon the best port, ;oL Actoo SI7 in operated to Europe, ;, carrying the wheat of the Western Provinces to market at much lower freight rate than when shipped by rail to the At lantic seaboard. Most Of these rail- way lines have received considerable government subsidies.
 Despite the rapid extension of rail- way facilities in the Dominion, com plaints are constantly being filed of a shortage of equipment and a con- sequeut inability to get prompt de- livery of goods. It is predicted that the latter part of this year will wit ness an unprecedented railroad con- gestion, although the important sys- tems have ordered hundreds of new locom otives and thousands of freight cars.
 Canadian railway extension is also in evidence in the building of new stations and hotels. A million dollar SIdLOH d were among the recent gifts of one road to Ottawa.
 Settlers from the United States are pouring into Canada, especially the Western Provinces. in constantly 1n- creasing mum bers. The number of those crossing the border in April of this year was 21,494, as against 16.- 3s6 in April, 1911, an increase of 3f per cent. The total immigration into Canada for that month was e2,931. Canadian governm rent authorities esti- mate that American settlers brought with them in April no less than $25,- 0O0,0OO in cash
 Recently a movement has been set on foot in the Western States to stem this tide of emigration from the United States and turn it toward the undeveloped portions of the republic If this movement results in more than conversation, America will soon