The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-04-03
Miscellany
A Costly Railroad.

Canada has real government owner-
ship Of railroads, that is, the Dominion
does own one long and important line
and is now building another, which is
called the National Transcontinental
railway and which may be operated in
connection with the Intercolouial TO
complete coast TO coast system, though
the present intention is TO have this
govcrnment-built road operated by the
Grand Trunk railway under rental
contract. A large part of the work has
been done and tho people of the Do
ninlon are now beginning to count the
cost when 1T is too late to abandon an
undertaking that is bound to be un-
profitable. That the Dominion will lose
a prodiglous amount OF money in the
long run is now conceded on all sides
| and the only point in doubt is TO Just
how many hundred million dollars the
total will be.
This illustration Of how things work
out when government tries to build
a great railroad lies right at onr doors
and it should be studied by those who
talk 30 gGbly about the government of
continental railroad to compete with ex-
isting lines and beat themselves into
submission by its competition, Just as
the parcel post system threatens to
beat the life out OF express companies.
The National Transcoutinental railway
Of Canada was planned and its con
struGtion was undertaken when Sir Will
frid LaurIer was prime minister OF Can
ada. Under the agreement then made
with tho Grand Trunk railway The
Laurier government bound itself to do
certain part OF the construction work
and the amount involved seemed so
small that no serious opposition TO the
plan developed.
/ How the cost rose is a mystery and
why the government decided to sink
hundreds Of millions of dollars no one
seems TO be able to explain. The facts
are that Sir Wilfrid Laurier, speaking
in the house of commons on July SO,
1903, told tho house and the whole couD-
try that "the SUM total Of the money
to be paid by tho government for the
construction OF that line Of railway
from Moncton to the Pacific ocean will
he in the neighborhood Of $l2,000,000
or 81. 900 900, and not cent more. "
The minister of finance in the Laurier
cabinet few days afterward submitted
set of figures TO tho house Of COM
mons showing that the 400 miles of
road from Moucton to Quebec would not
cost moro than S25 900 mile and the
1875 miles from Quebec to Wlnnepeg
would cost not more than $4,000 n
mile. or total Of S51 100000. He then
went on to explain that all the money
the government Of Canada would actu-
ally lay out on this work would be
$S,S53, ,504, Tt will be noted that he
was very exact. and when minister Of
finance gets down TO the last dollar
in such a bill it is to be presumed that
he has done some figuring. He had
been able to reduce his leaders, esti-
mate from S13,00O,000 to The exact
figure quoted, and. strange as it now
appears, he created such n strong i'm
preston that he carried the house and
The country with him into this trc-
mendous undertaking
Instead Of the cost Of construction
being $4,000 to $4,000 a mile, his
work as it is now being done is cost
ing $4,000 mile and the only ex-
cuse is that the government has de.
| cidcd TO build a first-class track. Cor
don Grant. the chief engineer Of the
parliamentary commission, which has
charge Of the construction Of the Ma
tional TranscontineutaI railway, has
stunned the thrifty people Of Canada
hy reporting that The building Of this
railroad through wilderness will cost
the Dominion government 1924 900 900.
taking into account interest ON money
expended and all other expenses from
! the time Of beginning construction until