Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-06
TINE HUDSON BAY RAILROAD.

NNcNicWS OF teVleWs,)
The cost of the Hudson Bay rail.
road, completed and ready for traf-
flee, Is estimated at $4,000 600. The
feasibility OF construction was never
questioned, though the wisdom OF
laying such a line through such a
country has been sometimes doubt
ed. The most serious Of the obieC-
tons advanced against It are first
that owing TO it's northern location
the territory will never be settled on
a scale that viii make it profitable;
second that the climatic conditions
initiate against this region being us
cd as farming area and, third, that
It's mineral wealth, If II possesses any,
Is not sufficiently determined to JUS
tify such an undertaking.
On the other hand the supporters
OF the project claim that the same
arguments were advanced fifty years
ago regarding the prairie section Of
Canada, which rs now the home Of
multitudes, and which VIII likely be
settled on a vastly larger scale after
the close OF the war, tha' IN time
the spread of population will bring all
Of these territories under cultivation;
and further, that one Of the chief reae
sons for the construction of the rail-
road Is that II will afford a means
OF shipping the grain crop TO market
every year under conditions which
will shorten the Journey by 900
miles. That is 10 say Port nelson
Is virtually no farther from Liverpool
than Is Montreal, that a car Of wheat
leaving Regina and destined for Eu-
= ~
son by the time 1t would reach Fort
Williams, Ontario, at the head Of the
Great Lakes. by the existing Canadian
railroad systems and that the saving
VIII be the thousand miles between
Fort William by railroad or the long
or distance by the lakes aud Mon
trogl, which Is on an equality with
Fort Nelson as regards liverpool
From the northern areas Of the
western provinces, the mileage is, Of
course greater, and as the districts
are but sparsely settled at present and
vast developments may be expected
from them. the advantages of this
railroad will be increased thereby,
while the benefits enjoyed by the far
mers Of Alberta and Saskatchewan
viii also be available TO their neigh
bors south OF the American boun-
dairy
Not the least Of the arguments in
favor Of the Hudson Bay railroad is
the fact that, II Canada's production
Of grain in tho west Increases hence
forth as IT has Of recent years, the
existing railroad systems will be in
adequate TO It's transport For in
stance a prominent Canadian railroad
manager asserted recently that It
would take the Canadian railroads at
least 200 days TO move last years crop
ana this must create q gradually in
creasing difficulty for the transport
systems while a further advantage
Offering through the Hudson Bay
railroad is that the competition II will
afford win tend TO lessen the haulage
rates for all the products Of the
Canadian farms, and thus give the
farmer the means OF gaining a greater
return for the pEoducts Of his indus
try
stu another argument is that by
such a channels most, IL not all the
requirements Of Western Canada from
European countries can be brought to
its doors much moro choaply and eX-
pediuousiy than they can be obtained
through tho present avenues by
steamer to the Atlantic seahoard Of
Cauado, and thence 10y rail to tho
west and II is important TO romem-
Rcr I'm considering this railroad pro-
Ioct, that this Us one of the strong ar
gumcnts on which it's success is pre-
diCtcd