New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-26

Oeen granted 10 OdHauldH IdIlNdFS
by the Federal and Provincial gov
ernments. Mr.. J. S. Dennis, assistant
TO the president Of the Canadian Pa
cifc Railway, told the Dominion's
Royal Commission a couple of weeks
ago that of land grants to the COM
pany totalling 27,7S7,921 acres, d.
276,527 acres had been sold, resliz-
ing no less than 500, 396,S17. The
balance sheet of the Canadian Pacific
Railway for June 80, 1916, shows an
item designated Surplus in other as
sets" representing chiefly the esti-
mated value of unsold land, and the
amount Of this item is 1915 ia.
Politicians Are
Deprived Of Patronage
Any comparison of public contri-
buttons TO the privately owned and
the publicly owned railways of Can
ada must take account of differences
in rates for service. Both passenger
and freight rates are considerably
lower on the ntercolonial Railway
than on any of the privately owned
lines. Mr.. Payne contends, as a re
suit Of an analysis Of operations for
the year 1913, before the war, that
if the Intercolonial Railway rates had
been applied to the Canadian Pacific
Railway, the latter would have been
able barely to meet its fixed charges.
On the other hand, if the Intercolo-
NAL Railway had enjoyed the Cana
dian Pacific Railway rates it would
have earned almost per cent on the
capital invested in it.
No one will deny that there have
been gross extravaganza and the use
Of political influence in the manage
ment of the Intercolonial Railway.
The politicians Of the Maritime Prov
inces have always considered that
that railway was designed to assist
them in vote-catching operations.
Many of them are dissatisfied with
the present administration Of the
road because it deprives them of
their expected and wonted patron
age. Shortly before the last annual
report on the affairs of the Interco-
lonial Railway was issued, a man
conversant with the situation said to
your correspondent; IF they knew
in Nova Scotia that the Intercolonial
Railway was revenue producing at
the present time the politicians would
be on the back of the Minister Of
Railways like bunch of wolves for
stations, ETC." The public ownership
man is obliged to admit that political
influences are a serious handicap TO
the most efficient operation of gov
eminent railways, but he offers a
counter argument by reference to
the grand election scandals in the
early days of the Canadian Pacific
Railway and TO the general history
of the privately owned railway sys-
TENS of the Dominion.
The Intercolonial is not the only
public owned railway in Canada and
the Temiskaning & Northern On
tario Railway is another case of a
public enterprise which has proved
Of almost inestimable value. II is
TO the credit of the Temiskaning e.
Northern Ontario Railway that, as
a pioneer in Ontario's hinterland, il
opened the great clay belt with its
splendid agricultural areas, was in
directly responsible for the discovery
Of cobalt silver, and made possible
the development of the enormously
rich but then little known resources
of Northern Ontario in pulp wood
and mineral. Indeed, the Temiskam-
ing & Northern Ontario Railway
started the development which has
since resulted in throwing back the
great frontier Of unknown territory
limiting Canada in the north and
converting this Dominion from a
mere ribbon TO q much wider band
lying north of the international
boundary, The Temiskaming e.
Northern Ontario Railway is an On
tario government undertaking, and is
efficiently administered by a nom
political commission. No railroad in
Canada can show a cleaner record
or better present management. 1t,
too, has done much TO strengthen
public confidence in public ownership.
The most important factor in pro-
noting public ownership sentiment,
in Ontario at least, has been the sue
cess Of the Provincial Hydro Electric
enterprise. The latter is unquestion.
ably the greatest public power prof.
ect of the kind in the world, and the
benefits which Il has brought 70 On.