New-York tribune., 1917-07-28
Road Built on
Speculation Costs
Canada Millions
Opinion in Dominion Divided
Over the Merits Of Hudson
Bay Railway
By s. ROY WEAVER


Although construction work on the
Hudson Bay Railway and the terminals
at Port Nelson is about two-thirds
completed and about $4,000, 900 OF pub
lie money has been expended on the
project, opinion in Canada Is still
sharply divided over the question as to
whether the proposed new route will
be economically feasible. There are
enthusiastic advocates Of the railway
who declare that il will eliminate the
rail haul across half the continent and
bring a revolution in the condition Of
transportation in Western Canada. On
the other hand are many doubters, who
frankly express the view that the route
never will be Of any considerable COM
mercial advantage and that the con-
struction of the railway is useless
waste of public money.
Work May Be Suspended
As result Of war necessities, the
Dominion government has greatly cur
tailed construction operations, and there
is a possibility that the work may have
to be suspended entirely until the war
Is over.
II the Hudson Bay route should
prove TO be economically advantage
Gus It would not only divert traffic
now going TO the transcontinental rail-
ways, but would also draw some traffic
from the Western prairies which
would otherwise 90 70 the Pacific
Coast, and then by water via the Pan
ana Canal. Such development would
interfere with the governments plan
70 institute a steamship service be-
tween Canadian maritime ports and the
Pacific Coast It is admitted that Cam
ada has more transportation services
than can be supported by the present
volume Of traffic, and the situation in
this respect may be aggravated by the
opening of the Hudson Bay Railway.
10 outlct
The Hudson Bay Railway is an essen
tial part Of scheme TO utilize
Hudson Bay as an outlet for grain from
the Western prairies. It's construction
was advocated several decades ago, but
Eastern Canada opposed the project
The Canadian Pacific Railway interests
have always been hostile to the under
taking, while the Canadian Northern
Railway has been favorable. Indeed,
the Canadian Northern now owns line
which is the first link in the connection
between Winnipeg and Port Nelson on
the bay. The Canadian government
side-stepped the proposal for years, but
increasing pressure from the West
made the construction of the road a po-
litical necessity. es--- t.-f.
The new railroad will open TO settle
ment vast new area. probably 50,000,-
900 acres, adapted to grain growing,
ranching and general agricultural uses.
There are indications that this territory
10 rich in minerals, and the railway
will attract prospectors, thus increas-
ing the probability of valuable mineral
discoveries. The land made accessible
by the Hudson Bay Railway is much
like that Of Northern Charlottesville lie
and with immense forests of timber
and pulp woods. Your correspondent
has seen vegetables grown along the
new railway line-under the Northern
Lights-which would compare favor
ably with those produced anywhere in
the Dominion. The provision Of trans
portation facilities should make possible
the organization of great northern
fisheries industry, both on the bay it.
self and the numerous rivers which
drain into II. 1t has also been pointed
out that the Hudson Bay route may be
Of important military value.
Ice Hampers Navigation
Hudson Bay itself does not offer any
insuperable, or even serious, naviea-
ton difficulties. Port Nelson is about
Latitude 81 degrees, or approximately
the same as Riga, Russia's great Bal
tic seaport. IL is considerably south
of Petrograd, Stockholm or Chris
tiania. The temperature Of the water
in the bay is said TO be several de-
grees higher than that In Lake Su-
perior. The difficulty is with Hudson
Strait. The latter does not reach into
the Arctic Circle, and the most
northerly point Of the route would be
a considerable distance south of
Archangel.
The strait, however, is not navigable