The sun., 1919-06-03
MONTREAL FEARS
TRADE DIVERSION
Harbor Commissioners Con-
|. cerned Over Competition by
Barge Canal Equipment.
SUGGESTS BIG CHANGES
Canalization Of the st. Law.
renee Offered as Best Scheme
of Development.

me Harbor Commission Of Mon
treaL" says the annual report OF that
Dody for the year 1918, Just issued.
vie" with concern the completion and
equipment Of the New York State Rarps
Canai' as being considerable factor IN
the diversion of Canadian products
through the United States ports. The
whole question must be looked at and
STUDIED from a broad consideration Of
transport especially OF grain, from the
mead OF the great lakes to Europe. The
thought In some Canadian minds is that
the new Welland Canal when completed
viii throw the advantage Canada's way.
Ihis Is open to doubt. for the reason
that this canal is free of cbarpa IN
United States ships, though constructed
at the sole expense of the Canadian peo-
pie and the United States will be en-
aoied to bring their large lake boa,s
through Lake Ontario to osweeo. N
and thereby still further reduce the cost
Transporting grain from Buffalo to
new york. The ideal and proper method
10 pursue to get full benefit Of the well
leno canal Is simultaneous develop
men. or all the canal systems to Mon
Tesi, no matter by what scheme Thu
o.nahAatlon or the st. Lawrence River.
win It's Immense power possibilities. is
IN the opinion OF the commissioners.
preferable to deepening and widening
me present canal system. The compile
tion or scheme of such magnitude
would require expense and time but IL
h.
should be aggressively proceeded with
IL 1t is not found possible to proceed
with the whole scheme simultaneously
the opinion of the Harbor Commissioners
ID tnat the portion of the inland trans
portation system which is most imme-
oiately required and which will give tba
most immediate benefits, is the section
OF the canal system commencing at
montreal working westward They feel
mat the proceeding in the first place.
with the lower end Of the enlarged a.
lawrence canal system. starting with
the Lachife Canal, will yield Immediate
benef1t to Canadian transportation. with
out resultant benefit to foreign COM
petitors; and the continuation of such
policy OF development by proceeding
westward with the Soulanges and Corn
wall canals as soon as the Lachina
Canal Is completed, would place Canada
IN more outstanding position to han
die its products through Canadian ports
without benefit to others
Elsewhere in the report IL IN ooint.,i
out that while the construction -
gramme was so reduced last year az 10
amount almost to complete cessation az
new works. yet the last year of the war.
so Tar as the port of Montreal was CON.
cerned. was unique IN many important
phases Many records were made, among
which were the following: The nunber
o. transatlantic vessels which arrival n,
port. ga, was greater than that of ann
other year in the history OF tho harbor.
the gross revenue OF the port was larger
than ever before reached: vessels were
larger and OF greater draft than ever
before sailed from here: export s1ntn-
merits were the heaviest recorded. thsre
was minimum of grain arriving at
montreal harbor by water, and the max
imum by railway; there was a maximum
record OF operation OF harbor railways,
nero was minimum OF marine acct
dents or casualties In the harbor and
in the channel; and shipments of fuel
oil formed very special part OF the
har boris operations.
The Importance OF the trade src COM
merce fltering through the port OF Mon
treal may De measured by the fact that
out OF the leading seven ports of the
North Atlantic coast, Montreal follows
New York IN its totals in this respsct.
Tho value OF imports was S214ss5,oae.
of exports, S534,S76,677. a total of s74s,-
61.706.
one result Of the war control Of ship
PING was that many strange ships came
TO Montreal. and incidentally some out
side testimony is given as to the naviga-
ton facilities on the St Lawrence
Masters of magnificent British shipS
who have spent their lives trading 20
the ports Of Africa and Asia nd who
have during the last two scar. ,ns been
coming to Montreal for the first time.
have expressed their satisfaction. and
oven admiration, egarding the River St
Lawrence ship channel and the aids 10
navigation. They have expressed their
'urLrise AMI admiration at the facility
witt which their large ships can navi-
gate up the River st. Lawrence by night
as well as by day. to the docks at Mon
trea' and at the fact that when they
have reached their berth, they have no
anxiety in the tideess waters OF the
l,arbor as TO the care or safety OF their
ship Masters Of the celebrated Union.
Castle and T. a y. Lines, who had
never been up the ST. Lawrence before,
gave splendid certificates Of the excel
lence OF the aids to naviEat ton and i'm
prcvements which have resulted in such
a splendid water highway TO the port