The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-11
Haskin's Letter
Montreal Leads in Grain Exports
Wa.hineton. b. q. Nov. lo.-New Francisc,

francisco and Seattle. Thus n 4
apparent that New York has ! -,
task to accomplish if she is - !.
lose supremacy in other phases -
trade as well as in grain. Az -
Montreal does not rival New w.
in size. financial power, or indss
trial activity. but commercial IA
ers Of Manhattan plan not 10 /.
caught mapping. They see var,cr,
movements now under way vh;rs .
might easily develop 10 the djsad.
vantage OF their port. New Enc
land cities are seeking export ana
port differentiais under New Yort
such as those now enjoyed by pm.
adelphia and Baltimore, ana Phi,
ports are making every effort "A
secure rail rates which would al.
vert to them freight from the IN.
terror that has found an orth,
through New York for years.
Some of the transcontinentl
railroads are also seeking redrc.
lions from middle west points 10
the Pacific which might result in
the movement Of traffic overland
to the western coast that now COED
to New York and thence to the Pal
cific by water through ths PAM
ma canal.
VOlstead Law Also Blamed.
Even prohibition is in the con-
spiracy against New York. il is
claimed, and this is no vaudeville
joke. If the Interpretation thus far
placed on the Volstead law is sds-
| tanned and it operates to keep Ii
quor and wines of all vessels, do
nestle or foreign, that exterior
leave United States ports, it is fe-
garded as highly probable that a
! considerable part OF the trans
Atlantic passenger traffic from the
port of New York will be diverted
to Montreal. Quebec or Halifax.
Shipping board authorities are
inclined to agree with this pessS-
mistic view of the Gothamites, and
no one seems to know just what
can be done about il
! In view of the rivalry between
New York and Montreal and che
/ fact that they are the leading ports
of North America a comparison Of
their shipping facilities and bust
ness status in general is interest,"
ing. The depth Of channels and
harbor at New York averages from
80 to 35 feet as against an average
of 20 TO So feet at Montreal. New
York Mas go ship berths. whereas
Montreal has but 100 In the last
25 wears New York has expended
| S95, 0OO, 900 for dock constructor,
as compared with s3l.0000oo for
the entire port of Montreal.
| New York has manufacturing
plants to the number OF S3,00o.
with a capitalization of more than
$4,000. 100000 and an annual out
put valued we'll in excess OF 5000
+ 100000. Manufacturing plants u
Montreal number but 2.65o, with a
total capital of less than ball a
billion and an annual product only
a little more than one-tenth the
value of New York's. Foreign trade
through the port OF New YORK iasI
year amounted to s2.6S2 oooWo, as
i against $500, 100000 for the port OF
Montreal.
i Port facilities at Montreal in
clude two large, modern. hfepfooi
Il elevators with conveyor system 10
Is steamship berths at which nine
vessels can be loaded with gram
| simultaneously; % permanent nfe-
proof sheds; IS miles OF harbor
, railway terminals: construction
: and repair plants; about 200 acres
of land, all reclaimed. in the most
valuable part of the city, and 70
; tai wharfage at the close OF 1881
, wear of SIS miles. A 35-foot cnah-
, mel between Montreal and tue
ocean is now being dredged by tne
government. and il is said tnet Il
/ will be available for ships wlthih =
: few years. -,
: New Workers who are waxing w
: to the activities of their rival aie
: naturally not enthusiastic over tae
, projected waterway along the 81
Lawrence which the promoters
claim will make possible tbe Az,
, pearance of ocean ships at ports oh
: the Great Lakes. They believe 'haI
such a waterway would result II.
the diversion of great amolr' y.
/ traffic from the middle west WHICH
e is now routed through thelr ca!
1 and while this might not an r.
= dound TO the advantage OF MON.
= real it would be : blow 10 Ne"
/ York.