Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-20
QUEBEC OPPOSES
WATERWAYS PLAN.
Premier Declares Province,
With Millions at Stake,
Against Power Export.
BY TOM WAITING.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

QUEBEC. January 20.-Quebec is
opposed to the St. Lawrence waterway
development plans which have been
advanced by Secretary Hoover.
Unalterable opposition was today
expressed by S. l.. A Taschereau,
premier of Quebec, in a special inter
view in which he pointed out that the
proposed waterway route to the sea
from the Great Lakes unquestionabiy
would work great hardship upon this
Canadian province and would be q
deterrent to already swiftly progress
ing industrial enterprises.
Why is SO little progress made
with the development of the st, Law
renee power and waterway scheme?"
the premier was asked.
Fears Loss of Mills.
Premier Taschereau rose from his
seat and walked over to the window
There" he said, with a wide sweep
of his arm, there is one of the rea-
sons why do not approve of the St
Lawrence plan. Since my government
prohibited the export of power, indus
tries have come into our province, and
for every mill that is opened here a
mill shuts down in the United States.
The st. Lawrence plan would mean
the export of power to the United
States and those plants would flourish
there instead of in Canada"
Mr.. Taschereau paced the floor. now
and then pausing at window to look
out to the spot where the Anglo
Canadian Paper Mill is raising its
$20,o0O,o0o investment. Plants at
ArVida and Drummondyille are also
being built by another company.
There Is new plant at Steanne de
Beaupre," continued Mr. Taschereau,
"a $7,000,000 plant, while above Que
bee another fifteen millions will be
spent soon. The power is coming from
Lake st. John and if it were to be
carried to the United States those
plants would be south of the border.
not here in Quebec, increasing our
prosperity
Opposed for Four Reasons.
Il am opposed for four reasons, >"
said the premier:
Il. 1t would mean joint control by
Canada and the United States of what
is after all a Canadian waterway.
2. 1t is not purely a navigation
proposition. What the Americans
have in mind is the development Of
the power. | am opposed to the ex.
portation of power and / believe the
Province of Ontario agrees with us in
this respect
%. The information of our experts
is that the st. Lawrence scheme
would burt very much the port of
Montreal.
3. Canada, with the heavy financ-
ing burden she is carrying already.
cannot enter into such an adventure
which would mean a heavy outlay"
BY export of power you mean to
the United States?"
Most certainly. We have no OBJ
lection whatever that the power go
to our sister Province, of Ontario"
Interested in st. Lawrence.
You say 1t would hurt Montreal.
Would not the construction OF the
Lake Ontario Hudson route. the al.
tentative suggested in the Hoover
report, hurt Montreal still more?" Il
am interested in the Canadian aspact
of the case. The st. Lawrence is a
Canadian waterway"
With the deepening of the st.
Lawrence, would not the trafic from
the Welland Canal increase the bust.
ness at Montreal?"
That / cannot say. / am not an ex-
pert; our experts say Montreal would
be injured. The interests of Montreal
must be supreme, for Montreal is Can.
ada's greatest port, and, after all,
charity begins at home
But the Dominion has spent $45.-
Continued on Page s. Column 81