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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1886)
322 THE WEST SHORE. In Downing the forfeiture of the laud graut for the Cascade division of the Northern Pacific railroad, both of the Oregon senators spoke of the strong competition which this, and our other Pacific railroads, are likely to Lave from the Canadian Pacific. Iu lioilW of thuir speeches, nor in othor references to the subject, does tliere npiear to be any exaggeration of the important part which the Canadian Pacifio is to play in the traffic across this continont, and the development of business in the Northwest This road may bo said practically to have the British government behind it, notwithstanding the fact that many of its securities are owned by Americans. It was built to extend the civilization and power of England in accordance with the policy announced by Brougham alxut thirty years ago," to presorve the connection of the different component parts of a great and settled empire and connect the whole mass," the same policy as that by which the lloman empire was consolidated, by making all roads lead to tho imperial city. All the ocean paths now lead to England. The route to the East was shortened by the Suez canal, and England con. tends that a shorter and a choapor route is now open through the Canadian dominion, and there is no doubt it will be used. Tho advertised time between London aud Iloug Kong via Gibraltar and Suez, is forty-two days, aud to Yohohama, fifty-two days. By way of Montreal and Port Moody the run from Liverpool to Yokohama can be made in thirty-soven days. Ou the Eastern routo vessels must take coal at Aden or Ceylon, which has to be carried from the mines in England or Australia, while the local supply on the Canadian route is abundant Taking all things into account, the extra cost for coal, the tolls upon the Sues canal, and the dif ference iu olimato, the Canadian route would sooin to be the most favorable for English trafllo with Japan and Northern China. Although the road has been open to trafllo but four months, five tea ships from Japan have arrivod at Port Moody, and others are chartered. Those cargoes, how- ever, are not for England, but for consumption in the United Statos and Canada. The Northorn Pacific has boon open for trafllo three years without receiving as many cargooe of tea. The disUuce from Pugot sound to Yokohama is five hundred miles less than from San Franaisoo a difference of two days in favor of the sound With a line of steamers plying regularly between the wosUtrn turminus of the Canadian road and China, with mail patronage in addition to all the othor favors of the British government, it is plaiuly to be seen that the road will have an immense advantage ovor our Pacific roads ' iu foreign commerce, which has been regarded from the first as one of the main sources of revenue for these road. Asa Whitney, who began forty years ago to urge the importance of building the Northorn Pacifio railroad, said it was M the only route which would shorten the dis tance between Europe and Asia so as to force a changi to it" But the Canadians have built another road a lit tle ahortar, and, what is of more consequence, the pa trons of tho now rival have business to give it Our government, which has been assiduously striving to avoid having foreign commerce, has succeeded so well that now it has very little trade with the boat, ungusn ships Uke our raw cotton to England, where it ia mnnu . .. T-i , i faoturod into cloth; then ingusn amps carry w vuiud, Japan aud the Philippines, and return with cargoes of tea, coffee and spices. The aggregate amount of cottons sold by England in the East in one year is some six hun dred million yards. But the foreign commerce that may pasB over the Canadian Pacifio railway will not be its only, nor its main, support This road will doubtless play about the same part in the transcontinental business of this coun try that tho Grand Trunk has so long played between Boston and Chicago. Although the Grand Trunk was the longest road, it has successfully competed with other linos at every possible point, until now it is one of the most prosperous, as well as most powerful, roads in America. The Canadian Paoifio will pursue the same policy. It has already secured a large share of the East ern trafllo on the sound, and is drawing business from San Francisco. It has established direct connections with' Minneapolis, St Paul and Chicago, and it will send its branches down into every fertile section of our north- . em border. It will come wherever there is business to Seattle, to Portland, to Spokane Falls and to Helena and its coming will also stimulate business at every fa vored competitive point With the development of its oriental trafllo othor roads will have to go to ita western terminus to get a share for distribution in the United States. Yandorbilt need to say, when the Grand Trunk was pressing him so hard, that it was diffioult to compote with a road which was not oompelled to pay dividends. The London stockholders of the road were not seeking to make instantaneous fortunes, but to build for the future, to extend the commercial relations of England, and so they wore willing to have their dividends deferred. The political importance of the Canadian Pacifio is so great that it will be sustained, even if ita business in the early stages of development should not be remunerative. All these considerations give it prestige to start with, and if the policy by which it has been opened, is continued, it will be a mighty factor in the development of business at various points in the Northwest It may also teach American statesmen that foreign commerce is one of the elements of national grandeur and wealth, that even as great a country as this can not afford to despise. Tub West Suorb for 1887 will be much enlarged and improved in every respect In both ita illustrations and contributed article it will take a wider range of subjects, and ita contents will be more diversified than formerly. Those who subscribe now for 1887, will re ceive the October and November numbers, and the hol iday issue of this year, including the handsome colored engraving of Mount Hood.
