CANAL TO GREAT LAKES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17439, 10 April 1931, Page 5

CANAL TO GREAT LAKES

NO MORE TRANSHIPPING CANANA & TJ.S. TO CO-OPERATE NEW YORK, Feb. 7. The visit which Mr. Richard Bennett, Prime Minister of Canada, paid to Washington lasi week paved the way for the construction <>l ihe St. I.uwreinco walerwai to provide a canal lor oceangoing ships from Ihe Great Lakes to ihe Atlantic. This will give the western part of hot h countries direct coniiiiitnii".iti.iii with Europe without transshipping. The. development is regarded on both sides of the border as ol world wide importance to trade. it will be preceded by the appointment of a joint commission, representing all interests, with power to negotiate a treaty incidental to sin’ll a .waterway. The names of the American Commissioners, will be announced this month.

Montreal contends that cargoes now trans-shipped tit Montreal would henceforth pass it by in vessels navigating the projected waterway, 'imt Montreal’s opposition, it is antioipalod. cannot prevail against the larger interests nt Canada and the Cubed Stales I’resident Hoover aud Mr. Bennett recognise the ililli,nilies still in the way. bill both are teporled to lie iri complete agreement regarding joint participation in ioiisiiltuiion, financing and construction. 'New York City interests recognise Unit the St. Lawrence waterway would divert cargo traffic that comes to New York from the Great Lakes for shipment abroad. Here again the ohj-U-dioits will probably be over-ruled becuuso agricultural interests in tho Cniteil States, West and Middle West, now sadly in need of encouragement, are deemed more important than the metropolitan shipping trade. In January, 1628. Mr. Vincent. Massey, then Canadian Minister at Washington, quoted (he Canadian Advisory Committee as holding that it was possible to work out a. plan for the construction of the waterway on terms equitable to both countries. The estimate of cost as submitted by the Canadian Government, including outlay on present works, was £30.000,€OO for Canada and C76.0C0.000 for the Cnited States.