228 SPORT INDEED 



their own canal, which was then in course of construc- 

 tion, would soon be jfinished, and would give them the 

 opportunity to retaliate by putting up the tolls to 

 American vessels in the Welland and other Canadian 

 waterways. They said it was a small, petty thing for 

 a great country like the United States to do, and 

 that Canada would more than get even in the long 

 run. 



The Americans, on the other hand, said it served 

 the Canadians right, for they were always nagging and 

 bullying us, behind England, on the fisheries, the 

 Behring Sea and other questions ; and it was time to 

 teach them a lesson. The commerce passing through 

 this canal in Canadian bottoms is very small, some- 

 times being only a little over four per cent, of the 

 whole. Out of an almost continuous procession of 

 steamers, tugs and sailing vessels which we passed in 

 the " Soo " Kiver only one was Canadian, and she was 

 a small fishing smack. So, pecuniarily, the retaliation 

 policy didn't amount to much ; it was the sting and 

 smart of it that counted. American craft went 

 through free and Canadian craft paid twenty cents 

 per ton toll. 



It is said that more tonnage passes through the Soo 

 Canal than through the famous Suez Canal. The Soo 

 Canal is open only about seven months in the year and 

 is totally inadequate for the immense traffic passing 

 through it; therefore our Government built a new 



