438 Our North Land. 



It would be difficult to estimate the cost of this great highway ; but 

 when completed it is safe to say that it will have absorbed, for 

 surveys, construction, and equipment, over one hundred millions of 

 dollars, but it will be one of the most important railways on the 

 earth, and will exercise over the world's commerce greater influence 

 than, perhaps, any other line qf railway communication on the globe. 

 Besides, it changes the whole status of Canada, and renders us 

 absolutely independent, politically and commercially, of the United 

 States. 



The question of distances, via the Canadian Pacific, as compared 

 with United States transcontinental lines, places Canada in a very 

 proud position. Take, for instance, the following : — 



From Yokohama (Japan) to San Francisco 4,470 miles. 



" San Francisco to New York 3,331 " 



" New York to Liverpool 3,040 " 



Total 10,841 " 



From Yokohama to Port Moody 4,374 miles. 



" Port Moody to Montreal , 2,895 " 



" Montreal to Liverpool 3,000 " 



Total 10,269 " 



Diffei-ence in favour of Canada Pacific Railway route, 572 miles. 



This is a considerable saving between the two points, and represents 

 an advantage for the Canadian route of four hundred and thirty- 

 six miles in railway traffic. But this is by no means the shortest 

 Canadian route across the continent. When the Hudson's Bay 

 route is open the distance from Japan to Liverpool, via that natural 

 channel of communication, will be but eight thousand two hundred 

 and seventy-five miles, or two thousand five hundred and sixty-six 

 miles shorter than the United States route, and about two thousand 

 miles shorter than the Canadian Pacific route. 



But to come more directly to the question of the Canadian 

 Pacific Railway in its connections with the North- West: The 

 Government sought, and wisely I think, to protect the line from 

 undue competition for a stated period of time, and this protection 



