Needed Railway Competition in the North-West. 469 



to the Pacific, probably at Bute Inlet. Where the Manitoba and 

 North-Western would cross the Smokey River, a line might with 

 great profit, be projected north-westerly across the Peace River, and 

 far away to the Upper Mackenzie. These trunk lines of the interior 

 cannot all be constructed at once, but they should be pressed forward 

 as rapidly as capital can be found to construct them. 



These four great trunk lines will converge at Winnipeg, from 

 which point easterly we have as yet only the Canadian Pacific and 

 access over the St. Paul, Minniapolis and Manitoba line. These 

 facilities are too limited for the necessities of the country, and savour 

 too much of monopoly to ensure low transportation rates. Other 

 American lines, such as the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul road, 

 should find free and unobstructed access across the boundary, and 

 connection with the Canadian lines. Besides the Grand Trunk, the 

 great competitor of the Canadian Pacific, should be allowed to enter 

 the North- West vid Sault Ste. Marie, and Winnipeg, and by means 

 of the Manitoba and North-Western, or the 'Manitoba Central, find 

 its way across the prairie country to the Pacific. In this way Canada 

 would have two great transcontinental lines of railway, competing 

 with each other, and with United States lines, to a great extent, for 

 the carrying trade. 



Besides these principal lines, the North-West requires a vast 

 system of local or subsidiary roads, connecting every portion of the 

 great fertile areas with the main channels of transportation. 



But above all, the Prairie Country must have access to 

 Hudson's Bay. There must be constructed at an early date a line 

 from Manitoba to Churchill ; and, in the near fnture, necessity will 

 require a road from Calgary via Prince Albert, to Churchill, through 

 the great Saskatchewan valleys. And not only these, but the 

 development of transcontinental trade will, in due time, make it 

 necessary to construct a line from where the Manitoba and North- 

 Western will cross the Smokey River . to Churchill direct, which 

 with the Hudson's Bay route will be the shortest possible line 

 between Japan and Europe across the American Continent. 



With such a railway system as I have indicated, the immense 

 future productions of the North-West will find access to all markets, 



