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 CORRESPON DENCE 
 
 ON 
 
 THE PROPOSED 
 
 CANADIAN FAST MAIL SEIIYIOE 
 
 ADDUESSED TO 
 
 THE FOSTIWASTER-GENERAL 
 
 ''I'l 
 
 AND TO 
 
 rilE "TIMES." 
 
 MoCORQUODALE & CO. Limited, Printers, Glasgow anu London. 
 
 18J>4. 
 
 (*«..!*• * ,.,:,., -jJii* 
 
# 
 
 f 
 
 31 
 
 » 
 
 I 
 
 j^^. 
 aR 
 
f 
 
 CORRESPONDENCJE 
 
 ON 
 
 THE PROPOSED 
 
 CANADIAN EAST MAIL SERVICE 
 
 ' AI)I>l!i:SSKI> TO 
 
 THE POS IM A S I'ER-GENERAL 
 
 f 
 
 AND TO 
 
 THE ''TIMES. 
 
 ^ 9 
 
 1 
 
 McCOllQUODALE & CO. Limited, Puinters, Glasgow and London. 
 
 1 8!)4. 
 
25 BoTinvELL Stuket, 
 (Jkasgow, 13/// Dcceiiihcr, 1894. 
 
 The Rijj;lit ITonoiirable 
 
 Arnold JMorlev, M.V., 
 
 ]*08tin!i,ster-General. 
 London. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 The report oi Lord Jersey upon the proceedings of the 
 Ottawa Conference, iu so far as it deals with the Canadian Trans- 
 athmtic and Pacific Postal Service, will doubtless be receiving tju; 
 consideration of your (^'!])arunent as well as thit of the Ministry, 
 and it may be of sei'vice that you should have at hand, in an 
 accessible form, the correspondence that has taken place through 
 the Tiiiu-s newspaper upon the subject of the Canadian Fast Mail 
 Service. 
 
 With that object we have printed the correspondence in the 
 order of its date, and have prefaced it with the letter we addressed 
 to yourself U])on the sul)ject in August last, and we hope it may 
 throw some light upon the question which has been raised wi^h 
 regard to the subsidizing of the services. Further copies of the 
 coi'respondence may be bad on application to us. 
 
 As regards the report itself, having only been able to obtain a 
 copy to-day, we have not had time to do more than glance at it. 
 
 We observe, hoAvever, that Lord Jersey is under the impression 
 that while paying a large sum per annum to the Liverpool-New 
 York mail steamers, the British Post OfTice gives no assistance to 
 th(^ direct postal line between Great Britain and Canada. But 
 this is a mistake, as the British Post Otrice has all along paid 
 poundage on the mail matter carried by the Canadian mail 
 steamei'S from Britain, as they do on that carried by the Liverpool- 
 New Yoi'k steamers, but, owing to the Canadian Government 
 paying to their mail steamers their subsidy, the Canadian mail 
 poundage is paid to the Canadian Government instead of to the 
 carrying steamers, and this payment to the Canadian Government 
 goes towards the recoupment of their subsidy. 
 
Lord rlcrscy ,su;j:,irests tliat a portion of tlio iiuiil money 
 presently paid to the Cmiard and Wliite Star Lines (vvliich, as 
 mentioned, is a, rate per pound of mail matter (.'arried) should be 
 diverted to the proposed Canadian fast line, whereby a large part 
 of the additional subsidy sought for it from the British Govern- 
 ment f'ould be provided. 
 
 Obviously it oan only be diverted by transference of the mail 
 matter carried by these lines to the Canadian steamers, and 
 Lord Jersey is in erroi- in thinking it can l)e applied towards 
 the augmentation of the mail money, for the Canadian jMinistry, 
 when asking Parliament to sanction the payment of the sul)sidy 
 they are offeiing for the new service, represented that much of 
 their increased subsidy would be repaid to them by the increased 
 ])oundage that would come to the Government as a result of 
 the acceleration of the service. 
 
 Lord Jersey discusses the dcdays from fog dangers on the 
 Canadian route in (iontrast with those on the New York i-oute, 
 claiming that they are practically on a par, and do not seriously 
 disturb either the one service or the other. 
 
 A perusal of our correspondence will make clear where they 
 differ, and the serious misapprehension on this subjet^t under which 
 Lord Jersey labours. 
 
 We are, Sii", 
 
 Your obedient Servants, 
 JAMES & ALEXANDER ALLAN. 
 
CANADIAN FAST MAIL SERVICE. 
 
 GLASiiow, 24tli August, 1894. 
 
 Till- Ki-ht lion. AnioM IVIorley, M.F., 
 Postuiiistcr-Gcneral, London. 
 
 Sir. 
 
 •Sonii! yonrs ni^o when tlio qucslion of the fust Canacliun mail 
 sorvice was first mooted, and suggestions Avcro made to ns by the 
 Canadian Government for supplying the same, wc entered into 
 informal communication with your department with a view to 
 learn wlu'thei- the British (iovernment would supplement the 
 subsidy which the Cjinadian Government were offering for this 
 service. Wc tluMi learned that the direct supplement which wc 
 had hoped might bo given could not be, and our recollection is 
 that it was explained to ns that, while a direct subsidy was not and 
 could not he granted, this country did give substantial aid to the 
 service, under an arrangement whereby certain postal revenues 
 collected for mail matter conveyed by the Canadian mail steamers 
 remain in the hands of. or were given over to, the Canadian 
 Government. 
 
 May we ask if this arrangement is still in force, and if the 
 views of the British Government remain unchanged ? * 
 
 AVhen the 20-knot-at-sca service was submitted to the "Allan" 
 Line, in association with the subsidy of $750,000, no suggestion 
 was made that this subsidy miirht be augmented by a direct 
 ])ayinent from the British Govermnent. That suggestion is now 
 coming into prominence, and, avc rem;irk. is receiving countenance 
 from the recent Canadian convention. We venture to ask if there 
 is any probability of such aid being given, and whether, if this 
 country is to give such aid, it Avill be given inider the conditions 
 either that the existing contractors, avIk* have so long performed 
 the service, have an opportunity of tendering for it in its altered 
 
TSB 
 
 sliMpi'. or lilt' i)i'0|»(isal.s he utTcrcd to |>iil»lic (•onipt'titioii. Wo 
 would ]'e«i;ai'd it as unfair tlial a .-.cliciiu', wliicli coidd not lio|tr to 
 be successful in the form it, was liivl, presented. slinid<l. hy liie^ help 
 of the British (iovernineiit, he ii'udei'ed po>sihle of success in the 
 hands of a, stran<>er, without tlie present or otiier eout-racfors 
 haviii;^ any ripportunity to consider it. 
 
 Our own position in tiie (piestion lias hpeii s{]{ fnrth in u series 
 of k'tters we, tliis niontii. ad(h'essed to the 'I'/inex newsi)aper, 
 and may he hrielly suniinarised as follows: — 
 
 'i'lie Canadian ronti; ne(a!ssitates steanu^rs travei'sing, (hn'infr 
 the Canadian season, seas and land-honnded watei's that are 
 fre({nently hesiit with (hmjrers froui ice and foy\ and, because of 
 this, tlu' high s))eed re(inired for the new service conhl notsafidy 
 be utilised: And, therefore.it would not only not serve the end 
 contemplated of providing a service that would e(|ual that over 
 New Yoi'k, hut could not hoj)e to be self-supporting from 
 passenger and freight traflic unless enormously sn})plemcnted by 
 Government subsidy — lionce the Allans' inability to undertake it 
 at the subsidy offered. 
 
 We urged the Government, because of these climatic disadvan- 
 tages, to content themselves with a, good but more moderate 
 speed, Avhich could easily he provided for less expenditure, and 
 without taxing so severely the resources of the Dominion. 
 Obviously it is unwise to waste money in providing steamships of 
 enormous power and limited carrying capacity to run at a speed 
 which oftentimes would have to be suspeiuled or slowed down, and 
 to get which an enormous subsidy has to be paid, when a less and 
 yet a fast service could be given for greatly less cost, and which 
 would, by reason of the shorter mileage, compare favourably with 
 the voyages of swifter boats on longer routes. 
 
 If the Government had concuri-ed in this view% the Allans, who 
 had for 40 years supplied the service, would have undertaken to 
 provide the new. But their contract has been placed in the hands of 
 a stranger, who at first represented to the Government that it could 
 not be fulfilled for the subsidy it offered, but required a very large 
 addition thereto — about £75,000. Subseciuently he undertook to 
 float a company in Britain on the Government terms, and he 
 should be left to fulfil his undertaking. If it cannot be floated as 
 it stands, we repeat it would be unjust that what could not be 
 
siiocossfiil ill the forin lie ntnlcrtook il,sli(inl(l l)o rciwloivd possihlo 
 of sii(',(!c'ss l»y holp <«r tlic llritish ( ioveniiiKMit, wilhoul the present 
 ('oiilractors tor tlie iii.-iil service, or uiiyouo else, being permitted an 
 opportunity of eoMsiderinji; it in its all(!re<l shape. 
 
 We are, Sii-, 
 
 Your obedient Servants, 
 
 .JAMES & ALEXANDER ALLAN. 
 
 # '^IM 
 
 The Tost Ofliee Department was unable to reply on the points 
 of policy raised, but as to the practice in legard to the disposal, 
 &c., of postage on mail matter by the Canadian mail steamers, 
 answered, in effect, that the Canadian (iovernment received all 
 the postage earned, except enough to pay the inland postage of 
 Great Britain. 
 
w 
 
 CANADIAN FAST MAIL SERVICE. 
 
 Messrs. ALLAN. 
 
 TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. 
 
 Discussion in 
 
 Canadian 
 
 Parliament. 
 
 Unfair stric- 
 tures upon 
 the Allans. 
 
 Sir, — The Canadian Goverament have now definitely voted 
 ^vhe subsidy of $750,000 wliich, a few years ago, they had pro- 
 VLsionally offered to the late Mr. Bryce Douglas, of the Barrow 
 Shipbuilding Company, for a 20-knot weekly service between this 
 country and Canada (Quebec in summer, Halifax in winter), and 
 they have made a provisional contract with Mr. James Huddart 
 to provide the service, allowing him three months to raise the 
 necessary capital. The subsidy is to be given for a period of ten 
 years, after which it is to be reduced by one-third for a like period. 
 The Finance Minister estimated the cost of running the boats at 
 $60,000 per round voyage, or $3,120,000 per annum. 
 
 In the discussion of the vote in the House Sir Richard 
 Cartwright, the leader of the Opposition, and Mr. Laurier are 
 reported to have dwelt upon the dangers attending the navigation 
 of the Gulf and River St. Lawrence, and the impossibility, because 
 of these, to maintain with safety the required speed : and, as the 
 success of the service financially depended upon speed and safety, 
 and as the payment of the subsidy was contingent upon speed and 
 continuity of service, they predicted for it failure. 
 
 Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper, on the other hand, maintained 
 that the St. Lawrence was one of the finest and safest waters in 
 the world, and added that in 20 years not a single mail steamer 
 had been lost in the river oi- gulf. Had Sir Charles stopped here, 
 or confined himself to justifying his opiniou by reference to 
 
9 
 
 aiithnvitios cnf^agod in tlie navigation, we might have romainod 
 silent on the subject ; but he went out of his way to bhirne parties 
 for circulating reports about the safety of the St. Lawi'ence, and 
 pointed his allusion to the Allan Line by deprecating " the conduct 
 all the more as it proceeded from those who feared their private 
 interests woidd now be affected, and who from the very outset had 
 been aided by Government subsidies." 
 
 Representatives in this country of the Allan Line, we feel 
 aggrieved to be thus held up as opposing for personal reasons a 
 scheme which is so generally desired, by misrepresenting the true 
 character of the navigation, and we venture to ask the favour of a 
 place in your columns to make the Allans' position in this matter 
 clear. 
 
 "When the Government sought to establish a service that would 
 vie with those riuming to New York, they naturally looked in the 
 first place to the Alhins to supply it. 
 
 Their knowledge of the business, their experience of the Their defence. 
 St. Lnwrence navigation, and their ])ersonal interests all indicated 
 them as the parties to provide it, if the scheme were feasible. From 
 the beginning of the mail service in 185o they had provided it. 
 Losses in the prosecution of the service, due to the dangers of the 
 navigation, did not deter them from continuing it in earlier years, 
 and their loyalty to tlu; Dominion has made them cleave to it in 
 later, long after it has ceased to be remunerative. When they 
 could not undertake the more ambitious scheme ou which the 
 Government had set their heart, l)e]ieving it would fail financially 
 and disappoint tlie expectations of the Government, the Allans, 
 without pi'essing it upon them, offered at less cost to the Dominion 
 to provide the highest class of service which, in their view, is suited 
 to the St. Lawrence. 
 
 It was, therefore, unfair for anyone to say that the Allans 
 opposed the scdieme in other hands because they feared that their 
 private interests would be aftected. It was well known that they 
 had an oppoi'tunity, if they wished, to share the new service, both 
 Mv, IJryce Douglas and the present contractor having sought their 
 co-operation. 
 
 Why could not the Allans, it maybe asked, take part in it ; is Why the 
 
 1 • . 11 1 • r,i 1 IT Mi 1 -1 -IT Allans could 
 
 not the navigatuju all that Sn* Charles 11. lupi)er describes it f It not under- 
 
 , take the 
 
 service. 
 
 r'S ai 
 
 lii 
 
10 
 
 History of the 
 navigation by 
 mail steamers 
 and how 
 safety was 
 attained. 
 
 Ice dangers. 
 
 Examples. 
 
 and ])en,cotis, wliicli have in l)f)imteoiis measure been provided by the 
 Ministry of IMarino. It is also true that in 20 years not a mail 
 steamer has been lost in the river or gulf ; bnt it is nevertheless the 
 (tase that, barring mail steamers, every line trading for any length 
 of time to the St. Lawrence has had serious marine disasters, and a 
 new crop springs up every season. 
 
 AVhat was the Allan history? In the earlier years of their 
 contract, although the speed was not half that now required, it had 
 to be maintained under penalties, and in tryhig to fulfil its terms 
 they lost between 18G0 and 18(;4 six mail steamers. In 18G1, 
 when the contract was renewed, they got the following clause 
 introduced : — 
 
 " That the steamers are never to approach Cape Race when the 
 weather is so foggy or tempestuous as to nuike it dangerous to do 
 so, and when the presence of fog or ice makes it dangerous to run 
 the vessels at full speed it shall be tlie duty of the captain iither to 
 slacken the speed or to stop the vessel as occasion may recpiire, and 
 the time lost by doing so, if proved to the satisfaction of the Post- 
 master-General, shall be allowed to the contractor in addition to 
 the time specified for the length of the voyage." 
 
 "When that proviso became operative the good record of the 
 mail service began. Their immunity from disaster is due to the 
 fact that speed is noAV subordinated to safety. But speed under the 
 new contract cannot be intermitted if the steamers are to compete 
 with Campanias and Lucanias. 
 
 AVhen the warmth of summer brings down Arctic ice into the 
 ocean track tlu! New York steamer can, with little iiKU-ease of milo- 
 afe, choose a southern route, and career at speed through fog, fearless 
 of ice or land, until she reaches off her port. But how can a 
 vessel that must enter the St. Lawrence do this where the gateways 
 are near Cape Race or the Straits of Belle Isle ? It is impossildi-; 
 and how can she safely go at 20 knots through fog wluu) within 
 land -bounded waters? If it be contended that navigation is now 
 made safer than formerly, we answer it is maiidy due to increased 
 watchfulness, for no beacons or lights can turn aside the dangers 
 of ice and of fogs in hmd-locked seas. 
 
 What has our own experience been tliis very season, now not 
 half over? One of our cargo steamers has been in contact with 
 an iceberg, and had her bow stove in, escaiiing loss solely by her 
 
11 
 
 moderated speed — oh knots. Another has had her bottom iTijured 
 and nearly rippod from stem to stern, by being brought too near 
 the headland of Father Point by an experienced pilot, and this 
 against our express injunctions to give headlands a wide berth. 
 Two others coming out of the Straits of*Belle Isle, after mid- 
 scnnmer, passed through icefields, only escaping injury by going 
 slow. 
 
 The 8t. La^vrence route, river and gulf, are not waters where 
 a 20-knot speed can safely be maintained, and if speed be required 
 to develop the passenger trade that is to provide the bulk of the 
 earnings to meet Mr. Foster's estimated $3,120,000 expenditure 
 and yield a return on capital, it must be admitted that the outlook 
 is not bright. 
 
 But this is only one branch of the difficulty the proposed Another 
 service has to contend with. difficulty. 
 
 A new terminus has to be found in winter. Unlike New 
 York, which is in itself an enormous centre of population and 
 commerce, with the whole railway system of the United States 
 converging on it, Halifax, the winter terminus of the proposed 
 line, and Quel)ec, the summer, have no local trade worth con- 
 sidering. Everything must be railway-borne ■ — in winter over the 
 Intercolonial Railway, and in summer over one or other of the two 
 trunk Canadian lines. 
 
 These railways are independent enterprises, with interests of 
 their own to look to. IJailway rates must be a first charge on all 
 through earnings. The normal condition of things among railways 
 is tliat tluy work at uniform rates under a combined agreement. 
 When ke(Mi competitions arise among ocean carriers — Avhich is, 
 uidia]>pily, the normal state of things with them, and would 
 certainly await flic advent of a new competitor — a fall in through 
 rates has to hv wholly borne by the ocean carrier. It was not, 
 tlierefoiv, a cheerful look-out for a line that has to develop a great 
 ti'ade that it shotild be dependent practically upon the co-operation 
 and good-will of railways, howevei* friendly, that were to have no 
 stake in the undertaking. 
 
 Steamers of immense power and cost to build and run, and Speed cannot 
 whose cargo-carrying capacity is in the inverse i-atio of their speed, 
 and whose sjjced cannot, by reason of the character of the 
 navigation, be fully utilized, and which are to be run under the 
 
 be utilized. 
 
12 
 
 (lisadvantafycR we have indicated, are surely not, lioi)et'iill}' circum- 
 stanced, and we appeal to you that the Allans sIk-uLI not be decried 
 because they could not countenance the scheme. 
 
 3Ve are, yours truly, 
 
 JAMES & ALEXR. ALLAN. 
 
 25 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, 9th August, 181)4. 
 
 Mr. HUDDART. 
 TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. 
 
 Sir, — A year ago, after some months' close negotiation with 
 the Dominion Government, I concluded a ten years' contract for 
 the establishment of a steamship service between Canada and 
 Australia. 
 
 The Government of the Dominion of Canada then did me the 
 honour to invite me to take up the question of the fast Atlantic 
 service, with the view to forming a company. I promised Sir John 
 Thompson and others of his colleagues that I should study the 
 subject. After six months' experience in the Canadian-Australian 
 trade I found we were suffering greatly by Ijeing unable to get our 
 through passengers satisfactorily from Canada to England, and 
 that our mails were nearly always delayed. 
 
 Returning to Canada from England in February last, I resolved, 
 if the Donii.iion Government werr, still desirous of my forming a 
 company, that I shoidd essay the task. 
 
 It is sulHcient to say that, after three weeks' ntigotiation with 
 the Dominion Government, 1 returned to England with a provisional 
 contract for ten years in my pocket. The correspondence between 
 the Government and myself, which formed the provisional contract, 
 simply states that we are to build steamers f(n- the Athmtic which 
 shall be capable of steaming 2U knots at sea in ordinary Atlantic 
 weather. There is no doubt the subsidy will be renewed for the 
 full $750,000 per aniuim. 
 
 It was my suggestion that the Government should give me 
 three months in which to complete my negotiations in England; 
 
ntul on this point 1 may say tlmt List inontli T arrangod with Sir 
 John Tlionipson tliat. if 1 fonnd it (l(!,sir;ibk% I could liave until at 
 hiast n(,'xt May in Avhich to form a (iompany, and Ihorc is no 
 probability of tlio Government interfering with us so long as they 
 are satisfied that we are energetieally ])roseeuting the scheme. 
 
 On my retnrn to England in March, I wrote to the Messrs. Writes the 
 Allan iiiviting theii- co-operation. A somewhat lengthy corres- ^"''^''^* 
 pondence ensued, when it became evident that the interests were 
 irreconcilable. After a long silence the ^Fessrs. Allan telegraphed 
 asking if they came up to town next day I could give them an 
 appointment. J met INIr. Dnnlop and Mr. Robert Allan in the 
 Jlotcl Victoria. An hour-and-a-half's conversation ensued, and Interview and 
 
 • its PGSUltS 
 
 It was thus crystallized at the conclusion. Mr. Duidop said, " It is 
 our business to discredit your project, but if you are going to 
 succeed we cannot afford to be out of it." I said, ''Wherever your 
 hand is seen it will be recognised that yon are an interested party," 
 and Mr. Allan admitted that such discovery would greatly discount 
 anything tliey said against the project. Messrs. Allan lost no 
 time in pulling the wires in Canada, and it is fair to them to 
 say that they exhausted all the usual means to destroy at the 
 outset all possibility of Canada realizing her delayed amlntion ; 
 and it is the strongest evidence of the determination of the states- 
 men and people of Canada to have this fast line that, in spite of 
 all the Messrs. Allan were able to do, and in s))ite of (or possibly 
 because of?) a falling revenue, the bill giving a subsidy of 
 .^^700,000 for the steamship service was passed into an Act without 
 a divisicm in the House of\ Commons. Messrs. Allan having thus 
 been thoroughly beaten in Canada, I was not surpi'ised, on opening 
 the Times of this morning, to llnd a letter from them which, 
 while it pretends to be written to put themselves right on a 
 personal point, is really a skilful and adroit eflFort to kill at the 
 centre of the Empire the scheme for the formation of a company 
 to enable Canada, and the friends of Canada and of Imperial 
 Federation, to fullil their natural and long-deferred ambition. 
 
 The name of the late Mr. liryce Douglas has been mentioned. Bryce 
 In my correspondence with the JNIessrs. Allan I i)ointed out that ^°"&'^^ 
 the fact that Mr. Douglas died in the middle of his efforts to form 
 the company is a suHicient answer as to why he did not succeed. 
 What is everybody's business is nobody's business, and unless some 
 
«■ 
 
 BHR 
 
 u 
 
 SirC. H. 
 Tupper's 
 views. 
 
 one man, suitably traiiKMl and with suHicii'ut oxpericiicc, shall he 
 prepared to give the whole of his time and energy to this great 
 work, success Avill never he reached. 
 
 Now, sir, if Messrs. Allan's letter has any arguments it is thai 
 this scheme is not feasible, because at the threshold we are met 
 by the stern forbiddance of nature. 
 
 Upon this point I slioidd like to b*; allowed lo reproduce the 
 remarks of Sir Charles Ilibbert Tupper. the Minister of Marine, 
 and the report from his oiru-ers, but the demands of yom- space 
 are inexorable. The following points occur: — 
 
 " Any contention that high sperd cannot be; maintained in the 
 gulf in consequence of the danger of navigation is not borne out 
 by the facts. The gulf can be described as a tine open stretch 
 of water, remarkably free from outlying dangers. There is no 
 more difficulty in a steamshii) running at a full speed, under 
 ordinary conditions of weather, from the >'ntrance of the gulf to 
 within 60 miles of Quebec, than in maintaining fidl speed on the 
 open Atlantic. 
 
 "There is necessarily a slight element of danger in thick 
 weather in consequence of the relative proxinuty of land, but this 
 danger is certainly no greater than the danger that arises in 
 approaching land on any of the Atlantic coasts. In fine weather, 
 or even in bad weather, if clear, the gulf coasts are now efficiently 
 lighted and fairly well provided with fog signals, to which Ave arc 
 steadily adding. In thick weather speed must be reduced whether 
 a vessel is in the gulf or in the open Atlantic, buu in the gulf 
 there is not the same lia])ility to fog that is found on other 
 portions of the Atlantic coast, and the path of cyclonic storms 
 always trends to the south of the gulf, and consecpiently extremely 
 bad weather is not encountered in that vicinity. 
 
 "The fastest vessels hitherto used in the St. Lawrence trade 
 have found no difficulty in navigating it at full speed, except, as 
 before stated, in exceptionally bad weather, which may be met on 
 any I'oute, which, when met, will unavoidably delay vessels, as 
 they arc now often delayed in the English Channel, in the Irish 
 Channel, on the Banks of Newfoundland, and in the approaches 
 to New York. If a 17-knot vessel can rmi at full speed, there is 
 nothing to prevent a 2o-knot vessel from similarly keeping up her 
 full power." 
 
15 
 
 I would ask. with ice or rocks ;ihi':ul, wliat, more would ^P^®*^ "** 
 
 dimculty 
 ii;i|)i)(Mi to a steani.sliip ^oin;jf at llit; rate of 1!) oi- 20 kuots as 
 
 ajraiiisl a slcamcr goiujjf at the rale ol' 1 (> or 17 or cvcu 10 knots? 
 
 AVc nnist rcnicnilwr the i^reat facilities which arc now placed at a 
 
 master's command hy reason of twin screws ;ind cnoiTiious powei". 
 
 Oarsmen know what hapi)cns when, with ;i, pair of scidls, the one 
 
 is propelled in a forward direction and the other in a backward. 
 
 Now the steamships we proj)ose to build shall have an indicated 
 
 horse power, at sea, o( at least 'iOjOOO. Imagine 10,000 horse 
 
 power exerted on the starboard pi'oi)cller going ahead, and a 
 
 similar power exerted on the port pro[)eller going astern, with 
 
 additional assistance of the rudder; how (piickly danger may be 
 
 averted. I mainlnin that, with a cool and experienced commaiuler, 
 
 if you give him half a chance, he will avert disaster. Not so with 
 
 your low-])owered single screw steamships. An effectual answer 
 
 to the maligners of the St. Lawrence rf)ute is that it has been 
 
 navigated by mail steamships for the last 20 years withont a loss 
 
 occurring. If any steamship is justified in going at 1 3 or 14 knots, 
 
 then I boldly say that, in similar circimistances, our proposed 
 
 steamshi})S will safely do 20 knots. That goes withont saying in 
 
 the open ocean, and it certainly is true of the St. Lawa-ence. This 
 
 gulf is a great gift of nature to the liritish Empire, and it is high 
 
 time that its natinvil advantages of being the nearest sea route to 
 
 and from Europe should be fully utilized. 
 
 Messrs. Allan infer that we have luulertaken to maintain a speed not to 
 speed throughout of 20 knots, or submit to penalties. We have*'®™^'"" 
 not been asked by the Dominion Govermnent, and it is not our 
 intention, to do anvthing of the kind : but we notice that a sinister 
 influence has been put upon the Dominion Government and its 
 friends to suggest such terms of contract as shall discredit us and 
 our scheme before the world. I venture to say the enemies (jf the 
 project will not succeed in this effort to make our work more 
 difficult. 
 
 We propose to carry the passengers and mails between England 
 and Canada in precisely the same way that they are being carried 
 between Liverpool and New York. Instructions to the connnanders 
 shall be to reach Canada safely, speed being at all times secondary 
 tf) safely. Thiy will have discretionary power as to speed, the 
 Government of the Dominion being satisfied that our interests 
 
 tained. 
 
10 
 
 Comments on 
 the Allan 
 letter. 
 
 iniisl. 1)(', to scciirt^ ti'iiiric, ;m<l Mint, in ordi'i' t(^ secure (i-iillic the 
 spe(!<l of the stcfunsliips imist he fully utili/ed wlien it is safe. 
 Fui'ther than lliut llio Uouiiuion ( JoveniiiieMt will uot ask us to 
 go, the esseui'C of the contraet boiuij; that the steamships shall hi' 
 eupahlo of doiiif; tlie sjjced, weather ami cirituiustances permitting. 
 
 Messrs. Allan ask us to helieve that lovidty to the Dominion 
 has made them cleave to their pi-osent husiness long after it has 
 ceased to he remunerative, i.e., that the hundreds of tliousjvnda of 
 poinids which they liave admittedly earned in past years are now 
 heing, from patriotic motives, given hack to the conununity from 
 which it was won. Here it ap])ears to me that IMessrs. Allan 
 prove too much. Surely they should wish to he relieved from that 
 unprofitable position, and it is not consistent of them to continue 
 their efforts to destroy our groat enterprise. 
 
 Keferring again to the navigation of the St. Lawrence, Messr.s. 
 Allan say, " If it be contended that navigation is now made safer 
 than formerly, we answer that it is mainly due to increased watch- 
 fulness." 
 
 Here, I think, the Messrs. Allan give their case away. By 
 reason of increased watchfidness no mail steamships have been lost 
 in the St. Lawrence for 20 years. But it appears that in other 
 than mail steamships accidents ha\ (! happened, and this brings us 
 to the factor we have always to face in these matters — the human 
 factor — the difference between the one man and the other. 
 
 Messrs. Allan call attention to the fact that a new terminus has 
 Connections ^^ ^^ found in winter. This is a well-known fact, and, of course, 
 justifies the Dominion Government in granting so generous a 
 subsidy as £3,000 per week ; and we find that, as in (everything else, 
 there are compensations in trading direct to Halifax. Messrs. 
 Allan try to show that it is a disadvantage to have to work with 
 three great Canadian railways. It ap})ears to me that if we had 
 not these railways to help us the jiosition would be more difficult. 
 
 In connection with our Pacific trade it was necessary for us to 
 conclude a ten years' agreement with th(! Canadian Pacilic Railway. 
 After 18 months' experience it is only fair to say that they have 
 met us in a liberal spirit; that we have done our business on the 
 give and take system, making through rates on an equitable spirit; 
 and from my experience of the President, Vice-President, and 
 manao^ement of the Canadian Pacific Kailwav, 1 look forward con- 
 
 Case given 
 away. 
 
 Railway 
 
 C. P. R. 
 
17 
 
 fi(]ciif,1y to tlioii' rendcr'mir vital n*sistanre to tlio proposed swift 
 Allaiitit! sorvici', aiitl tliis on tlic; ^Touiuls of sclf-iiitcrt'st. 
 
 J liave promised the Doiniiiidii Clovenimoiit, during the con- Mr. Huddart 
 timiaiice of my health and enerirv, to manage the i)roposed steam- ^o ^fvote his 
 ship company, a company which is imperatively necessary to business. 
 Canada for the development of her national life. The moment ia 
 opportune, as ])riccs for shipbuilding have never been lower, and 
 within the next few years they may greatly increase, and this factor 
 alone should go far to inspire coniideiici! in the project. The time 
 is also opportune from a managerial and expert point of view, as 
 the steamships now on the Atlantic, and those shortly to be placed 
 upon it by the American Company, are not likely to be surpassed 
 for many years, except by ihe jji-oposi'd Canadian-Atlantic liners. 
 
 W(! are surrounded by the best advisers, and the friendliness 
 .which this project is now receiving from the public-, and the con- 
 fidence which the Dominion Government has shown in us, justify 
 us in [)redictiiig that the company will inunediately be floated, and 
 at once be established firnny as a dividend-paying institution of the 
 highest national and conniiercial importance. 
 
 The Imperial imi)ortan(!e of the propf)sed steamship company 
 has been universally recognized, and not before in the history of 
 the British Empire has any commercial enterprise been initiated 
 with more public fi-iendliuess or with greater potentialities. 
 
 T am, etc.. 
 
 JAMES IIUDDAIIT. 
 
 22 Billitcr St., London, E.C., I 1th August, 181)4. 
 
 Mksshs. ALLAN. 
 TO THE EDITOK OF THE TIMES. 
 
 Sin, — Mr. James Huddart has, in your issue of the 1 Ith inst., 
 commented with severity upon our letter which appeared in your 
 columns on the 11th inst. 
 
 Our letter was written 1o show the unfairness of certain 
 strictures upon the Allans of one of the speakers in the Commons' 
 debate upon the subsidy vote. 
 
18 
 
 The Hotel 
 interview. 
 
 Its object. 
 
 Plans and 
 data crude. 
 
 The corres- 
 pondence. 
 
 Altlioiigli Ills naino was only oiifc montioiied in our lettov, Mr. 
 •iriidilart has treated it as an attaxrk upon liiniself and liis project, 
 and in doing so is both unjust to us and inaccurate in various of 
 In's statements ; and, altiiough wo know liow unwelconu" to you a 
 discussion nnist he tliat contains the personal clement, we venture 
 to hope that you may accord us space to vindicate oiu'selves. 
 
 Mr. Iluddart dcscrilies an interview he had with two of our 
 members whom he visited at the Hotel McHropole (not Victoria as 
 he states) on the 11th of A])ril, and gives a version of its result 
 which does not accord with ours, and of the correspou<lence which 
 preceded the interview that incorrectly repivsents the facts. On 
 both of tliese points we dcsii'c to set him right. The "crystallization" 
 of the conversaticm which he attributes to jNIr. iJunlop is obviously 
 erroneous. No one having it in his mind to disci-edit his scheme 
 would be so impolitic as to disclose to him his purpose. 
 
 The object of the interview was to learn from him the ])romised 
 details of his plans, that we might sec if we could take the part iu 
 them he desired. 
 
 His plans and data were in the crudest shajie, showing to us 
 that he had not the knowledge necessary to the undertaking. We 
 suggested to him that when they were further matured he should 
 again communicate with us. At the close he besought us, if we 
 could not join him, that we should not discredit his scheme. No 
 doubt the adverse criticisms afterwards of it by the Canadian 
 Press and its ridicule by its comic pipers may have suggested to 
 his mind that " we were (as he says) pulling the wires in Canada," 
 but it has no fouudation in fact. 
 
 Then, as to the correspondence which led u|) to the interview, 
 he describes it as making " evident that our respective interests 
 were irreconcilable," that it was suspended, and after a Ion"" 
 silence that we invited an appointment. 
 
 The correspondence is at your call or his. It opened on 
 March 1(5 by his asking an interview with us, and was continued 
 without iutermissiim till April G, on which day Mr. Iluddart wrote 
 that "as Mr. Duiilop was to visit London before long it was not 
 necessary to write further." The visit and interview took place 
 on April 11. There was, therefore, no long silence before the 
 interview, and certainly nime on our part. In the correspon- 
 dence our respective interests were not weighed at all the one 
 
10 
 
 t 
 
 filiiiiiist lli(! uIIht. .'iinl it. iicvi-r lifcami' '" cvidi'iit " ti'oni il 
 " tliiil our iiilci'fsls were iiTi'('iincil!il)l('." 
 
 'riicni, iis to the siil)ji'(!t iiiiillcr ot" llic corn'spoiKlcnri', it Wiis 
 (Unvoted to iiii d't'ort lo (>li(Mt tVoiii liiii) liow he tlioiii^lit \vc> (!ouI(l 
 co-operfite, ami as a proliminaiy we asked in what nispoct his 
 agreement with the (lovornment (liffi're(l from that, of the hite Mr. 
 IJrycc Doiiuhis. whose scheme we had exumuied and found 
 impracticnble. 
 
 He re|)resentcd Afr. Douglas' scheme as having £50,000 less 
 subsidy than his. hut wc; informed him that they were alike in this, 
 lie attributed the failure of Mr. Douglas' scheme to this, and to 
 other causes which he named, as well as to his untimely death ; 
 but his letter to you now attributes its failure as wholly due to his 
 death. 
 
 One of our letters contained matter that was distasteful to Mr. 
 lluddart for reasons that came out afterwards. When i-eferring 
 to the abandonment of INlr. Douglas' scheme, and asking in what 
 respect his was more hopeful, W(^ wrote : — " It ^vould be a great 
 misfortune to embark on an entcr|)rise tiiat had not the I'lements of 
 success in it. Such a service might last for a short period, until 
 the borrowing powers upon the property became exhausted, but 
 this would be ruinous to the contributors of capital, and discredit- 
 able to its promoters." And we went on to say "we had noticed Comments on 
 in a London paper that his (Mr. Iluddart's) proposal to set aside offered by Mr. 
 
 in the hands of trustees a portion of the Government subsidy to Huddart to 
 
 bondholders 
 meet the interest upon stock was represented as afforduig a 
 
 security calculated to inspire conlidimce in bondholders, and we 
 
 thought it unfortunate that a delusive statement of this kind 
 
 should be in currency, as obviously such hy])otliecation of subsidy 
 
 Avould afford no security either for interest or principal. If the 
 
 service itself were unprofitable and ciould not be maintained, the 
 
 payment of subsidy would cease, and so would the security." 
 
 ]\Ir. lluddart wrote a sharp answ(.'r to this, for which he after- 
 wards apologized, lie stated that the Government Avas prepared 
 to set aside part of the subsidy to meet bond interest: "That is 
 done (he says) by the Dominion Government to inspire conlidence;" 
 but he added that "he who runs may see that if the company 
 earns no subsidy that interest cannot be paid." 
 
 It was not, however, so clear to the runner as Mr. lluddart 
 
20 
 
 How tliu 
 security was 
 roKiirded in 
 Canadian 
 Parliament. 
 
 preliminary 
 prospectus. 
 
 licrc iii(1i(';it«'>'. fnr wn liixl tliiil lla- |>r()|Misiil dccfivt'd siicli an iicnlc 
 iiiiiid IIS Sir IJicliiinl Ciirlwri;4lil's, ami wtniM ct rtiiinly linvo 
 ini>I('il simpler iiikI nidic coDlidin;; itcdplc. 
 
 Sir Kiclianl in tin- (Icliatc rf;j;ai'(l''(l the |)n)p(»>al as a M'ciirity 
 •' lliat W(»ul(l practically make llic C'liiiadiaii ( lovcrnmoiit nspuiisiblc 
 for the frrcatci' part of llic rapilul tlial was to >,'() into tlu^ steamers." 
 Tliis lie characterized "as a t'oolish and suicidal anMiijji'iiieiit. tor 
 the ( ioveniiiUMit to enter into," and lie was only satislicd whtiii 
 the Finniice iMiiiister rose in his place and >aid that- tin; iiiteresi, 
 would only he paid out, of siilisiiiy earned, and therel'i)rc the 
 proposal did not commit the GovciiiiiKiiit to aiiylhin|:^ more than 
 the mere payment of cariu'd siihsidy. 
 Mr. Huddart's Jt has since Iranspired that Mr, lliiddart's preliminary 
 l)rospectus <'ontemplaled laisini;' ,i'2,7rMl,(i(>(), of whicdi ,t'l,r)OU,0()() 
 was to lio secured in the manner alluded to. It t'l .r)00,()()0 could 
 he raised on the so-called si!cinity of the subsidy, tlie eMtcrpi'isc, 
 howevei- had in itself, could lio on until it lost the hulk of the 
 £1,50(),()()(), for it could hori'ow luoiuiy on the seciu'ity of the Heel 
 ill which it and tlu' other cajjital raised mi;.dit he imosted, and 
 which, if the enterprise failed, would wholly disappear. 
 
 AVe had thus at an early sta^e i)Ut our lin,i.r(!i' on a weak ])oint 
 of Mr. Huddart's scheme!, which raised his ire. So much for the 
 correspondence and interview. 
 
 JNIr. Iluddart adversely criticizes other parts of our letter. He 
 represents it as tryiuLf to show thai it is a disadvantage to have to 
 woi'k with three great railways, and adds, " It appears to him that 
 connections, jf }i^, ],.,(] ^^^^ these railways 1o help, his position would he more 
 dillicult." In this he agrees with us that he is mainly dependent 
 on these, and our purpose was to sugge-t that they were 
 insufficient; our remark was that it was '* not a cheerful look-out 
 for a line that has to develo[) a great trade that it should ho 
 dependent upon the co-operation .and good-will of railways (a single 
 line in winter and two in summer) which, however friendly, were 
 to have no stake in the undertaking." 
 
 AVith reference to the dilRculty we felt and stated in regard to 
 H scheme which required vessels of great speed and cost, whose 
 speed could not he utilizt.'d, he Avould have you believe that we 
 
 High speed argue that a 2()-knot speed cannot be safely run where a 14-knot 
 cannot be , t-i ■ .1.1 1 i- ., 
 
 maintained "^''-y "^- ■•i'Very one knows that the one may be as sate as tlie 
 
 The railway 
 
 1^ 
 
 *, 
 
21 
 
 f 
 
 i 
 
 •* 
 
 t»llit!r in clt'iU' wc.iIIk'i". Our rf|ires(>nliilinn \vas tlint in tho 
 wentjicr and wiiliTs wIhtc tins servicer is ,0 nni tin- lii<:h speed 
 ciiimot, contimionsly nor jo the >.inii' (If^frt'c as un the New V<iri\ 
 route 1(C safely ina,intaiiie<I, and a trade and sulisidy that is to he 
 made and earned by such spei d on the Canadian iiinle is at seri(»ns 
 disa,dvanla|i?(-. 
 
 IIu contrasts the safety of mail witli cai'iro steamers as if it 
 pr()ve<l sometliin;;' favourable to tlie fi'nnt.r, i^rnorinij; the fact that 
 there are only live mail steaniei's on tiie I'outc aiiainst an enormous 
 lleet of ear;.f() boats, and also that, even the present imiil boats 
 sid)ordinate speed to -ifety. In a retvnt voyajre of one of the 
 swiftest, she steamed only 190 kin)ts one day and 71 the next 
 boeanse of fo,<r, hei' fail speed beinij .'I'lO knots. She was in eom- 
 ])any with a car;j;() boat of low s])eed foi' ') days. 
 
 Mr. lluddart says it, is not his intention to rnn his boats at 2(1 
 knots; but how is he to contend with boats that maintain even 
 higher speed, and for what, if not for liii;h speed, is the subsidy to 
 be paid? He also feels assured that the peritMl for which he will 
 receive the full subsidy will run for 20 ytuirs. This will be a new 
 experience amonf,^ (lovernments ; the history of the past every- 
 where has been that when services are once establislu'd the 
 tendency is to redn(!e the subsidy. We once had a very high 
 subsidy guaranteed for 7 years, but before the period was rini we 
 had U) take half the amount because of lessened speed that we 
 deemed necessary f ( >r sn f ety. 
 
 IVIr. lluddart remarks that in stating that safety is mainly due 
 to increased Avatchfulness we give our case away, for it brings in 
 tlie human factor — the difference between one man and another 
 Surely Mr. Iliuldart does not hei'e wish to contrast the difference 
 between himself and us to our disadvantage. If this be his 
 meaning, we can only say that we know nothing of Mr. Iluddart's 
 management of ships, but it is nui safe for any one to claim 
 superiority over another, and we notice that the Canadian Ga:u'tte 
 of the 2nd inst., which rei)orls a'l intei-viev/ with Mr. lluddart, 
 also records that, the steamer iVliowera, which he is said to manage, 
 has been twice ashore, once on the rocks at the entrance to 
 ILmolulu harbour, and again on -July ol on the west coast of 
 
 Norway. 
 
 Mr. lluddart has some remarks to nndvc upon the Allan 
 
 Safely of mall 
 steamers. 
 
 Subsidy 
 Kuarantcod 
 for a period. 
 
 Safety of 
 steamers 
 under Mr. 
 Huddart's 
 management. 
 
22 ^ 
 
 loviiltv to till- l)(tiiiiiii(iii ilial. \Vf think ho iiii?h(, h;ivt' spiircd. It" 
 he succi'cds in uniiiinii' the coiifidoiicc of the moneyed public, and 
 ostablislies succc-st'idly a sei'vice that none of llie C(/ni])anies 
 onjifijri'd in the Atlantic trade have been willinu" to end)ark thi'ir 
 own foi'tinies in, or those n{ their friends, he will deserve and 
 receive a hiuh place in p»d)lic estimation. 
 
 AVe are, yours truly, 
 
 JAINIHS & ALKX. ALLAN. 
 
 !'.> lioliiwell Street, Clasgow, lOth Au.unist. L^'.H. 
 
 Federation 
 scheme. 
 
 LoHi) IJR ASSET. 
 TO THE EDITOII OF THE TDfES. 
 
 SiH, — My friend Mv. HinMart has asked me to assist him at 
 the present important jiUictiire in putting before the liritish ]>id)lic 
 the advantaires of an acct'lerated mail service between England and 
 Canada and Canada and Australia. 
 
 The project merits public support on many grounds, and chiefly 
 as tending to pronuite tlu; unity of the British Empire. That is ..'i 
 object desired alike at home and in the colonies. The dilliculty has 
 been to suggest practical steps. On two occasions 1 had the 
 privilege oi introducing to the Prime ^Minister deputations tVom 
 the lm])erial Ft'dei'ation League. We had no grouiul to c(,-r:\ 'ain 
 of the rcce])tion accorded lo i,s. Our first interview was followed 
 by a conferem-e held in London, at Avhich the colonies were ably 
 represented. 'J'he reinforcement of the Australian sfjuadron at (he 
 expense oi' the cohmies was the chief otjtcome of deliberations which 
 wvw mainly directed to the defence of the Empire. 
 
 Our second interview w ith Lord Salisbury elicited the important 
 .suggestion that the time had come Avhen schemes of federation 
 siionld be proposed. The challenge of the Trime Minister was 
 answered by the League in a report, the recepti(»n of which by the 
 I'ress and by public opinion was a source of satisfaction to all con- 
 cerned. But we have not foimd that action has been taken upon 
 our suggestions. We may claim that they were feasible and 
 desirable. We nnist acknowledge that there was no immediate 
 necessity for their adoption. Jt has never been the way uf British 
 
23 
 
 statesmanship to occupy itself with (iiiestioiis in anticipation of 
 nltorior exigencies. If, howeviM-, it is wise lo wait for (itting 
 occasions before atteinjiting to alter existing constitntional relations 
 between the mother conntry and the colpnies. all will recognise that 
 whenever opportunities offer we slioiild not neglect them. 
 
 The practical steps whicli may now be taken were made clear The con- 
 
 1 > T i /\i.i 'in t 1 t 1 • 1 ference at 
 
 by the recent proceedings at Ottawa. Ihat second great colonial Ottawa and 
 
 confei'i'iice gave its attention especially to the improvement of its recom- 
 
 • • All 1 1 1 mendations. 
 
 telegraphic and postal connnnincatioiis. All the delegates who 
 
 attended were agreed as to the desirability of opening np a new line 
 of communication under the British (lag'bet'Vven the mother coimlry 
 and Australia through Canada. The reconnnendations cf the co"- 
 ference have been emphasized by something more than empty 
 declarations. It is proposed to connect the Eastern termiiuis of 
 the Canadian railway system with Englaml, and tlie Western ter- 
 miiuis with Australia, by a service of four large 2()-knot steamers 
 on the Atlantic and five swift steamers on the I'acitic. The cost 
 of these vessels is estimated ;it ,£3,U()0,()00. The subsidies asked 
 from the Governments concerned amount to £;j()0,()00 a year. 
 Towards this amount Canada has voted £175,000. The Imperial 
 Government is asked to contribute £75,000 and Aiistialiii i'50,000. 
 If Canada has a special interest in establishing a new trade and 
 postal route across her vast domimon, we have intere.->ts of hardly 
 inferior magnitude in the development of communications with our 
 colonies. Jt is a circumstance that should have its due weight that, 
 while Canada linds a large proportion of the money, all the 
 expenditure on the construction of the ships will be incurred in the Ships will be 
 
 United Kinij-dom. Turning to the Australian Governments, if we built in the 
 
 " United 
 
 display a wise liberality they may be trusted to follow. Kingdom. 
 
 Jii iiranting assistance to Mr. lluddart's scheme every care Conditions on 
 should be taken to insure that the public money is applied to tlu' ^^0^1^ be"'^^ 
 best advantage. Conditions may be inserted re(iuiring the con- granted, 
 veyance at low rates of troo;)s to Ilong-kong and relief crews to 
 the Australian, Pacitic, anu China stations. It may be insisted 
 that the specilications and plans for tin new slii})s shall insure 
 their fitness for service as scouts or auxiliary cruisers. In view ()f 
 the desirability for increasing the means of training the engine- 
 room complements of our shi[)s of war, it might be arranged that 
 the Admiralty should have the option of sending oil'icers and men 
 from the steam reserves for temi)orary duty in the new ships. We 
 
24 
 
 Allan Line 
 representa- 
 tions. 
 
 are losing a valuable training service by the decision recently taken 
 to do away with the Indian troopships. 
 
 The subsidy now asked foi- may Ik' in part made u[) by some 
 reduction in the amounts now paid tor mail services by other 
 routes. It is in the initiatory stages tliat the Iielping hand of the 
 Government is most m.'cded. Once established, a service which 
 meets a real public want may be etliciently conducted with dimin- 
 ishing assistance from the Treasury. 
 
 It has been urged by tlic representative of the Allan Line that 
 the Gulf of St. Lawrence pi-esents special diilicultii's to the navi- 
 gator. The Allan Line has l)een free from disaster for many 
 years. If its pres-jnt proprietors had l)een men with the same 
 enterprise and tlie same inducements to f;u'c tlic risks of business 
 which animated the founders of their undertaking, tliey woidd have 
 put vessels on their line whicli would have hvxtn capable of earning 
 the subsidy whicli has been granted to a rival. 
 
 In considering the [)resent demand we may appropriately ask 
 ourselves how such a proposal would be received elsewluuv. With 
 comparatively insignilicant commercial interests at slake, lavish 
 subsidies are paid by Italy for a service to India, by France and 
 Germany for services to China, Australia, and America, and by 
 liussia for a fleet of volunteer cruisers. 
 
 The British (iovermnent has been able, through the keen com- 
 
 necessary for p^jtitJon in our mercantile marine, to make larne reductions, 
 speed. ' . . ' . 
 
 Economy should not be pushed too far. High-speed services 
 
 a(!ross the ocean can only be })erformed by subsidized steanu'rs. 
 
 In conclusion, I return to the Mrgumeut with which it wns 
 sought to o])en the case. To preserve our Im])erial unity is a 
 primary object of our ])ublic policy. We desire to make the value 
 of the coiuiexiou with the mother country felt in all the colonies. 
 When, therefore, our co-operation iii furtherance of a common 
 object is asked by such a, conference as 'thai Jately assembled at 
 Ottawa, it is not wisdom to refuse assistance. 
 
 The decision to be taken nnist largely depend on the report of 
 Lord Jersey. It is earnestly to be desired that no hesita;.ion will 
 be shown if he recommends that the new Canadian services to 
 Austrahi.-ia shoidd be subsidized. 
 
 I have the honoiu' to be, Sir, your obedient Servant, 
 
 IJRASSEY. 
 
 Dalnacardoch, N.B. 
 
 Subsidy 
 
 ^ 
 
Me8Sk«. ALLAN. 
 TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. 
 
 Sir, — Fn yom* issue of Satiinl;iy. Sth iiist., Lord Brussey states 
 he has bt'iMi msUimI by Mr. Ilii'ldiirt to ;issist him in ])uttiiij^ before 
 tlic IJi'itish public tlie ndvantaue of an acccUn-ated mail service 
 between Enn;l;ind and Canada and Canada and Australia, and, 
 respondinii' to the request, he has placed these advantages forcibly 
 befoi-e the public. 
 
 Lord Brassey is Avell e(iui|)i)ed for llic work; he possesses a 
 powerful pen ; colonial federation is dear to him, and has been his 
 favourite theme ; and he Avas closely associated with the efforts 
 made by the late Mj\ Bryce Doujrlas, who was his co-director in 
 the Naval Construction and Armaments Company, BarroAV, to 
 establish a service of i)recisely the same character, and which was 
 to receive exactly the same Government help — Dominion and 
 Imperial — as is pronn'sed to the ])roject he now supports. Lord 
 Brassey has the further advantage of having been at the time (the 
 spring of IHIH) in the fullest confidential communication with 
 ourselves u])on IVIr. Douglas's [)roject, for his idea and desire then 
 was that wc should take the lead in the enterprise, and this we 
 were prepared to do if it gave reasonaljle promise of success. 
 
 Lord Brassey's i)nrpose in interesting himself in the former 
 project, and now in the ju'esent, is specially to promote, by federa- 
 tion of the colonies, the unity of the British Empire, and he 
 believed then, as he does now, that he saw in the swift Atlantic 
 steam pi'oject a great means towards its attainment. 
 
 Mr. Douglas's object was more commonplace. Lie did not 
 concern himself so much for the federal idea as to create a new 
 Atlantic service, and to be the builder at Barrow of the necessary 
 fleet. 
 
 lIl)on Lord Brassey's advocacy of the federal idea, which forms 
 the main part of his comnuniication. wc have not a word to say, 
 save to express our sympathy with his high aims. 
 
 But he condescends to write of oiu'selves as follows: — 
 
 " It has been urged by the representatives of the Allan Line 
 that the Gidf of St. Lawrence i)resents special diiliculties to the 
 navigator. The Alhin Line has been free from disaster for many 
 years. If its present i)roprietor8 had been men with the same 
 
 Lord 
 
 Brassey's 
 connection 
 with former 
 schemes. 
 
 His co- 
 director's 
 object was to 
 get steamers 
 to build. 
 
26 
 
 Allans' want 
 of enterprise 
 considered. 
 
 Subsidy 
 inadequate. 
 
 Misplaced 
 generosity. 
 
 t'liiorprise iind llio smiuc InducciiKMits to incxi (lie I'isks of Imsiiiess 
 which aiiiiiiatud the; foniKU'rs of thi'.ir niidortaking, ihcy would have 
 ]Mit vi'ssels on their lino which woidd have been capable of earning 
 the subsidy which has been granted to a, ri\iil." 
 
 On this yon will, we trust, not deny us the privilege of remark. 
 
 AVe claim for the Allans that they arc not yet destitute of 
 enterprise, and it is no evidcnci! (iiat they are that they have been 
 nnal)le to give Canada a greatly ini[)r()ved mail service. Canada 
 originally and for years gave a proper subsidy for the service the 
 Allans established; I'Ut when, for considerations of safety, (lie 
 Allans took i)o\vei' to lengthen their passage by moderating the 
 speed of their steamers in fog, &c., and which has given the service 
 the re})Utation for safety Lord Brassey accords to it, the CTOvernmeiit 
 reduced the subsidy, and when the service ceased to pay the 
 Government, even at the risk of the abandonment of the service, 
 Avonld not advance it. The only condition on which an advance 
 would be given was that new steamers should be provided of the 
 most costly type and of the highest power — costly to build, costly 
 to run, costly to insiu'C — and which, when built, must frecpiently 
 over a consideralde part of the route run at the pace of the 
 humblest cargo boat, or pay the penalty in marine disaster. For 
 such steamers, high as the subsidy was, it was only "a drop in the 
 bucket " towards their expenditure. Their cargo space would no 
 longer be worth considering as a means of revenue, and the high- 
 class passenger tradt' necessary to their sup[)ort could not, without 
 the highest speed and corresponding safety, hope to be made. 
 
 How, we ask Lord Brassey, could we, however enterprising, 
 improve our mail and passenger trade in these circumstances ? 
 For nearly ten yeai'S we have had hung over our heads this demand 
 of the Canadian Government which we could not meet, but which 
 hindered our giving a better service than we provided. It is a 
 praiseworthy ambition theirs. But they are generous with their 
 money for a scheme that is impracticable and will disappoint their 
 expectations. 
 
 To encourage them or the British Government to pile up 
 subsidy, and the British public to provide; the funds to do the 
 impracticable, is not wise or statesmanlike, even aUhough, as Lord 
 Brassey says, " all the expenditure on the construction of the ships 
 will be incurred in the United Kingdom." 
 
*>'; 
 
 When Lord lirassijy was in conimiinicution with us in the 
 
 spring of 1891, we very earnestly soiiglit to join hands with him 
 
 in IVIr. Douglas's scheme, and Ave patiently examined the calcida- 
 
 tioiis on which it was hased. 
 
 Mr. IJryce Douglas' scheme not oidy had for us the charm of B. Douglas' 
 
 . •.•11 scheme, 
 
 placing us at the head ol: the imi)ortant service he projected, but 
 
 the temptation of transferring to the Imperial C()m))any, which he 
 
 was to promote, on advantageous terms, the wholi^ '"vMlan" Heet. 
 
 "We, however, wrote Mr. Hryce Douglas in March, 1801, as 
 
 follows, the letter being cominimicated later to Lord Brassey : — 
 
 " It was the very earnest desire of the Allan Owners to have a Why Allans 
 
 . , , 1 !• 1 1 1 I. could not 
 
 part ni any unproved service that might be establisried bet.'\ een j^jj^ ^^ 
 
 this country and Canada. The time has come when an improved 
 
 service should be possessed by the ccjlony, and having provided 
 
 from the beginning that which it has had, they were, as you can 
 
 well understand, ambitious to have a part in the new service. Jt 
 
 also naturally lay to their hands, who are largely in the trade, to 
 
 help to provide it. This being so, we need not tell you that the 
 
 l)Ossibilities of establishing the service were canvassed from every 
 
 point of view, and that every moditication of the Government 
 
 contract conditions which seemed feasible was considered." 
 
 With reference to the commercial aspects of the scheme we 
 went on to say : — 
 
 " But the result of all this has been to force the conviction Service 
 upon us that the service cannot be established with any hope of y"jjj'^ ^° 
 yielding a revenue to pay any dividend whatever to the share- dividend, 
 holders of the company ; on the contrary, the most liberal estimate 
 that could be countenanced fell short of even paying steamers 
 depreciation." 
 
 If Lord Brassey has not forgotten tliis communication, surely, 
 before condemning us in the eyes of the public for want of enter- 
 prise, he should first have shown, when he desired to help his friend 
 Mr. Iluddart Avith the British public, that his enterprise would not 
 only establish the Empire but pay the shareholders. 
 
 Lord Brassey forgets that in the end he wrote to us the con- ^0,,^ Brassey 
 viction of himself and his colleagues of '' the necessity of direct forgetful, 
 support being given by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the 
 Grand Trunk." You will recollect one of the points we made in 
 a recent letter to you on this (juestion, called forth by one of Mr. 
 
 « 
 
38 
 
 Hiuldart's, was that llio Iriiiik rnilwiivs wcro (»» havo no dirccl 
 stake in the i'ntei'|)i'is('. So iniicli did we a,i>roe with wliat Lord 
 Bra.ssoy tlicn wrote on tliis point, and so dosirons wero wo, if it, 
 Avcrc possible, to sec Canada obtain the service it soniiht. that later 
 we offered, even airainst onr better jiidfiinent. to provide a con- 
 siderable section of the s(>rvice and risk its snccess if the i-ailways 
 had sntlicient conlldence to ])i'Ovide the rest. 
 
 We trust that tlie (lueslion will soon be settled <inc way or 
 another, that we may be set free to |)nrsiie a clear coui-se. The 
 craving for the impracticable in the i)ast has hindered the develop- 
 ment of Canadian trade, and the best being made of such natural 
 advantages as the St. Lawi-ence possesses. 
 
 AVe are. yours truly, 
 
 JAINIES ifc ALEXR. ALLAN. 
 
 25 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, Sept. 10. 
 
 Mk'. iiuddakt. 
 
 TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. 
 
 Sir, — I shall be thankful if you will be good enough to 
 find space in yoin- columns foi- the enclosed copy of a letter which 
 I have received to-day from Admiral Sir John Hopkins. 
 
 It almost seems like slayhig the slain to make further reference 
 to the question of the safe navigation of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 
 A discovery. But it is interesting to note, from a Blue-book whi(^h has been 
 published by the Dominion Government on papers in reference to the 
 Atlantic steamship line, that, under date Montreal, May 2^, 1891, 
 Mr. Andrew Allan Avrote a letter, offering, without qualification, 
 to supply steamships of 20 knots an hour speed, in consideration of 
 a subsidy of -e.^.OOO sterling a voyage. This, however, was declined 
 by the Dominion Government, in a letter signed by Mr. Foster on 
 June 6. 
 
 Perhaps you can find room for the attached copy. It forms an 
 interesting if not a humorous connnent on the letter of IMessrs. 
 James & Alexander Allan, which ap[)eared in your issue of 
 August 21. 
 
 Its humour. 
 
• 29 
 
 I also enclose a copy of the l^liie-liook n^fcrred t»t above, and 
 remain. Sir, 
 
 Your obedient Servant, 
 
 JAMES HUDDART. 
 22 Billiter Street, London, E.C., Oct. 18. 
 
 VICE-AUMIIIAL IIOPKINS. 
 
 "Admiralty TTonse, Halifax, 6/10/94. 
 
 " Dear Mi". Iluddart, — 1 am in receipt of your communication 
 of September 20, hi re the fast service between England and Canada, 
 and in reply beg to make the following remai'ks ; — 
 
 ''It is obvious that no one can for a moment gainsay the 
 inunense advantages of rapid transit between Canada, the United 
 Kingdom, and the West, via the Canadian Pacific Railway, and it 
 seems a pity that the enterprise and genius of the men who have 
 completed a magnificent service for the major part of this route 
 should not now be backed up l)y some further enterprising company, 
 able and willing to furnish the means of bridging over the remaining 
 portion of the journey in far shorter time than at present by placing 
 on the route between England and Canada a line of steamers whose 
 speed is up to date. 
 
 " In previous discussions on the subject, the navigating dangers 
 have been ' red-herringed across the trail ' in a disproportionate 
 ratio to their diinculties, and these may be dismissed as ' existing 
 but readily surmounted,' and I feel confident that most of the very 
 able men who at this moment command the mail steamers of both 
 the Allan and Dominion Lines would unhesitatingly and with alacrity 
 exchange their present vessels for steamers running at a 20-knot 
 speed. The average detention by fog can be easily ascertained, 
 and this must be added to the length of the voyage ; but this will 
 be no greater for a fast than a slower ship, and does not affect the 
 question. 
 
 "As a frieud and admirer of the rising Dominion of Canada, 
 I hiive not hesitated, on the few occasions on which I have spoken 
 in public, to urge those whom I had the honour to address to leave 
 
30 
 
 no stone unturncil to make this ooiniecting link in their rapid 
 ti-atisit route from East to West, and have reminded them tliat 
 both the Canadian Paciiii- Railway and the "Empress" connectin;,' 
 line of steamers on thu Pacific side were duly " croaked" at in the 
 initiatory stage by many who are doubtless proud of the magnificent 
 success of both ventures, and the undeniable benefits they confer 
 on Canada in every way. 
 
 I am, dear Sir, yours truly, 
 
 J. O. HOPKINS, Vice- Admiral," 
 
 INIif. ALLAN'S LETTER. 
 
 "Montreal, May 28, 180L 
 
 "The Right Hon. Sir John A. Macd(mald, 
 G.C.B., Ottawa. 
 
 " My Dear Siit John, — I have a letter from my friends in 
 Britain to-day, informing me that the syndicate who have been so 
 long trying to float a company to take xip tho contract for the 
 swift mail service have practically failed to raise money enougli to 
 build steamships having the necessary speed asked for by llu; 
 contract. 
 
 "If the Canadian (Tovernmcnt still favour a speed of, say, "20 
 knots an hour I think I, with my friends in Glasgow, Liverpool, 
 and London, would now be willing to contract for the requisite 
 number of such ships for a subsidy of £5,000 stg. a voyage. 
 
 " If you think you and your colleagues would entertain such a 
 proposition favourably I shall enter into commiuiication by cable 
 with my friends at once. 
 
 "■ An early answer will oblige. 
 
 " Yours faithfully, 
 
 "ANDREW ALLAN.' 
 
31 
 
 Mrssus. ALLAN. 
 
 TO THE ED' roll OF THE TIMES. 
 
 Sfu, — After the lapse of two months, when your renders have 
 probably forgotten our letter which appeared in your issue of 
 Au'jTUst 21 in rey)ly to Mr. Iluddart's of 14th idem. Mr. Huddart 
 resumes the discussion, ostensibly to answer us. 
 
 Our letter was one of a series which, by your courtesy, appeared Object of the 
 in the Times. These lettei's discussed from various points of view 
 the character, as a commercial enterprise, of the iidventuro which 
 Mr. Huddart had undertaken, and Avere written to justify the 
 declinature of the Allan Line to be parties to it, cither by them- 
 selves or in conjunction with Mr. Huddart. 
 
 In his letter of the IHth inst. Mr. Huddart gives copy of one 
 addressed by Mr. Andrew Allan to the Prime IVIinistoi- of Canada 
 in May, 1891 , which, he states, "forms an interesting if not a humor- 
 ous comment on ours which appeared on Angust 21." Ho further 
 gives copy of a letter he has received from Vice- Admiral Hopkins, ^*^™j|[^] 
 in which the Admiral states that it seems a pity that the enteri)rise 
 of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company should not be backed 
 up by some enterprising company able and willing to furnish the 
 fast line of steamers which Mr. Huddart desires the Bi-itish public 
 to supply. 
 
 Touching the dangers of the navigation, Admiral Hopkins 
 refers to them as things to be dismissed — " they had been red- 
 herringed across the trail." It will be in your recollection that he 
 recently spoke much to the same effect in an after-dinner speech, 
 and wMs rei)orted by an interviewer to have added that tlie fog 
 dangers of the navigation could be overcome by placing a buoy 
 outside of the Straits of Bdleisle ! 
 
 Mr. Huddart's immediate object in his letter of the 18th inst. Mr. Huddart's 
 is apparently to suggest that the whole case for his enterprise rests [fon^'s^^®"^^" 
 upon the questions of the safe navigability of the Gidf of St. 
 Lawrence, and the possibility of employing in the service vessels 
 capable of steaming 20 knots at sea, and that our letters only dealt 
 with these. The Admiral's letter is given to establish the one 
 point, and Mi-. Allan's the other, the humour of the latter lying iu 
 
n2 
 
 How to 
 
 characterise 
 
 them. 
 
 Gist of letters. 
 
 Unwisdom of 
 piling up 
 subsidy to 
 extent 
 necessary. 
 
 tlic! fact that in l.Sli] Mr. All.-iu hiinsi'lf ofi'eivd to providi; 20-kii()t 
 stojimers. 
 
 We hardly know how to oliaractcrise this trcatiuent of the 
 .sid)joct by Mr. Iliiddurt, or how fitly to reply to him in your 
 columns. Either he does n(jt aj)i)reciate what has been written 
 concerning his scheme, or he deliberately ignores or misrepresents 
 it. 
 
 In our letters already referred to we pointed out that the 
 carrying capacity of steamers capable of running at the speed of 
 20 knots at sea was in inverse proportion to their speed, and that 
 their cost to build and to run was enormously great ; that the 
 subsidy to be given to them, large though it be, was but as " a di'op 
 in the bucket " towards their expenditure; that they had to seek 
 their earnings from a passenger trade that had to be created by 
 diversion from otlier competitors nion; favourably situated ; that 
 the hope of creating or diverting to themselves such a trade lay in 
 the maintenance of high speed, combined with safety, e(|ual, if not 
 superior, to their New Vork com j)eti tors ; and we maintained, and 
 still do so with'.tut fear of conti-adietion, that such speed is 
 incompatible with safety on the St. Lawrence route, and the 
 winter change to a terminus in Nova Scotia is a further barrier to 
 tlie development of the necessary trade. 
 
 AVe never professed that steamers of a speed of 20 knots at sea 
 could not be provided. What we maintained was that such a 
 speed could not be continuously utilized with s;ifcty, while the 
 enormous cost of its provision and maintenance could not be 
 escaped from. We added that to encoui-age the Canadian or the 
 liritish Government to pile up subsidy, and the IJi-itish j)ublic to 
 providi! funds for such a service, was neither wise nor statesman- 
 like. Mr. Allan's letter, wliich jMr. lludilart qiU)ti's for a different 
 purpose, is perfectly consistent with this. 
 
 He did say to the Government of Canada that if they still 
 favoured vessels cajjable of steaming 20 knots at sea we might 
 provide them, but we re([uired a subsidy of ir),000 a voyage — a 
 very ditTerent thing tVom INlr. lluddai't's idea of doing the service 
 tv, profit for little more than half the money, and this only to be 
 given for a limited period. 
 
 It is, however, specially to be noted that Mr. Allan's letter in 
 no way expressed any approval of the 20-knot sei-vice; it was 
 
"SSB 
 
 SB 
 
 lv^ 
 
 simply !i siitroi'slioii thiit if dm Govoniiiiont wore detorinincd to 
 have such a serviee we would endeavour to j)rovido the same nt the 
 subsidy whii^h wo deeiaed essential for commercial su(rces.s. 
 
 We arc, yours truly, 
 
 JAS. it ALKXR. ALLAN. 
 25 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, 2r)th Oct., 1804. 
 
 P.S. — Since writing the foregoing we havi; received a cutting 
 from the (New York) Journal of Coiaincrcc of (Jctuber L'), a copy 
 of which we a])pcnd hereto, and whicli, you will remark, accords 
 strikingly with the views we have expressed with reference to the 
 navigation of the Gidf and River St. Lawrence, and the northern 
 route which a fast service would have to take. 
 
 J. & A. A. 
 
 DOMINION govp:knment officials. 
 
 Extract from the (New York) Journal of Commerce, 
 October lo, 1894, 
 
 " The Scheme Impracticable. 
 " No 20-knot Steamships between Canada and Great liritain. 
 
 " Ottawa, Ont., Oct. 12. — The scheme for placing a 20-knot 
 steamship service on the Atlantic route between Canada and 
 Great Britain, and towards which the Dominion Parliament last 
 Session voted an ainiual subsidy of three-quarters of a million 
 dollars, has received a severe setback in the repudiation of the 
 scheme as impracticable by the Deim.ty jMinister of Marine, who 
 has had more than 80 years' experience as head of the Marine 
 Department of the Canadian Government. 
 
 " Mr. Smith says it is folly to talk of running steamships 
 through the St. Lawrence River and Gulf at the high rate of speed 
 as proi)osed by Mr. Iluddart and his associates. The idea is utterly 
 impracticable, he says. lie ridicules the views expressed by 
 
31 
 
 Afltiiiral HopkiriH mid ollicrs Unit llicro uiv no ()l)sinic'ti()iis to 
 prevent II liijj;li I'lite of speed heinjr maintained in the St. Lawrence. 
 
 '' Viewed as a comMiercial onlerprise, he contends lhal> the 
 proposed fast line of 2()-knol/ servici; hetweeii Canada and (Ireat 
 liritain can never prove a financial sncccss. 
 
 " Ft is also understood that, Commodore ^Vakehani, who for 
 20 years has heen in (;harj;*' of the fishery protective (u-iiisers in 
 the River and Gidf of St. ivawrence, and whose knowlcdj^c of the 
 navijifation of thesi- waters is greater than that of any ollu'r liviii^^ 
 man, holds the same views as the l-)e|)Uty Minister of Marine." 
 
 REPUDIATION UY Cai-tain WAKEllAM. 
 
 EXTRACT FROM THE TIMES OF 
 2nd NOVEMBER, 18!)1. 
 
 CANADA. 
 
 Ottawa, Novemher 1st, 181)4. 
 
 Captain Wakhitam, the officer in charge of the Canadian 
 fishery protection fleet on the St, Lawrence and in the Gulf, 
 perhaps the highest living authority on St. ^/awrencc navigation, 
 emphatically repudiates the statement attrihuted to him by Messrs. 
 Allan, that a high rate of speed on the St. Lawrence is impossible, 
 and that Mr. Huddart's scheme is impracticable. 
 
 Writins.': to Sir C. Tapper to-d.ay. Captain AV'akeham says : — 
 " I beg V> say that I have expressed no such opinion. Yon are 
 yourself aware that I am of a contrary view, as I hold that the 
 greater the speed the greater the safety. The fast ship will be 
 much less likely to be affected by local currents, and, while she is 
 better able to take every advantage of clear weather than a slower 
 boat, she need go no faster than prudence would warrant in thick 
 weather. These facts should be patent to any one, and cannot be 
 open to contradiction." — Olu CoRKEsroNDENX. 
 
.1.) 
 
 Mu. S.Miril HKIMDIArKS. 
 
 ru TiiK lODirou of tiik tjmks. 
 
 Sill, — Owiiiy- to ;il)si!iic(' trtiiii Lmidoii. my :it Iciitioii liiis only 
 n^ciMitly \)w\\ ciillcil 111 a Icltcr in your issiu; of tlii! .'Jlst lilt, from 
 IMosrtr.s. J. cVi A. Alliui. of (iIhsltow, riispccLiiiir tJic Catiiulian 
 Fiist Mail Sfi'vici'. In a postscriiil to that coniinimicatioii is 
 <|iiot(;il ail extract from tlio New Yovh .loitriidl of C'oiinnerce of 
 October I'), ill which 1 am reported lo lia\e sl.itcd thai th« 
 scluMiie, as proposed by Mr. iTiiddart, is impracticiihh!, and that it 
 can never prove a linancial succiiss. 
 
 I notice from an Ottaw.i. telegram in your issue of the 2nd 
 inst. that Captain Wakeliain, whose name was associated with 
 mine in the matter, emphatically nipudiates those statements, and 
 I shall be oblin;ed if you will jiivc; ine an opportunity of stating 
 in your columns that I <j;enerally endorse the terms of his contra- 
 diction. So far from regarding the scheme as impracticable, 1 
 may say that I consider the proposed scheme quite feasible. The 
 navigation of fast steamers would naturally require the observance 
 of the same precautions as in the case of slower vessels, but fast 
 steamers possess advantages slower ones do not, as explained by 
 Captain Wakeham in his letter to Sir Charles II. Tupper. I also 
 concur in his opinion that " the fast ship will be much less likely 
 to be affpc,ted by local cuiTents, and that, while she is better able 
 to take e^ory advantage of clear weather than a slower boat, she 
 need go no faster than prudence would warrant in thick 
 weather." 
 
 The excellence of the lighting of the shores of the (xiilf and of 
 the River St. Lawrence has often been commented upon both by 
 Admiral Sir John Hopkins, his predecessor, Admiral Watson, and 
 others ; and the safety of the route at the present day is most 
 effectively illustrated l)y the large number of vessels passing up 
 and down the river during the season of navigation. This, in 
 itself, amply jnstities Sir John Hopkins's views as to the possibility 
 of a high rate of speed being maintained, and, instead of ridiculing 
 these opinions, as reported to have done, I am prepared to endorse 
 them. 
 
 I have not made, and do not intend to make any remarks upon 
 
Mr. Smllh's 
 views. 
 
 ;i(* 
 
 till' si'Ik'Iiic rniiii ii liiiaiicial sliiiiilpuinl, and it wmiM lif oiil nl' 
 place I'lir iiic, as a ( lii\ (•niiiimil, o'TK-ijil. t,<i <|i) so. In any ^hm: 
 tlic cniiiiin'rclal Ms|it'cl, nl' llic i|ii('stiiiM is mic t'oi' capilali-ts, 
 incrcliaiits, and sliip|u'i's, who an- iimcli iiiort' coiiipi'li'iit tliaii I am 
 to discMiss i( ; and I am siii'i' Uial .Mr. Iliiddai-I, will he prcpaivil 
 to rciidiT lli(tin any lu'lp lliuy may iicfd in lorinin^ an opinion 
 \'\ii>\\ that part of (In- snhjcct. 
 
 I am, Sir, yunr olicdicnl. S(!r\aril, 
 
 wii.i i.\.\i S.MH1I. 
 
 I>(jiutii MiHislir oj Mdiinr iiiul I'l ^hii le.s "I < 'mi'iilii, uml ii 
 Mi'iiilii r III' ihe lliinnl (>l 'l'i(til< ('luiiiiiilli-i Jur tin' Miiiiiiiini 
 of' /In I ink S/ii/is. 
 
 CniviMi I.oli'l, Crawn Str.'<'t , Strai.d, pJih Nov., IS!) I. 
 
 Miossiis. ALLAN ON rilK liKlT Dl A TION, 
 
 TO rill': FJ)!'r(/ii of thf v/.i/avv. 
 
 Sii{, — 'i'o onr Icllcr which ;',ppt'ared in yonr issnc ol' llic ."list, 
 uit. wf ajipcndcd a shoi't .arli.'lc I'roni (lie AV//- )o;7' .limniul nf 
 ('oiiiiiii rci\ \\\\\(.-\\ rccilcil l!ic I'cpoitcd opinion ot Air. Sniitli. llic 
 Dc'puty-Ministc!' of A'arinc tor (Canada, and thai- ol' Connnandcr 
 Wakcham. in (diar.iic ot' the tislici-y cruiser-, upon the propo>ed 
 fast service. 
 
 The views of Mr. Snnth. in whi"h Captain Wakehani was 
 belicvtMl to concur. >|iorlly stated, were that it, was folly to ,'epre,>.ent, 
 tliti navi<.'alion as presenlin.L;- no ohsl.nde- !o the maintenance of 
 hi^di speed. Mr. Smith wa> fui'llier I'epresentcd as l)(dievin<j that,, 
 ;is a coiiMniM'cial enti'r|)rise, t,hc la>t line v;\\\ nevi' |)idve a snccess. 
 
 Th»^ article appcarinir nn( ontradi<'ted in a paper of >iich hij^li 
 standin;/, and 'he opinions hcinji exaei,ly lle,M' we should expect 
 these ;rentlemen to hold, we had no hesitation in jzi\in;i- it a placi; 
 ill our lett,er. 'i he dissemination of the \iews attrihuted to tlii'sc 
 onicials, differiu'j as they do :rom those ado|tt,ed hy their Parliamen- 
 tary <'hief. could not hut, lie distasteful at hea<l(p.arters, and we 
 are not, siirjuised at wliat has followed. Cai»taiii Wukciiaiii has 
 
87 
 
 ,i(lili'('ssi'<l ji Iclit-r li> Sir CliarK's II. Tuppcr. Miiilstor of Mnrintt, 
 
 ;iii(l it-^ .viili>l.iii '(' was caltlt'd to yoii ii I'ortiii^lil iiL-o. Mr. Siiiitli, 
 
 pnisciilly ill this coiiiilry. lias .uldicssi'il y(tiir.st'lvc!H <liiv('t. Ah 
 
 Ijotli coimnmiicalioii.i «(!imu to rclU't't upon oiiisclvcs, as well as to 
 
 (iontnulict what. Iia.s hiHMi sIuIimI hy tluf Juiirmil of ('nutmercv, wti 
 
 lake Uiavt!, with your pcnuissioii, to comnu'iit. upon thcui. 
 
 Captain NVukchani, who writes troiu Ottawa, has assumed iviisi'epreseiu 
 
 that W(! have alti-ihult'd to hiui the (ipiiiimi that 2()-kuot steaniers ""J' ^^ '^ ^' 
 
 eaniiol lie employed in the St. Lawrence with safely, and 
 
 hy this means not only does he I'md opportunity to eonlrudi(;t 
 
 the. statement, iiut, to iuiply that we advocate this opinion. 
 
 We feel a^;irie\('d at, the persistence with which it. is endeavoured 
 
 to t'asten on us the view that it is le>.s saf(! to i-mphiy 2U-knot 
 
 steamers than slower ones. ^Ve disclaimed this in our letter 
 
 of Aujiust 10, statiujf that, where it wa.> safe to iini at II knots 
 
 it was e(|ually saf(^ to run at 20 (and in this we are at ono 
 
 with Captain Wakeham); hut we held that, in the weather what the 
 
 and waters when! this service is to nin the hiiili speed cannot ^"""^ '*''* 
 
 hold, and 
 
 continuously, noi' to tlie same dejrree as on the Ntnv York route, lie which Cupi. 
 
 lately mauitaiiUMi, and a Iraik' and suit^idy thai is to he made and does not 
 
 earned hy such speed is at serious disadvaiita^e. Captain '^""tnidlel. 
 
 Wakeham'rt conlradictiou does not touch this point at all, and, 
 
 even with his ohviously strong desire; to s\ipport Ulie views of his 
 
 chief, his <>;ood sense cousti'ains him to add that '• the swift vessel 
 
 need i;o no fastei' than prudi'uce would warrant in thick weather," 
 
 which is really the kernel of the whole ipiestioii as to uaviffatiou. 
 
 lltM'oidd not ad<l that climatic conditions, and freedom from Why ho could 
 
 not contra- 
 navij:;ation dauyers, were as iavourahle on the one i-oiite as the ^ugj^ ii,g 
 
 other. His i!very-day experience would contradict this; tluf ^"""^* 
 published reports of his Dt^partmcut would coiitradictt it; the 
 pr'^iuium of insurance for the St. Lawreuce Ir.ide would oonlrailict 
 it; and as t> the conunereial aspect of the (pu'stion, on which, 
 however, he offers no opinion, the history of the mail and pas- 
 senger trade of the last \m\ years would confute hiiii. As to 
 the (Irst, we take a single phrase from ihc < iovciinuent lllue-Hook 
 report for IHDO, at jiage '.14 : — " l''roni 2h miles east of IJelleisle to 
 uhreast of Cireenly Ihluiul passtul innumerahle huge icebergs and 
 detaidied pieces of ice." " Icebergs were met in iho Straits by all 
 vcHsels passing there this HejiHon, up till the! end of Oclobei' ; in- 
 
38 
 
 steamer 
 struck an ice- 
 berg. 
 
 Fog slgnals- 
 a word for 
 Admiral Hop- 
 kins. 
 
 Mr. Smith'i 
 repudiation 
 reviewed. 
 
 nnmerablo bergs were met with east of llic Grand Banks, and for 
 80 miles south of Cafju Race." 
 
 In one of our letters we mentioned that this season one of our 
 steamei's struck an iceberj^ at 3^ knots speed, destroying her bows. 
 AVliat would have happened had the speed been greater? An 
 Atlantic greyhound this season is reported to have, in a foLr, rini 
 down a barque, herself receiving no harm — the Ijarque, and all on 
 board, disappearing. Had it been a berg, the case would liave 
 been reversed. 
 
 Then as to fog and the fog signals, on which some stress is 
 deservedly set, the Department warns navigators in these \yords: — 
 '' It cannot be too emphatically impressed u])on them thai, a sound 
 sisnal is under no circumstances s') reliabb- ;".o a light, for the best 
 sound signals will give varying results under vaiying conditions of 
 atmosphere." 
 
 Turning to Mr. Smith, whom we hold in the highest esteem, 
 and fn^'x whose Department the book from which we have been 
 quoting issues. 
 
 His letter is dated from the Craven Houi. and reminds 
 us of the story of Galileo when abjuring before the Inquisition 
 his belief in the earth's motion, muttering " But it still goes 
 round.*' He notices that Captain Wakeham repudiated certain 
 statements, and he '' g<mera]ly endorses the terms of his contra- 
 diction," We iiave shown that the statements contradicted 
 were never made. He proceeds that he l)elieves the scheme of 
 numing fast steamers is (piite feasible, l)ut he adds — and it 
 is here that his fairness comes promiiuMitly out — that " the navi- 
 '^ation of fast steamers would naturaliy recpiire the obscrvaiiee 
 of the same precautions as in the case of slower, and the f suir 
 need "-o no faster than |)rudence wouhl warrant in thick weat i'. " 
 In an earlier letter we gave an illustration from this yea'? 
 experience of a fast boat, ])eCfiuse of tog, only going 190 miles one 
 day and 71 the next; she was in coMq)any with one of our slowest 
 boats for five days, unable, owing to the fog, to utilize her 
 
 speed. 
 
 We also mentioned how we had to stipulate; in a mail contract 
 that we were to De free to slacken speed or stop for fog ud ice 
 and thus lengthen our passages without ])cnalty, but wt u'liged 
 to yield up half our subsidy for the concession. 
 
I 
 
 mm 
 
 mmmm^mffmmi 
 
 89 
 
 Mr. Smith wisely declines to offer any remarks on Mr. Ilutldart's On the com- 
 scliemc! from a commercial standpoint. This, he says, '• is a qnestioii "eTt^of'the" 
 for capitalists, merchants, and shijjpers, on which Mr. Huddart scheme, 
 can enlighten them." Mr. Smith, no doubt, knows the commercial 
 disadvantages of a costly service and dillicult navigation, and the 
 conse(iuences attendant on change of terminus in winter, and has 
 probably heard that, since this correspondence opened, one of the 
 great passenger services of Canada has had to go into liquidation, 
 and another to change its management. Mr. Henry Fry, Lloyd's Mr. Fry's 
 agent it (Quebec for many years, formerly the head of the '^*^^''" 
 United Boards of Trade in Canada, and who is recognised cvd of 
 the highest authority on navigation, published last month an 
 elabo]-ate statement on the charactei- of the St. Lawrence navio-a- 
 tion and route, endorsing and elaborating all the views we have 
 given. His letter is too long to quote, but it is at your call. 
 
 A word in conclusion. Our part in the correspondence has Our object 
 
 been to justify our abstention from this scheme. We have been '" t*ie corres- 
 
 . . . pondence 
 
 obliged to mamtani that the speed, which is an essential factor, though not to Hecry 
 
 only one, to its commercial success, is incompatible with safety, 'aUon^'" 
 
 but we have no desire to cry down the character of the St. Lawrence 
 
 navigation, while obliged to admit that it is not on a par lor safety 
 
 with that of New York. Wc have ourselves demonstrated that 
 
 with due precaution, and steamers being always slowed or stopped 
 
 when ice, fogs, or snowstorms prevail, it is fairly safe, and that 
 
 the climatic disadvantages of t-ie route can be overcome by the 
 
 "subordination of speed tc» safety." But we have not stopped at 
 
 the mere arguing against this scheme. We have presented to the Have given a 
 
 Government strong reasons for their ureferrin<r, for the sake of ^"S»6^''°" ^° 
 
 '■ °' Government. 
 
 Canada, a system of service ihat will at once secure the hiHiest 
 
 rapidity of voyage that the nature of the navigation admits of, 
 
 <!oml)ined with other classes of service that v.ill give the greatest 
 
 facility for the transport of Canadian produce. We have shown 
 
 that in this lies the true solution of their beneficent pin'poses, 
 
 leaving them, so far as we are concerned, free to choose their own 
 
 instruments for its attainment. 
 
 We are, yours truly, 
 
 JAMES & ALEX. ALLAN. 
 
 25 Bothwell Street, Gh.sgow, lath Nov., 1894.