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THE OTTAWA CANAL. (FROM THE CANADIAN MANUFACTURER.) This isa river, lake andcanal route which passes from the easterly side of Lake Huron up the French River to Lake Nipissing, from thence by canal across the high lands to Trout Lake, at the head of the Mattawan River, down tre Mattawan to its junction with the Ottawa, tollowing the course of the latter river to Lachine, and thence by Lachine canal to Montreal. The distance from the entrance at French River to Montreal is 430.76 miles, of which 29.32 miles are canal, and of this the Lachine canal already completed, forms 8.50 miles, leaving only about 21 miles of canal to be constructed. In the annual report of the New York Produce Ex- change, 1872-73, there is a voluminous paper on the different projects of rail and water communication which were then being discussed: a ship canal via Wel- land canal and St. Lawrence route to Montreal; a ship canal from Cauchnawaga via Lake Champlain and Hudson River to New York; a shipcanal from Georgian Bay to Toronto; a ship canal from Niagara River. to Lake Ontario, and from Oswego to New York; a canal from Lake Huron to Montreal, via the Ottawa River; and a moderate enlargement and improvement of the Erie and Oswego canals. The whole of the ship canal projects are condemned as impracticable and unprofitable, because the cost of their construction involves an annual amount of interest which would largely exceed any saving in the cost of transportation that could be effected on even an extreme estimate of possible traffic; and if the total sav- ing in freight is to be less than the interest, where is the gain? The report decidesin favor of a moderate en- largement of the Krie and Oswego canals, which can be accomplished at a reasonable cost, and so as to reduce cost of transportation from Buffalo to New York by fully 50 per cent. In discussing the Ottawa canal, the report speaks of this scheme as being the first in magnitude, and evi- dently anticipates danger from its competition with the traffic of New York via Erie canal. It shows that the saving of distance between Chicago and Liverpool by this route, as compared with the circuitous route via Buffalo and New York is 842 miles; and that the dis- tance to Liverpool is 428 miles less than by the route via Welland canal to Montreal. It is maintained by the friends of the Erie canal route, that when the present improvements are completed, wheat can be carried from Buffalo to New York, inclu- ding elevating and shipping charges at Buffalo and New York, for 3c per bushel. If wheat can be carried from Lake Huron to Montreal via the Ottawa canal for the same price—3c per bushel—this route will com- mand a large proportion of the trade, because it will be the most expeditious route, and because, especially in midsummer, the grain will be kept in better condition when carried through deep and cool waters than when transported through the shallow and hot water of the Erie canal. Can grain be carried for above rate? There is no difficulty in making the locks on proposed canal (except on Lachine portion) of sufficient dimen- sions to pass at one lockage a fleet consisting of a steam tug and three barges, holding altogether 180,000 bushels. One of the oldest and best informed for- warders in Canada estimates that each fleet of one steam tug and three steel barges can be constructed for $150,000; that the trip from French River to Montreal can be made in from four to five days; and allowing for delays in loading and unloading, the round trip should be accomplished within 15 days; the expenses for the round trip, for wages, board of men, fuel and supplies for 15 days, $1,250. Allow 15 per cent per annum on the cost of the fleet for interest on cost, wear and tear, re- pairs, insurance, etc., $22,250, or allowing 14 trips in the season, is equal to $1,589 on each round trip, which added to the $1,250 for expenses as above, makes cost of transporting 180,000 bushels wheat $2,834, or 1.57c per bushel. This makes no allowance for any revenue to be obtained from freights from Montreal or other points on the trip westward. On the other hand there may be slack times during the season, when the fleets are not fully occupied, and there may be occasional de- lays which may make the round trip longer than esti- mated. But, taking both considerations into account— return freights and unexpected delays—it may be fairly assumed that 13,c per bushel will fully cover cost of transportation and afford a reasonable profit on the’ -western states and colonies to the seaboard.’’ THE MARINE RECORD. cost of the fleets. Allowing 1c per bushel to cover élevating and shipping charges at the harbor at French River and at Montreal, and for canal tolls, makes total charge for conveying wheat from Lake Huron to de- livery on board sea-going vessel at Montreal, 3c per bushel. Allowing %c per bushel for elevating at both ends of the route, this would leave 4c per bushel canal tolls, which, with proportionate tolls on other merchan- dise, would yield a very respectable revenue towards paying for maintenance of the works and for interest on their cost. Comparing the passage from the west to the ocean via the Ottawa canal route with that to New York by the Erie canal, the former is not only the most expedi- tious, but the cost of transportation is so much less that the traffic can bear the imposition of a fair rate of canal tolls, which the Erie route cannot. Comparing the route via Ottawa canal with that of a ship canal via Welland canal and the St. Lawrence, the following may be considered a fair test. At least %c per bushel must be allowed for extra freight and insur- ance on the longer trip from Lakes Michigan and Superior to Port Colborne, as compared with the shorter trip to French River. As the cost of French River to Montreal, including elevating and tolls, will be 3c per bushel, then in order to compete, vessels by the ship canal route have only 2c to get for freight and insur- ance from Port Colborne to Montreal, even if free from tolls, and, if subject to 4c per bushel as proposed on Ottawa route, only 13%c. No one pretends that this route would prove remunerative to vessel owners. It may be said that in this comparison, no allowance is made for the cost of elevating at French River. With the large business likely to be done, the cost of this service should not exceed %c per bushel; and it is gen- erally admitted that in the summer season at any rate, the condition of grain is improved by each elevation to an extent fully equal to the cost of elevating. Comparing the Ottawa route with the proposed ship canal from Georgian Bay to Toronto, and admitting that the doubts as to ample supply of water for the latter from Lake Simcoe, and as to the stability of the high banks through its deep cuttings should be dis" pelled, and the feasibility of the project in these re- spects established, there remain the questions of rela- tive cost of construction and economy of transportation. Without anything like reliable data as to the cost of construction in either case, it would be reasonable to estimate that the cost of the Georgian Bay canal would largely exceed that of the Ottawa ronte, but assume the cost to be the same the Georgian Bay canal would be practically useless until the channel of the St. Law- rence River and the St. Lawrence canals should be deepened to correspond with the former. To justify the construction of a ship canal from Georgian Bay to Toronto its advantages must evidently be of sufficient value to warrant the additional expenditure required between Toronto and Montreal. With six short canals between Kingston and Montreal to be passed through, it is very doubtful whether grain or any other merchan- dise could be transported even from Toronto to Mon- treal by the class of propellers adapted to that route, as cheaply as they could be by barges over the whole route from French River to Montreal. If so, this would leave absolutely nothing for freight or tolls on the 100 miles canal from Georgian Bay to Toronto. The Ottawa canal isno new project. It was discussed nearly fifty years ago, and a survey and report were made by Mr. Walter Shanley in 1858, and another sur- vey was made in 1860 by Mr. Thomas C. Clark; but as conditions have greatly changed since then, these sur- veys and estimates are of little value beyond establish- ing the practicability of the scheme. With respect to its merits, the late Sir John A. MacDonald thus spoke ata public dinner given in his honor, at Ottawa,in 1865: ‘‘Just as sure as the legislature is settled here, and they see this portion of the country, just so surely will be carried out the great scheme of connecting Lake Huron with the Ottawa. The subject has pressed not only upon the attention of colonial public men, but it is impressed also upon the attention of British statesmen.”’ On another occasion he said: ‘‘The Ottawa ship canal must be constructed, and no voice would be raised against the great national work, which would open the The late Hon. Alexander Mackenzie from his place in parlia- ment expressed himself as being perfectly satisfied that rather to the head of Atlantic Nace M Leod Stewart, the chief present promoter of the: gives the following valuable testimony to the feasib of the project, from Mr. A. M. Wellington, of I neering News, New York: “I do not care to go int details of the Ottawa project at the present time, a1 more fully than I have already done. My convic that the Ottawa River affords the best opportuni’ the globe for a well-planned ship canal, is a fixed 0 The idea ofa great ship canal and lake and rive route to the seaboard is a magnificent and attractive one on paper. Tested by a comparison of proba practical results with cost of construction, it is a visio ary one. After all, what great direct or indirect advan tage would accrue to the greater part of Canada from its construction and operation? ‘The immense vessel employed would be unable even to touch at the harbor on Lake Erie and Ontario. If by constructing the canal system from Lake Huron to Montreal via th Ottawa, Canada can attract as much foreign traffic by the more magnificent but much more expensive sh canal project, this of itself should ensure the adopti of the former. When to this consideration is added the incalculable advantages which will be derived by the settlers on both sides of a 400-mile channel of naviga- tion; the additional value that will attach to the lands timber, minerals and farm products of the immense territory tributary to it; the lateral railways that wil be built; the vast water powers brought into use, a the new industries established; the following result will be realized elsewhere: ‘‘Complete this natio1 water system—with the railway system as feeders to —and the results attained will be so magnificent as claim the admiration of the world; so attractive as invite to us its best people and its greatest wealth, a so powerful for good as to bind the country together indissoluble bonds for all time.’’ The Manufacturer has formerly expressed its surprise and regret that government and parliament have dis- played so much indifference to this promising enterpr as to surrender the control of it to a private corpora tion. It seems almost incredible that parliament shoul delegate such powers to any company, however wealthy powers that may affect the prosperity of tens of thous ands of the settlers along its banks, may destroy o ( town or build up another, may favor one section and retard another. All this granted to a company or paper, which did not produce a particle of evidence financial ability to proceed with the work, and who only hope of being able to proceed lies in the prospec of obtaining Dominion and Provincial aid. The neg- ligence in allowing the charter is only equalled by their culpability in omitting to protect the public under the conditions of the act. It is provided that the tolls be levied by the company are to be subject to:the a proval of the Governor in Council. But the company authorized to sell or lease any terminals, harbors wharfs, docks, piers, elevators and wharehouses whic they may construct. Government may compel only reasonable tolls to be levied on grain or merchand transported upon the canals, but if the wharves and elevators are leased or sold by the company, how ca: government regulate any charges which may be im posed for wharfage, elevating, storage, etc.? It may that the company will, in ordinary seasons, be compelled to maintain reasonable tolls, but there have been se sons in former years, and there may be such sea in time to come, when every channel of transportati is crowded with freight. The granting of a charter for this great work to company has been a great mistake, and the granting of a charter with such conditions as this one contains was a greater mistake. Fortunately this act of incorpora- tion has expired through non-fulfillment by the comp n of the conditions contained in it. An application is be. fore parliament for its revival. The answer should be, 4 “Tt is dead, there let it lie.”’ -_- EEE ‘ One-half interest in the steamer Mark B. Covell has been sold to the Michigan Trust Co., of Grand Rapids, to Sarah EK. Kittenger, of Manistee, for $6,000. The steamer North Star has been sold by John H. Mul- chrone, of St. Ignace, to William Sullivan, of Mackinac Island, for $3,000.