British Whig (Kingston, ON), 12 Jun 1897

p.4 Woodcut of steam pleasure yacht "Where Now" - owned by L.B. Spencer of this city, length 78 feet over all, has steel frame throughout, triple expansion engine.

IN MARINE CIRCLES.

The schooner Acacia is expected with a cargo of coal from Oswego, N.Y., this afternoon.

The schooner Fabiola with a cargo of coal, from Charlotte, N.Y., reached Swift's wharf yesterday.

The schooner Fleetwing arrived last evening, at Swift's, with a cargo of coal, from Oswego, N.Y.

The R. & O. steamer Hamilton called at Swift's wharf this morning on her way from Montreal to Hamilton.

The steamer Islander will go into the government for a general overhauling and repairs on Monday next.

The steamer Erin and barge Danforth, Fort William, arrived this morning with 75,000 bushels of wheat consigned to Richardson & Sons.

The steambarge John Milne called at Swift's wharf this forenoon, light, on her way from Smith's Falls to Oswego, N.Y., for a cargo of coal.

The steambarge Iona had a hole made in her hull while coming up the river, causing her to leak badly. She was hauled out at the Picton drydock for repairs.

The steamer Spartan, Montreal to Toronto, is expected at Swift's this afternoon. The Corsican called at three p.m. today, carrying a full cargo of freight, and sixty passengers.

The steamer Jessie Bain, of Clayton, the hull and boiler of which were inspected on Thursday, by inspector Chestnut, and Capt. Molther, will be taken to the government dry-dock on Monday, to be caulked. Her boiler proved entirely satisfactory under the strict inspection to which it was subjected.

The owners of a private dock in the city state that business in that line has not been so dull in twenty years as it is at present. The reason for this condition of affairs is, in their opinion, the low freight rates that prevail this season and the comparatively meagre marine traffic, the small profits realized preventing vessel-owners from attending to the prompt repairing of their boats.

The Island Ferries - The Ontario government has extended a ferry lease both to Wolfe Island and to Garden Island municipalities which is evidently a good solution of the matter, as it must result in giving two ferries to both islands and good accommodation to the public. The renewal of the Wolfe Island lease is for seven years as before. The Garden Island lease is a new one entirely.

p.8

The Grain Elevator.

Kingston, June 12th - To the Editor:

The News says that the erection of the first grain elevator in Kingston, no matter by whom, will, in all probability, be followed by two or three others. Now, I consider that it matters greatly to whom we are to give the city's money, and we should be in a position, before giving it, to feel confident that the company to whom it is given will be in a position to find work for the elevator after it is built.

If the people of Kingston had been wise and had seen that an elevator was built here previous to Prescott taking the warehousing and forwarding business in hand, then I would have agreed with your contemporary and said let us have an elevator, no matter by whom built, but now that Prescott has become a transhipping point with good elevator facilities, and Kingston has become to a great extent a back number as far as the forwarding business is concerned, as can be seen from the fact that the K. & M. forwarding company are doing most if not all their business from that point and that the M.T. company, I understand, are also doing a large proportion of their business there, it seems to me that the only way to hold here what business there is remaining and get back what is lost, is to see that those who build the elevator are men who control a grain business and who have the steamers and barges necessary for forwarding the grain from here after it arrives.

I am informed on good authority that vessels are at present carrying grain to Prescott as cheaply as to Kingston. That being the case, Prescott has an immense advantage over this port, as it is some seventy miles nearer Montreal than Kingston, and grain can be carried from there to Montreal for much less money than it can be carried from here. Under these circumstances it seems to me an imperative necessity that the men who control the destination of the lake steamers should be interested in the Kingston elevator sufficiently to overcome the advantage Prescott has in being nearer to the sea than we are.

If the men controlling the port of destination of the lake steamer have no interest in Kingston then it will certainly be to their advantage to send their grain to Prescott, but if we can get these men to control the elevator here, then their interest in the elevator will, to my mind, more than counterbalance the advantages Prescott now has, and Kingston will resume her old standing in the St. Lawrence grain forwarding business.

A CITIZEN OF KINGSTON.