British Whig (Kingston, ON), 7 Jul 1897

p.2

IN MARINE CIRCLES.

The barge Albani is loading lumber at Rathbun & Co.'s wharf for Edwardsburg.

The schooner Nellie Hunter cleared today for Oswego to load coal for this port.

The Columbian cleared for Montreal at three o'clock this morning from Swift's wharf.

The tug Petrel and consorts, Kingston to Toledo, light, cleared the Welland canal today.

The sloop Madcap, from Bay of Quinte ports, discharged a cargo of oats today at Richardson & Sons' elevator.

The barges Davis and Fanny are loading peas and oats, respectively, at Richardson & Sons' elevator for Montreal.

The barge Owen, consort of the steamer Ketcham, Chicago, is on her way down the lake with corn consigned to the M.T. company.

The R. & O. steamer Algerian called at Swift's wharf today on her way from Toronto to Montreal; the Passport called on her way to Toronto.

Launching A Steam Yacht - yacht Priscilla launched at Davis' yard for Muskoka Lake; 52 feet by 10 1/2 feet x 4 feet; triple expansion engine of 120 h.p.

p.6

ENCOURAGE THE COMPANY.

If It Leaves, Kingston Will Certainly Suffer.

Kingston, July 7th - Letter to the Editor:

May I say a few words in reply to the letter in last evening's issue, signed by "Heavy Taxpayer?"

1. It is "pure unadulterated assurance" that the board of trade should promptly take up for careful consideration, a matter which vitally affects Kingston's prosperity? Your correspondent virtually admits the wisdom of the board's action when he concedes the loss that would result to Kingston were the Montreal transportation company's business to be removed.

2. He says: "It is the old threat of the M.T. Co. which has been used times without number whenever they have been wanting anything, that they may leave Kingston and go elsewhere unless they get what they want." As I am largely interested in Kingston, I would like "Heavy Taxpayer" to give one instance of any such threat on the part of the company. I remember that when the company applied for exemption from taxation, facts and figures as to the volume of business transacted here by the company were given in support of the application for exemption, but that was not a threat, and even if it could be so considered, one isolated instance hardly warrants the reckless and extravagant statement that it is "an old threat" which has been used "times without number."

3. Your correspondent says that "there is no danger of the M.T. company leaving." If this be true, agitation or discussion at the present time is useless, but should other taxpayers - probably as largely interested as your correspondent - accept unsupported statement in the face of indications to the contrary? The matter is worth looking into at all events.

4. The men controlling the M.T. company are, to a great extent, the owners of the grain carried by their fleet. If it be a fact, that vessel owners and transportation companies will carry grain from Port Arthur, Duluth and other western points to Prescott as cheaply as to Kingston, what will happen in the event of grain being received here which can not be immediately transferred to barges. If it can be sent on to Prescott without additional cost, and elevated and stored there as cheaply as in Kingston, and if it will cost less to carry it from Prescott to Montreal than from Kingston to Montreal, why should the M.T. company hand over its business to a Kingston elevator, controlled by another company? If the M.T. company owned an elevator here the profit in the storage would equal, in amount, the cost of transportation from Kingston to Prescott, and so the business could be done here.

The proposed elevator of the Mooers company must not and need not depend upon the M.T. company. There is plenty of profitable work for it outside of the M.T. company. What Kingston wants now is to get another elevator, connected with the M.T. company, thereby fixing and anchoring the M.T. company and its business to Kingston, where it will remain and flourish. This is of the utmost importance to all Kingstonians.

Let us have the Mooers elevator by all means, but do not let us be so short-sighted as to antagonize the M.T. company, or to lose an opportunity of retaining and extending business of infinitely more value to the city than any isolated elevator can possibly be.

ANOTHER TAXPAYER.