Show OVERLAND TRAFFIC It is a significant announcement which appears in our telegraphic columns in reference refer-ence to transcontinental freight A consignment con-signment of rice from China is now in transit tran-sit to Chicago via Vancouver the Canadian Pacific railway and Lake Michigan It will be transported by rail 1900 miles to Port Arthur and carried thence by vessel S50 miles to Chicago The shipment is experimental perimental it is true but there need be no doubt as to the outcome The experiment will be a financial success for the carriers for railroad companies and ship owners know very well what they are doing They figure carfully and take few chances The significance of this movement is found in the threat which it conveys to divert the traffic between this country and Asia to Canadia The American railway rail-way owners may well fear this and if they would retain that which legitimately legiti-mately belongs to them they must bestir themselves It is claimed by some and there is something in the claim that that piece of silly legislation known as the interstate commerce law handicaps American railways driving them out of the field of competition for long distance freight They are placed at a disadvantage when bidding against roads on which there ire no restrictions and which are their own masters and in whose management the government docs not assume to inter fore It may be said that an American railway should be able to carry freight as cheaply as one in Canada and so it should but for some reason it does not To charge the failure to American stupidity idity or greed would not be reasonable reason-able as the Americans are as keen to make money as Canadians can possibly be We know that the transcontinental continental roads have not been very extravagant travagant in the matter of paying dividends divi-dends during the past few years and judging judg-ing from this conclude that they have not been making the money they once did If hey are now to be deprived of a large portion por-tion of their carrying trade as they certainly ainly will be if they cannot compete with the Canadian road it will be hard lines for the home companies and for local communities ties as well as the latter will have to make good the loss |