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er mere na- A S 'PAGE EIGHT THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1917. . (Continued from page seven.) little wooden ships, driven by wind, great steel vessels, driven by steam. That was all right from the national point of view, but, so far as Kingston was concerned, it appeared to put an end to her ambitions to stand at the head of deep-water navigation. Port Colborne and Buffalo, in Lake Erie, became the trans-shipping centres, and Canadi- ans saw themselves under the humiliating necessity of sending a large proportion of their grain to the Atlantic via American ports. The Government then conceived a big plan to enlarge the Wel- land canal and to improve Kingston Harbor so that it could accommo- date the largest of the Great Lakes shipping. The harbor was to become a national one. = That is to say, the Government was to assume a partial control by virtue of large expen- ditures made in the national interests. Both the upper and lower har- bors were to be dredged. Docks were projected, elevators, all kinds of improvements. It was a scheme involving, with the Welland Ca- nal enlargement, millions of dollars, and from the local point of view it would be, or rather will be, the making of Kingston. : This work was begun shortly before the outbreak-6f the war but was discontinued a few -months after the declaration of war. Kingstonians are looking forward with confidence to a re- sumption of operations as soon as financial conditions are more nor- mal, and their energetic Board of Trade loses no opportunity of press- ing the importance of the scheme upon the Government, This they do, not from any fear that it will be abandoned, but merely to keep the subject alive and to ventilate it as often as possible by expres- sions of public opinion. Kingston's Coming Prosperity. When the war is finished there will be something like a revolu- tion in the old city. Kingston will redouble its business activities. The impetus to the local shipbuilding industry will be tremendous. That is dealt with in a separate article in this series. Apart from that there will be a big demand for labor for dry-docks because Kingston will be, as it was before, the place at which the most extensive re- pairs will be made before the big steamers turn their prows back to- | © ward Port Arthur and the West. There will also be a general impetus in all local industries, be- cause experience shows that it is impossible to bring a new activity to a city without at the same time stirring up the other trade and manufacturing activities of the district to a new lease of prosperity. Is it any wonder that the people of Kingston have faith in their des- tiny to become one of the biggest and busiest ports in the whole Do- minion of Canada? Low Cost of Living In 1833 servants in Kingston received 75 cents a week. Board cost from $1 to $1.50 a week. Butter was 10 cents a pound, cheese 5 cents, potatoes 20 to 25 cents a bushel. "In Shipping Lies Victory for the Allies" ilo George One of the great industrial legsons from thepresent war is the impor- tance of merchant tonnage to a country. After the war, the countries which build up the largest proportionate trade in overseas markets will be those who have the largest amount of mer- chant tonnage at their command. There has been an immense shortage of ships, and answering the call of the Empire, the Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd., have taken from their Great Lakes trade, numerous steamers and sent them across the Atlantic to do invaluable work for the Allies. In addition to these, its larger vessels have been employed continuously, duri the navigating season, in bringing foodstuffs to the Atlantic seaboard. "When the war is over Canada will still be able to bring her products by her own ships from the Head of, the Lakes to the Atlantic seaboard, but "policy and patriotism should now dictate a national ship-building programme which will render Canada independent commercially _ in her export trade. Canada has 'built wonderful trans-continental rail- roads to foster and develop its natural resources, but, so far, has neglected the means to carry it beyond its own shores to the eagerly awaiting markets of Europe and other continents. No opportunity, therefore, should be ne- glected to build up our shipbuilding industries. "A Greater Nation Through a Greater Foreign Trade" should be Canada's Slogan 3d -