106 CANADA AND THE EMPIRE.

the sea journey from Halifax or St. John to
British ports is far the shorter. There can be
little doubt that fast steamers plying from one
of these ports would attract a large number of
passengers to whom either time or a short sea
journey is of importance, though no private company
 has yet seen its way to starting such a
service. The stimulus that such lines of steamers
give to trade is of course well known, and is
an extra inducement towards any such project.
There is a strong desire in Canada for good lines
of steamers running to Canadian ports capable of
competing with the lines that now run to United
States ports; it is felt that sufficient use is not
being made of Canada’s geographical advantages.
[t is not surprising, therefore, that Canadians
view adversely the heavy subsidies given by
Great Britain to ships plying to New York, when
half that subsidy, in conjunction with what Canada
could offer, would probably have been sufficient
to start a fast Canadian line. We do not suggest
that Britain should withhold her support from the
companies she now subsidises ; but, committed as
she is to the practice of giving ocean subsidies, it
would undoubtedly foster Imperial trade and
strengthen the Imperial connection if, wherever it
is practicable, she were to devote money to improving
 those lines which ply between Britain and
colonial ports.

At the same time, by thus bringing the home
market nearer to the colonial producer she would