TRANS-CONTINENTAL RAILWAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 697, 17 December 1902, Page 3

TRANS-CONTINENTAL RAILWAY.

EXPENDITURE OF HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS INVOLVED. (Per R.M.S. .Ventura at Auckland.) ■SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 27. A despatch from Montreal, dated Nov. 2U, says that Canada is to havo a second trans continental railroad, extending from ocean to ocean. The announcement was rnado to-day by Mr Charles M. Hays, second Vice-President and general managor of the Grand Trunk Railway. The construction will bo begun as soon as the necossury legislation can be obtained from the Canadian Parliament. The grand trunk lino will bo behind the new road and operate with it, but as in tho case of tho grand trunk lines west of Detroit River, it will bo constructed under a separate corporate name of tho Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company. Tho now road, according to Mr Hays, will have a mileage of about three thousand and constructions, including oquipmont of stations, bridges, ships, and ether facilities will involve tho expondituro of from seventylive to hundred million dollars. According to presont arrangemont3 tho road will run through that part of Northern Ontario known as New Ontario, starting from North Bay or Gravenhurst and extending through Manitoba, North-West Territories, and British Columbia, to Buttlo lulot or Port Simpson, 8.C., as tho latter may bo determined upon. Tho line will bo modern and up-to-date. “No ono,” says Mr Hays,who has been studying tho wondorful developments that have tftlsen place in tho North-west during tho past fotvyoars, “can fail to bo deeply impressed with tho importance of that oxtenaivo and rich territory, and our directors feel that in viow of the apparont noed of additional railway facilities, and in order to guaranteo to tho present Grand Trunk systom direct connection with that very important and growing section of Canada, the only wiso policy is to take activo stops towards this extension.” Tho building of this road has been under consideration by tho Grand Trunk directorates for some time, but it was only during Mr Hays’ recent visit to England that it was decided to carry out the project at as oarly a date as possible. MiHays aided that tho lino would probably bo in full operation in five years’ time. 1 The steamship lines on the Pacific would como as a necessary adjunct.