First Seaway Season

Winter closed the St. Lawrence Seaway this week, and the score was in on its first season. Through October the new waterway moved 17.4 million tons of cargo, well short of the 25 million ton goal. Part of the reason was bad luck; the U.S. steel strike had cut off iron-ore shipments from Labrador and traffic of other bulk commodities was down.

The first season had been in many ways a trial run; port installations were not yet in shape to make their full contribution to the integrated flow of trade. Gauging 1959 against past performance, most cities on the seaway were well pleased--no fewer than 5,861 ships had traversed the St. Lambert lock. Tolls will not be touched for three to five years, until complete trade patterns emerge.

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