The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-10-20
The Canal Tolls ON Wheat.


Trustees, discriminating in the tolls on
wheat in favor If wheat sent through IN,
whole length Of the canal, by stating ,ha,
the measure was designed TO draw the river
trade from 81. Louis to Chicago. Very good.
II the tolls were So high as to drive all the
wheat raised south Of Peru to 81. Louis, it
was clearly the duty of the trustees To fe-
duce the tolls. And this we are and have
been III favor Of. Bat how docs il aid the
grand object in view TO make these unjust
Determinations in favor ofccria ain locations {?
Does II help the matter any to compel Ota-
wa TO pay 4 cts. toll on IL buShel ur wheat
while Peru pays bu, three?
Bat say, this writer, the toll should be So
adjusted as 10 yirld the greatest amount Of
revcnuc 10 the state. Granted and how
will this partial system operate in The case
If Ottawa? l!a!f the wheat sold in TIL,
market is brought in by farmers who live
but a few miles further from Peru, aud who,
when they can at al times get cent more
! for II there than here, and, when better
prices are paid at ST. Louis than Chicago,
two cents more, VII aSSuredly market their
wheat there. Then what is the conse-
| qIence? Either this vs. heat goss TO CLca-
80 at the reduced rates, or, what in nine
cases ont Of ten will be the case, it vii go
to ST. Loui. at Once. This is building up
Chicago at the expense Of St. Louis with
vengeance!
No-the effect Of the measure, whether
intended or not, is as much to aid as iuure
St. Louis so far as her rivalry with Chicago
is concerned, for it will take down :, much
wheat that would be shipped from Ottawa
to Chicago, as ii will bring up from IIeuue-
pin, for the reduction is too Insignificant TO
bring up any fuither south. But it will al.
so be this-and here lies the grand object of
the whole buSincss-it will help Chicago at
the expense Of the towns, the farmers, and
the property of the state on the " hole line of
canal from Bridgeport to La Sale. From
Ottawa east no wheat can 60 10 ST. Louis.
1t must either be sold at tho towns on the
canal or hauled in wagons to Chicago. and
this latter is exactly the result which the
course Of the trustees, in keeping up such
enormous rates Of tolls for these towns. has
brought about. No wheat, comparatively,
is sold on the canal In this town, it
s.true, 5000 or $1,000 bushels may have
lao hn,tul.t t,,i- L.,
TO the 100000 bushels raised in La Sale
county? Much OF the balance las already
gone to Chicago in WAGONS, and the rest
will 90 this winter. And from Kendall. I
Kane, Lee, De kalb, or any county or pre-
cinct lying ten miles from the canal. who j
will think of selling wheat OH lis banks I
while the present enormous tolls remain?
Abnshcl Of wheat to be shipped from Otta-
wato Chicago costs at present from to 10 /
cents If hauled 20 miles 10 Ottawa, il costs I
Il or Ii cents. And where is the farmer
who cannot make money 10y hauling his |
wheat TO market at such rates7
And who wins and who loses by ,hisnar-
row minded policy? Chicago wins, and /
Chicago only. She retains her retail trade, |
whic!! ofr!ght belongs TO the towns on the (
canal. Bat who loSes-who loses? The /
towns on the canal lose. An Immense re- !
tail trade, which would make cities ofthcm
and give cmploymeutto thousands, i Ia en- /
from them, to crafty the schi>hnesS of Chi. /
cago. The farmers lose. They are obliged /
to incur heavy unnecessary expense in .
dragging their " hcatto market. on the very
tow-path of the canal. But the heaviest 10. .
ser is the state. Every foot Of her property
from Chicago 10 La Sale is diminished IN /
value. She loses her toll on a million of .
bushels year of grain that is hauled TO
Chicago in wagons; aud she loses the tolls
on millions worth a year of goods that
would be sold in the towns on the canal.
And all this to benefit Chicago and Peru!
Or, IL that isnotthe motive, il is mere blind
ness an! stoldiiy on the part Of the trustees.
But is it the true policy of Chicago to
cling so closely TO this retail trade? 1t may
well be doubted. While she does heavy
retail business, she can never do a heavy
wholesale business. Srhe two never flou-
IRISH side by side. She must give up the one
before she can get the other.
Such are some Of the "cOmplain,s" Of the
towns on the canal. Aud when in re-
spectiul memorial TO the board Of Trustees
they presented their complaints, how were
they answered? Only by further cause of
complaint. When they asked for bread
they got stone. Their petition was an
swered by the outrage Of discriminating
scale Of tells TO their ruin. And now TO add
insult to all they must We, he scolded for
complaining. Butwe look for better things
by spring. The trustees willnot alwaysbe
blind, and we believe when they are con.
WINGED that their present. course in this mat
ter is eminently suicidal, they will effect a
change.
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