The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-10-02
Our Rivals-St. Louis and Boston-ssDi
rect Trade,

rect trade"
Boston and ST. Louis are simultaneously agi-
tated on the subject Of "direct trade"-by
which they mean trade that goes around this
city, or manages in some way NOT to go through
it. The St. Louis Democrat has just heard Of
cargo of sal soda that is to come all the way
from Liverpool to ST. Louis in single steamer,
and 80, expecting to be pretty well of for soap
when this cargo arrives, 1t constructs in Its minds
eye, Horatio, q beautiful ediice Of direct trade
by which ST. Louis Is to do without the COM
mercial metropolis Of the country. Never
before was single cargo of soda responsible
for so much effervescence or such lather. st.
Louis is to be relieved straightway of "the
heavy tribute she has been paying to New
York"-the cost Of the freight from Liverpool
to st. Louis will only be the same as from New
York to st. Louisiana from this start the
Western city is henceforth to be brought "more
directly in contact with foreign markets." and
to Compete advantageously for the Western
and Southern trades" What q perfect cloud of
beautiful little bubbles out of single para
graph founded on sal sodal The Democrat
should have gotten Nicholas Ounce to make
ballad about 1t.
The Boston Traveller builds the Boston direct
trade on basis less soluble than soda. II goes
into birthstone and oats, hemp and hogs, hides
and mackerel, corn, coal, -four, oats, cotton
and coffee. It tells its readers how many ships
1t would take to carry the good things that 60
to Boston and are not printed in the Atlantic
fifty-fve hundred ships TO carry the -four and
coal, FIVE hundred for the corn, three hundred
barks and briggs for the molasses, and so on II
spreads the thing out to make the most Of it
very nicely-like little girl who is not con-
tent with telling other little girls she has got
box of toys, but strings them out in row,
one by one, to show how many there
are. Then the Traveller tells us what Its hopes
are for the next year; how many bales Of
cotton Boston will get, how many cases Of
indigo, and how much ssltpetre. II goes on,
like the merchant Of Bagdad, who, when he
sold his basket Of eggs, was to begin business
that would make him so rich he would marry the
Sultan's daughter. The hopes Of the Traveller
90 equally far, and II hopes at last to see 'the
proud commercial position Of Boston again
secured" But it urges that II that position IL
to be secured Boston trade must not be done
by way of New York-that ii must be direct
that the establishment here of agencies of
Boston houses is suicidal; and II presses the
Boston merchants TO give up their branch
houses here lest II .may be too late to arrest
the currents Of trade" which are likely to
leave Boston altogether.
We hear this nonsense repeated from differ
ent quarters, every now and then, from the
whole catalogue Of the smaller cities. All
dream Of commercial Importance to rival
that of this city, and to grow from direct
trade with foreign ports. Philadelphia has
the madness periodically, and before the war
the Southern cities used to have terrible at
tacks. New York stands all this rivalry very
well. Her geographical position and other
natural advantages gave her an admirable
start, and now her commercial, financial and
| intellectual supremacy Is so well established
| that the practical men Of other cities wisely
admit It, and take advantage OF the fact In
| their business. No sooner Is the war over than
the whole business South focks hither TO take
| q fresh start in life-to rebuild the railroads
and even the cities--to get the money and the
men. Boston men, not content TO rot with their
Goldfish on Long wharf, come here to drive
their fortunes. They establish, as the 7JaueEer
says, "branches;" but while the main estab-
lishment makes ten thousand q year the branch
makes . million, and Boston may be sure that
Whatever her merchants abandon II will not be
the "branchcs." And % for thatload Of sal soda
on It's way to st. Louis, the merchants who
walt for II and expect 70 save some pennies on
the freight will doubtless open their eyes TO
see their neighbon get three cargoes from
New York in the same time, and making ten or
twenty per cent less profit, still make twice 40
much money. II is great pity, but the world
won't wait for st. Louis, nor even for Boston,
respectable though they be,