Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-04-22
Gram Transportation.

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Not at the West, only, but at the
East, as vel, the attention Of the PEG
pie is being called to the best and
cheapest ways OF getting the produce
OF the West to the Eastern markets.
SO far, the great lines Of transportation
running east from Chicago, by land
and water, have enjoyed an unques-
toned monopoly-a monopoly in which
the glain operators have felt strong
As the grain products have increased
with the yearly increased opening OF
Western farms and the yearly increased
yield OF the cereals, Tie railroad and
steamboat tariffs have been increasing
until the evils OF these monopolies are
almost insuferable; for, with this in
crease Of cereal yield, there has been
no corresponding increase of facilities
Of transportation. The projects Of the
Niagara Ship Canal and the widening
of the Erie Canal have been much dis
cusscd and been virtually abandoned.
The latest anl most feasible plan
proposed is the route by way of the
Mississippi, BY which route it is alleged
grain can hc moro oheaply transported
to New York OF Liverpool than by
any route heretofore use3 or proposed.
The experiments made last season by
Merry with his barges, ana the strict
est calculations made by the most sa-
eacous OF merchants, demonstrate
this route to be the favored one, and
the one likely to be very soon adopted
Barges can be file,! with gram, in bulk
or sacks, at any river port and towed
to New Orleans and put into elevators
where 1t can he put on shiphoard and
conveyed directly to any foreign port
for New Orleans can be reached by
ea-goiue vessels of any ordinary size.
All the large towns and cities OF the
Mississippi are alive to the Importance
Of this enterprise, and are working in
its favor: and, notwithstanding the jeers
and sneers with which the project is
greeted by Chicago journals, the
scheme grows more and more IN favor
of all those Interested Iowa, Nilsson
ri, Minnesota, and the greater part 0
Illinois are vastly interested in the
success Of this movement.
So general has become the discussion
OF this matter, and SO confident the ex
preston of all in its feasibility and ne
cessity among Western journals anc
merchants, that the East has alread,
become alarmed, fearing that its sue
cess will break down the monopoly tn
Eastern roads have so long and re
muneratively enjoyed, and the ware
house men of Buffalo are already tax
inc off some the extortlonatc charge
which they have heretofore compelle'
Western producers to pay. The But
falo Express gays. upon this subject:
The grain which starts from West
ern farmers, to be sold It New York
is charged too much for railroad trans
portation to Chicago or Milwaukee: j
is charged too much, again, for hand
ling by the elevators at those cities; i
| is charged too much, again, for hand
ling by the elevators at Buffalo; II il
charged too much for tolls OF, the
New York canals; it is charged tvic,
the freight on these canals that il ncet
to be, because the State will not en-
large their locks to permit the use o
larger boats; il is charged too much
again, for tie handling at New Yorl
city-and SO, at every step, i'll its pro
gress from the producer to the con
sumer it is o"ertaxed at the expens,
OF both. Not one Of the intermediate
parties having to do witt. il, is innocen
OF the wrong. They have no right K
fling accusations at one another-Ihe,
are guilty all together, and between
them they are killing The goose that
lays the golden egg into all their bias
kets. New York finds her proper
tomato receipt and export OF grain di
minishing year by year, and so doe
Buffalo. Chicago watches with alarm
the beginning Of shipments down TIL
Mississippi. These high charges To-
transportation and transfer are taxin.
Western grain out OF the Europcal
markets III the first place, and drivin:
it into Other channels III the second
To-day's rich profits for the elevator
end tie shoyellcrs, and the railroads
and tie banks which make the ad
sanecs, and the state which collect
tolls, are eating up the tomorrow
! business OF the Whole Of them. 1t is
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