New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-22
"COn,Iuerce (:R-r0ters.'


We copy the following editorial. with the
above heading, from the New York Corr
mefci0l:
Tie line of conduct tie quarantine an
thOri les wharf owners and railroad cOrp0-
rations are pursuing. would lead TO the idea
that they had actually combined to destroy,
as soon as possible. the very means b--
which they live. Upon scarcely any ether
hypothesis can be reasonably based the
actuating motive OF those armies ot men
| who live by the commerce OF New York,
and vet are doing their utmost TO destroy il.
1t can but have this result. 1t VIII be inI-
possible to retain trade AT this port II ship
owners are met at every turn by impedi-
meuts and extortion. The aggressiOns of
the quarantine authorities have been ms
toricai. Every scheme that can be devised
to mulct shipOwners il practiced with bare
faced ONENESS. and the protests of the
wrOngcd are treated with contempt and
threats laughed at. But after escaping the
meshes at Staten Island, the shipowner and
importer are met by the 10 less III
scrupulous and hungry wharf owner and
railroad corporations.
The legal rates OF wharfage" says the
Shipping Gazette. ARE not only higher here
than at any other port in the world. San
Francisco excepted. but an extra bonus IS
exacted before an eligible place to discharge
will be allowed 1t is stated that one firm
in the European trade pay, on an average.
one thousand dollars per month over the
legal rates for proper wharf accOmmoda-
ton No wonder the Office of harbOr mas
ter is considered SO valuable. and it fully
explains the remark of an ambitious aspi-
rant, that he was not anxious to bold the
position for more than a couple OF years.
This black mailing system has resulted N
driving many vessels to Perth Ambov .'ea-
sew CITY. Hoboken and Hunters Point
But evil communications corrupt good man
ners. and the wharf owners at those outside
places have followed the lexample of their
illustrious colaborers i'll this city. and the
tand-and-deliver policy is triumphant.
But port exactions not being considered
sufficient to limit our expanding commerce
within proper bounds. the railroad people
step in to further weight the load the trade
of New York has to carry. In order to re-
strain this troublesome but natural tenden-
cy to amplity, the railroad corporations
fixed it so that the Western cities should
find it more profitable to import their goods
at New Orleans and Mobile, instead OF by
way of this city. Accordingly, as twenty
five cents per hundred weight from New
Orleans, and thirty-eight cents by raj from
Mobile to st. Louis. was the rate, sIxty-fVe
cents was decided upon for the same weight
from here to st. Louis This, Of course,
had the desired effect. and instead OF our
railroads being bothered with transporting
coffee and other goods to the great Western
consumers, the latter get them by way OF
the Southern lines at Il much reduced cost.
1t was doubtless to accommodate our enter
prising wharf owners and railroad corpora
tionss that the bark Lawrence, from Hong
Kong, went into New Orleans the OF her day,
she being the first direct arrival at the
Crescent City from China for a great many
wears. But for the sagacity OF the gentle
men above mentioned our wharves might
have been crowded by the presence OF the
vessel, and our railroads burdencd with a
large part of her cargo bound westward Tor
consumption.
Statistics show that the policy practiced
bv these gentlemen is proving emlnentiy
successful: that while our foreign commerce
is steadily increasing, New York, the me
tropolis OF the nation, barely gets her snare
of the increase As the tendency OF le9isla-
ton rather favors the doctrine OF bcrettln9
the few to the detrincnt of the many, these
preyers upon our Likelihood will, unless
checked, have the satisfaction OF seeing the
last ship leave our port, and the last cargo
enter it, before another decade reVolves.