New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-21

| States was, in 1870: lilB
Wheat, bushels. ,5o0, g
flour barrels 10 ~ u
Corn meal, barrels. lS6S1
Here is, then, more than 40, 0O0, 900 bushel
| of grain exported foreign, Of which New
| Orleans sent 205.597 bushels of corn ant
1876 of wheat.
| We will now endeavOr to explain tn
cause of this diversion Of the foreign grail
| trade to other ports. The expectation
grain foreign consists Of two operations
The receipt Of 4, 1000, 600 bushels of corn a
New Orleans proves that delivery at thai
port il provided tor. Most of this was for plan
tation uee, to produce the cotton and sugar
crop, and must be had annually at almost
any price, or any rate of freight demanded
up to rail rates. The only danger is that
threatened by the recent meeting of ship
pers in this city--cOmpeting bulk grain
tonnage. '
Certainty of delivery on time is condi-
ton demanded for successful foreign ex.
portation. 1t may happen again, as stated
in the recent meeting, that large buyers Of
grain in store may be forced to carry their
purchases many months at loss to them
selves, or may lose the profit " in sight " on
good time sale, or there may be an un-
favorable alteration in ocean freights from
New Orleans to Liverpool during the delay;
grain from this city must be as fully assured
as from Chicago to Milwaukee before ex-
portation via New Orleans can reach notice
eble proportions.
The number of vessels which entered and
cleared at the ports of New York and New
Orleans during 1870, respectively. compare
as follows: New York, $500 vessels; tonnage,
6,O64 $50; New Orleans, 1881 vessels; tom
mage, 1905, Goa difference against New
Orleans of 6628 vessels, and tonnage OF
4,l56,O80 tons. It is obvious that the grain
shipper ordering his grain to Liverpool via
New York stands much better chance of
getting vessel at once, and Of securing .
rate toned down by competition, than If he
orders his grain to Liverpool via New Or
leans, where comparatively few vessels
brave the severe port expenses, and these
only in quest of cotton at q freightage of
one cent per pound.
When the winter trade in grain should
begin by way of New Orleans, exports of
cotton from that port also commence; and
though the cost Of COMPRISING and loading
cotton at New Orleans and unloading it at
Liverpool unite with the farther tact that
by reason of the ightness of cotton the
tonnage of q vessel can not be fully absorbed
by cotton cargo, makes bulk grain as good
q paying load at ten pence per bushel as
cotton at one-half penny per pound; yet
vessels will wait for weeks for cotton
cargo rather than load with grain at once.
1t is plain, then, that there can not be
regular bulk grain export trade, based upon
foreign freights from New Orleans, as long
as every vessel owner believes cotton is the
best freight, and instructs his vessel mas
tiers to lay by for certain length Of
time to get cotton freight. This fact de-
stroys all certainty of delivery of grain on
time in Liverpool, and leaves NO base for
intelligent operations. -- -...,..
But the great water route is so good and
cheap a thOrOughfare that attempts to make
it the main channel for the foreign expOrta-
ton of the cereals of the Mississippi valley
must not be abandoned. The escape Of
much of the cotton crop from New Orleans
by overland routes to the seabOard aids in
softening our dilemma. While foreign ton
mage into and out of New Orleans ought to
increase annually, offerings of cotton will
decrease and competition reduce the freight.
This will be favorable for bulk grain.
Yet the establishment of a feet Of steam
ers such as may be found in the Black Sea,
built and employed exclusively in the bulk
grain trade between New Orleans and the
great grain ports of Europe, is most urgent
~ demanded. These steamers would have
no other purpose than to steam directly to
the elevator and fill up with grain, and
steam home again as promptly as possible,
and the one thing essential to the successful
prosecution of foreign expectation OF grain.
certainty of delivery on time-would be
gained.