The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-28
CuEap TRANSFORMATIONS

Mr.. A. +. Davis has handed us report
of the Peoria Board of Trade for the year
1872. 1t throws some additional light on
the subject of transportation. The report
states that during the year two thousand
cars were added to the railroad facilities,
necessity for double that number the pre-
sent year, which necessity for constant adj
ditions must continue so long as the surplus
products of the west shall be in excess OF
the capacity to move them. Besides this
difficulty of moving freight is the obstacle
of inadequate facilities for handling in New
York and other eastern markets to which
western products are shipped. The present
capacity in the west for transportation would
be doubled, and immediate and permanent
relief afforded says the report, if sufficient
storage room existed in these markets.
Cars could then be discharged upon arrival,
and returned, laden or unladen, for more
freight. This, the report suggests, would
result in the reduction of rates to the benefit
of producer, carrier and consumer. But
this storage capacity, the report says, does
not exist and cars loaded with grain, cs-
pecially corn and oats, at points in the
west, and shipped to points in the east, re-
main, frequently, from seven to forty-fve
days from the time of arrival before being
discharged In eastern markets, blockades
are common, says the report, and lines of
railroads leading to them are crowded with
cars, which are used as storage room for
indefinite periods, because of inadequate
warehouse provisions
The natural result of such overcrowding
has been a firm ruling of freight during the
entire year. The rate upon flour from
Peoria to New York at the opening was
~. 40 per barrel 1t ranged from this to a
dollar per barrel Throughout the year On
bulk grain the year opened with the rate
from Peoria to New York at 20 cents per
100 pounds, and ranging from that to so
cents throughout the year 1879. Bulk
meats during the year were go to 80 cents
per 100 pounds. The usual rates to Bos-
ton have been on grain and meats cents
per 100 pounds, and on flour 10 cents per
barrel higher than to New York, while to
Philadelphia and Baltimore the rates are
that much lower than to New York.
Peoria makes good deal of flour,
slaughters considerable number of hogs,
and has a good general trade. 1t is situated
ON the Illinois river, which creeps over the
praires sluggishly like a natural canal. II
received during the year 1879, over bill
lion pounds, and sent away over eight hun
dred thousand pounds of freight. During
the year the town shipped flour to the ex'
tent of 30, 900 barrels to the United King
dom, and over 5000 boxes and barrels OF
meat and over 5000 tierces of lard to Eng
lsh and continental markets.
Here is western city with trade enough
to induce the studying of the freight ques
ton carefully and its board of trade arrives
at the conclusion that nothing is needed tt
relieve the country of high charges but al
increase of railroad facilities for transpor
tation and storage.
But If the convention of governors o.
states just held at Atlanta be correct IL
their statements, something more is needed
than such increased facilities, and some
thing better is wanted than Legislative
compulsion in the fixing of rates. Thu