The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-24

pro5eEent. between Illinois and New York there
shippers holding tnat New York took such exorbi-
tant tolls on her cenais as to render them In the
iu as costly as railroads and far less satisfactory
clinsons DitcSs" and the nsrodSstiOn Of steam
lghtened policy which the HERALD has never failed
to urge upon the State, Will do much for the West.
Rresen. tne a1 ah Is pSng carrie ~
tine Canadian canals, either for the opening OF new
or the Improvement Of existing water routes. The
canal by way OF Lake simcoe from Lake Huron to
Lake Ontario. forgetul that the project has already
excessive lockage and the Immense cost necessi-
tated by feeder to carry water to q part OF the
canal somewhat less elevated than Mount Washing
ton. The Georgian Bay and french River routes
are impractlcable for the time required to build
them, and the inability OF the Dominion to under
take any more burders than those 1t now has on It's
hands. The vision OF
CUNARDEas AT CHICAGO
Is therefore fear, premature, and the West must
canal system of the st. Lawrence.
THE ERIE-wELLAND sQUABBLE.
1t Will not be out OF place here to advert In
sentence or two to the Common sense OF the Erie
Weiland controversy. The friends OF the Canadian
canals and the grumblers at the Erie tariff united
form about thrce-Guarters OF the grain traders OF
Chicago. Within the past few years purchasers Of
grain on Montreal account have notably increased
@ S snd an
This argument Is used to reinforce the geographic
cal one, and these facts are appealed to to prove
and that Montreal will, at no distant day, wrest
IRON New York the trade OF the West. This, on
PAPER Is c9rsec Bqs the same power
81 Wisconsin to Chicago rather than to Duluth and
Milwaukee, will operate to the full as strongly in
pSrass 81 are the ses Of
trade" Bills OF ladlng Will go the same way as the
bank drafts While New York furnishes the money
to move the western crops and TO pay the western
producer, and while New York attracts the vessels
laden with European goods for that Western pro-
York must receive the Western grain freghts.
The Montreal business may increase but II
so tne Business and pug ting
grain out and out, hot because the current OF trade
between the prairie and seaboard is deviating in
eXoraby from the course il has followed since first
1t BEGAN Its dow. The general conclusions thus
warranted are precisely those at which the HERALD
willie as to the canals we are impelled to believe
that the West demands increased facilities at once
and a readiustment OF rates. There is some dis
the Erie Canal purchased and made free forever or
its tolls materially reduced, but the movement has
not yet assumed form and proportions such as to
warrant special notice.
A CORRECTION.
In previous letter your correspondent alluded
to fast freight lines as one OF the grievances COM
gard them q as raiisoad Credit hobier Concerns.
otherwise make. and enhance the cost Of transpor
taton. find on investigation that one count OF
the charge is true-that these fast lines are gen.
orally owned and controlled by the OFF,
GERS Of tho companies, who pocket large
profits, which might accrue to the companies
were the companies to organize their own express
freight lines. But almost all the business OF these
lines consists ID handling westward bound freight
that, too. OF character requiring rapid time and
careful transit. The influence eXerted on grain
seeking the East by these lines is largely per-
ceptibe or important, except in as far as the
the company hinders reduction OF rates to figures
which would otherwise be profitable
DISCRIMINATION AS TO INDIVIDUALS.
In previous statement gave the arguments OF
the railroads and producers on the subject OF dis
eliminating rates as between actions OF country
and competing points. l find that the railroad
companies do discriminate, and discriminate
largely between individual shippers at and to the
same place, with most Injurious effect. While
secures whole train Where Is charged thirty
cents o bushel to Chicago grain which he is pur-
chasing in Minnesota or Iowa Is permitted to
can unaersell A ten cents bnshei.
who are not in tie ring, ana practically restricts
purchasing operations to the man who ''stands in"
with the company. The next result is the creation
OF a monopoly and the establishment OF a standard
price ten or illtcen cents below the value OF the
gran local buyers and :nillers only too glad to
robbed OF so many dollars a car. There is reason
to believe that in many cases officers OF roads en-
gage IN this tralc, and that the buyers along their
lines are only their agents.
THE WASTE or FOOD. .--s~,,e.
They arc burning, at the lowest calculation
$4,000 bushels OF corn in Iowa for fuel every day
statement OF this sort needs no comment 20
make 1t impressive. Time was when. 1t being
found impossible to snip corn at profit, the pro.
Queer fed 1t to hogs and marketed 1t In the form
OF pork. Last year this was mucl done, and Chicago
handled 100000 hogs, as compared with 1850 900
the year before. AS a result prices were, in the
delicate language of a trade circular, "hardy sat.
islactory to the producer though as good as could
be expected, when the state Of the market was
producer, who can neither get his corn to market
nor feed 1t to advantage.
How fares, however, the farmer In Central H.
New York, and 1t costs As cents to get it there
leaving the grower Is cents or thereabouts at the
station. How corn pays at 10 cents is shown by
the account OF farmer who sold TO- 900 bushels at
that price. his years CROP
10000 bushels in the crib at Of 13c. 800
Hauling to station, at Sc. SO
Cr.-l00C0 bushels, sold at lsc .............. 1880
Profit ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. ....................... $50
And out OF that $50 margin comes interest on his
investment, taxes, Implements his own living
fencing and the like
Even under the most favorable circumstances in
Summer time the shipper stands no chance. Ii he
ships by water all the way to New York, rates are
cago. To that price Qorty-three cents add trans
portation to Chicago, eevatng, cost OF carrying
grain interest and all these expenses and what is
. CAUSE OF THE FARMERS LOSS.
There was time within my own memory when
1t was the vaunt OF the Illinois farmer that ne could
grow corn at twelve and half cents at profit.
That, however, was before the war; 1t costs no
more labor now than 1t did then to produce a
bushel OF corn, but the labor costs more and the
bushel purchases less. witty paragraphist some
what fppantly says:-
"In Iowa 1t takes twenty bushels OF corn to buy
one pair OF. boots. and 1t wears out one pair OF
boots to raise twenty bushels Of corn.n
That precisely resumes the situation. Labor Is
far higher than OF yore; implements, clothing,
have been protected" and so have
Freights have advanced, and the
farmer alone OF all the community finds that he
has remained stationary In the matter OF revenue,
while his expenditure Is as great as that OF any
one else.
THE FARMER IN POLITICS.
The HERALD has already stated that the farmer
had begun to apply the principle OF union to secure
for themselves In legislation that consideration to
which their numbers and importance entitle them.
or the new order, the oranges OF husbandry, he
proposes to speak In another letter. In the mean
time 1t may be said that at the meeting OF the Iowa