, 1873-01-08
DIRECT APPROPRIATIONS.
Importance Of Chlcago's Trade with Eu+
rope, Tin tito st. Lawrence River
and Great Lakes.
Complaints About tho Lack of Competent Officials
IN tho Chicago Custom House,

It is probable that comparatively few pc ople
aro awaro Of tho present and rapidly y-incroanng
volume aud Importance Of Clcago'a direct trado
with Europo ui1 tho ST. I,nwronco River, 11oil-
trcnl, and tho groat chain Of lakes whic, CON-
p1oto tho direct and unbroken water comnunica-
tlon between this city and tho aeaboard. Since
tho creation Of this city port Of entry by net
Of CongroHs our diroot imp0rtatlons from Europe
haye steadily increased, until Now York bids fair
to bo loft out Of tho question entirely as tho
point Of distribution Of imports for the Great
Wont. There could be cited no bottor illnatra-
tion Of tho present and prospective magnitude
Of Chicego's tralo relations with tho markotn
Of tho Old World than Ia found
in tho experience OF 1relnnda &
Co., Of Montreal, tho ngouta for tho
Montreal and Chicago Limo Of propcllors. For
tho BoaBon Of tS72 Bix now steamers wore placed
in tho limo, making in nil fftoon, tho carrying
capacity Of which was forced to itn oxtromost
limit during tho ontro soaBon. Elovon now
pr0pellorB aro now in course of construction for
the trade Of 1879, for which Irelands l. Co. hnyo
already mndo engagements nearly. equal to tllolr
ability to fulfil. Mr. ireland, Senior, ia about
starting for England for tho purpoao Of COM
plotting with tlo agents Of tic great ocenn lines
nrrangoments for through ratos on freight be-
tween tho principal European portH and Chica-
60, tho advantage Of which readily suggosta It.
aolf to our merchants At tho pres
ent time there arc tho most complete
facilities for tho trnnahipmont OF merchandise
from tho European bottoms to tho Chicago
bound prope1lery. Tho arrivals Of ocoan vossols
in Montreal ayorago ofght or nno daily, and tho
cost OF transfer Of goods to tho 1ako atoamors
amounts to but Is conts por package or 80 eonts
por ton for freight in bullsleas than onc-ha1f Of
tho charges III Now York. Tho goods gro not
taken to the Montreal Custom Houuo, but aro
handled in bond md immediately forwarded to
their destination in the interior. It Is stated
| thoro havo boon handled ly tho limo represented
by ltolauaa Il Co. upwards Of 1000 packages of
othor kinds Of liquors, and co1aont. irongirdors,
| steel, hardware, otc, an enormous quantity has
| been lnid down in Chicago uiu Montreal during
| tho past year.
Much fault is found with tho manner In which
| businoBH IL transacted by tho Chicago Custom
uouso officials whose tnrtiinogB often results in
! gront Inconvenience mud 1osB to merchants. For
| instance, d loading Wholesale toy houao was TO-
| contly compelled to whit ton days before C. con-
| sign1nont Of goods could DO got through tho
| Custom House, and in consequence Of tho un-
| necessary delay tho merchants woro unable to
mike tloir sales In time for tho holdad soason.
| Tho chief trouble seemed to DO that thoro Saa
| no competent official who understood tho rola-
| tigo rnluo either nf German money or Gorlnan
goods, md Until this arithmotlcal problem could
| bo figured out tho consignment must romain iii
| the Uuatom House. 1t is claimcd by our NOR
chants that two days, at tho outside, ia the ut
most timo required to relnoyo gooda from tho
| Custom House. Collector Judd should look into
tho mAtter.