The Portland daily press., 1874-01-03

The report notices the fact that the Grand
Trunk managers in the early part of Novem-
Der, entered the Chicago freight market in
competition with other lines, and engaged to
carry large amounts of freight TO Liverpool
from % TO 100 cents per hundred, when the
same rates for the freights on the Boston and
New York lines were from 115 TO 125 cents
per hundred. The Canadian, therefore, COM
plains because the Chicago producer can lay
down provisions in Live pool over Canadian
railway, and by Canadian line of steamers,
25 per cent lower than through his own coun-
try, aud when he comes to consider that the
Wes'erner, nearly thousand miles by rail
further away from Liverpool, has the prefer
ence of transportation owe; the Canadian at
three cents less hundred, he is justly indig-
nant. He has an idea that railroad which
is built under Canadian charter and is par
TALLY subsidized by Canadian money should
not be worked to aggrandize the people of the
Western States to the neglect and injury of
Canada. ~
The Committee close their report by urging
that Montreal should no longer rely wholly
upon the Grand Trunk and its Portland ter
minus for its winter outlet. They say that
there is not sufficient inward trade to Port
land to attract tonnage from abroad, citing
the fact that, of the four steamers arriving
here this season, three came with partial car
goes, and one with coal as ballast. The COM
mittee consequently recommend that Mon
treal merchants should aid, by every means
in their power, the completion of other rail-
ways, particularly the Portland and Ogdens-
burg and Vermont Central, that it may have
three outlets to Boston and two TO Portland.
The declaration of the Montreal committee
that Portland is not situated so as to attract
English steamships with foreign goods, will
hardly hold true, particularly, when they
show that the Grand Trunk is doing Western
business cheaper than the lines having their
termin at Boston and New York. Last sea-
son the line of steamers from this city to New
York was Ia gely employed in Transporting
goods landed at New York for the Dominion
and Chicago to this city to be shipped ria the
Grand Trunk to their places of destination.
This was the case even when the Allan team
ships were arriving here regularly from Liv-
erpOol.
The great bulk of the produce export so
far exceeds that of the import trade that a
large part of The steamers are now coming
to the ports of the United States with but
partial freishts or in ballast, 50 if ocean
steamers cannot profitably engage in th- out
ward business from Portland. they cannot
from, INV Of ha larnor Mani, ,x,loco 81. roo.
are mach heavier. There is every prospect
that this condition of the carrying trade be-
tween the United States and Europe will
continue to be one sided so far as the bulk is
conce: ned, so if it cannot be proitably done
by steamships, it will necessarily be trans
ferred to sailing vessels.
As to the responsibility of the present
freight blockade, there has been long cores
pondence between the Grand Trunk managers
and the Allan Steamship Company, and var-
GUS legal protests have passed between them
respecting The claims OF shippers for losses
which are likely to follow. On their part the
Alans declare that they informed the rail-
way managers that they could not take from
Portland but one hundred and fifty cars
week, aud of this number the latter could
furnish eighty cars week, but reserved the
other seventy for their Own hnd Canada trade,
which paid the steamships much
better than the pro rata OF the Western
trade. The railway attempts, on its part, 10
show that it never agreed to any such ar
rangement, but the Allans give part of a
letter from Mr.Stevenson of the railway which
proves that he understood the proposition of
those representing the steamships. The stag
nation which the blockade has caused in
Montreal and the sharp criticism which it
has called forth, are OF such character that
neither of these corporations would willingly
assume the responsibility. 1t should be add
Ell, however. in justice to the Allans that they
have offered to hiie their idle ships to the
railway managers at cost, should they desire
to relieve their crowded line and freight
ads