, 1874-12-26
WESTERN TRADE WITH NEW YORK.

WESTERN TRADE WITH NEW YORK.
The Board Of Tsade Of Buffalo, at nect-
ing held Dou. IS, adopted n series Of resolu-
tions cmbodying what is styled "a cannl
policy" The Board notify the State that, be-
tween 1866 and 1878, the grain receipts ut
Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia, md Baltimore
hayo increased from 10000, 900 bushels to
T2,000,000, OR nearly two-nnl-a-half times ;
those Of New York hive increased only ono
half or from 58, ,0oo 600 to 81 900, 600 bushels
The rate Of itcrcase Of the four competing
points has been FIVE times as great as at Now
York. They also call attention to tho fact
that the movement Of grain by the canal was
less by q, GOO tons in 1873 than it was in 1866,
and has been 900, 900 tons less. The trans
portation Of grain on the cannl has only been
kept whore it is by the reduction Of tolls In
1874, there were 5000, 600 Of bushels loss
grain moved on tho canal than in 1878,
though tho season was m exeellont ono, tho
| canal in good condition, and luke froightsy very
low. Tho Buffalo Board of Trade therefore
declare that it is no longer question Of how
much revenue the canal can produce, but
how the Western trade can bo kept for tho
| cities of New York. They recommend TINT
the tolls bo reduced to ono-dalf of d mill per
| ton per milo on eastwartl-bound produce and
grain, and that the tolls on tho productions
of tho forest be reduced oue~l,alf that all
tolls on western-bound freight bo abolished.
| They also recommend that the Eric and
Oswego Canals DO improved by the removal
| of bench-wa1la and other distractions, the
construction of double locks west Of Syra-
| cuso, md the canal be made 10 feet wide and
feet dcop from Buffalo and Oswego to
A1hnny.
That this is tho true policy Inns been obvi-
ous to every man outside of New York for
many yenrs. The State Of New York
should have begun this work twenty
years ago. In tho meantime tho world
las moved. Trade has already found other
outlets. 1t is question whether the pro-
posed improvements Of the Erie Canal, If
mnde, would equal the demands Of the time.
While New York Inns been squeezing the Erie
Caunl Of every cent Of revenue it could be
made to produce, and seeking to force the
annually-increasing trade Of tho West through
canal that was inadequate for the purpose
twenty years ago, thai trade has found other
channels. Long before the policy recommend
ed at Buffalo will bo mado possible, the grim
Of the West will rush by steam and sail in I'M
broken cargo from the 1akos through the
enlarged canals Of Canada mud Montreal
and tho same vessels will bring bach
their full loads Of merchanlise.-tho tradt
both ways being lost to New York for
ever. In tho same way the lake vessels
, discharging their Western produce at Buffalo
tho grain md flour will there be put on raj
| and transported to Boston, giving New Yorl
the go-by. When navigation closes, tt'
, grain trade from tho lake ports aud from
: tho interior will find its way to Philadelphia
, aud Baltimore, where it finds rcady marko
and honest and expeditions handling. Th
, return trade is of necessity lost to New York
The reason for all this is not cxclusivol,
t canal tolls and canal delays, though these ar
, heavy items in tho bill Of complaint. Til
grain trade in New York harbor has alway
8 bcen managed most disgracefully. Grai
/ reaching that hnrbor by canal is peadlc
a about for several days, aud becomes subjoc
o to extortiona for imaginary weighing. mcasul
: ing. aud hauling, mud de,nurrage graf
. roaching New York by rail is treated c
O | if it were sort Of contraband commotlit
!, to which railroad companies were in no wis
t. updor any obligations to glvo any attention
o Honce the institution peculiar to New Yor
}, called lighterage. Now all these things exi'
d in New York mud nowhere else, and have bee
o. submitted to because there was no 9TH
s, p1acs to which grain could be sent The n