The Portland daily press., 1874-05-25
Railroad Competition.

The rumor that the Cunard steamers were
to be withdrawn from Boston, not only
alarmed the commercial people of that city,
but has brought to public attention many
questions relating to the lines and the cities
through which the products Of the West can
be shipped to Europe. A leading New York
paper, in the course of discussion of the
subject, remarks that there are but two ma
tural outlets to Western products in the
North, viz, New York and Portland. The
former, it continues, is an outlet because it is
the distributing point of the whole country,
has competing lines TO the West and has
capital to expend in the business. Portland
j. natural outlet, not for the same reasons
that New York is, except its cheap rates of
shipment, which, we have remarked before.
were, last season, ten per cent lower than
any other route from Chicago to Liverpool
1t has not the capital, and can never have so
great part Of this trade as New York, but its
natural facilities for the reception and loading
OF large ships at all seasons of the year are
unrivaled, and can be developed to almost
any extent.
Meantime Boston, with commendable
energy, is applying itself to the work of over
coming natural obstacles in order to make
Itself competitor for the ocean and Western
trade. Through lis influence the Hoosac
tunnel was begun and is now beng COM
pleted. The question comes, how can the
large expenditure of money for this project
be made available; and that question seems
10 De very troublesome one. Boston papers,
too, are inquiring into the causes which con-
splre to put Boston out of the class of COM
petitors for this business; and while they
overlook the prominent fact that nature has
placed almost insuperable obstacles in that
city's way, they have pointed out some causes
why Boston suffers in this race for CONNER
clal Importance. For instance, the Boston
Journal discovers that unless the terminal
charges are reduced IN Jnau Guy u 1U1u De
impossible to send further consignments this
acay"; and to show the justice of its con-
cluson, it gives the following figures:
Grain from Montreal reaches Boston over the
Lowell Railroad, and the cars containing the
produce are switched off upon the Junction
Railway at East Cambridge. A car usually
holds $50 bushels wheat or 100 barrels flour.
Now to move this car of wheat from the point
where it is left by the Lowell Company to the
wharf at East Boston costs S., with an addi-
tional charge at the elevator of $6.12, making
Ihe'total cost delivered on board ship, Sill 12
IN the case OF flour, the cost of moving car is
20, unloading, So, and wharfage, 81; total, SO.
To remedy this obstacle to ocean shipment
the Journal advocates the building of floating
elevators.
We have already published an account of
the meeting of Boston merchants to devise
some means to cheaper the railroad rates to
the West and terminal charges, which re-
suited in resolutions asking the Boston G. AL
bany Railroad to reduce its rates so as to give
Boston fair chance Since that time New
York telegram states on the authority of the
agent of the New York Central that it will,
be impossible for the former road to reduce its
rates without breaking an agreement between
all the roads, which would result in reduce
ton by the New York roads.
The Boston Traveller of Saturday evening
holds out to its readers the promise that the
completion of the Portland g. Ogdensburg
Railroad will aff)rd Boston another line,
shorter than any existing one. We trust
that Boston capitalists will be moved by this
promise to buy the bonds of the Portland G.
Osdensburg Railroad Company, and thus
hasten the day when it will attempt to COM
pete with New York and Portland over the
new line, on which the latter has an eouiya-
lent OF seventy miles less of hauling than
Boston, even though the Eastern Railroad
will partially escape the present heavy termi-
nal charges.
When Manager Hatch took the Eastern
Railroad in hand he was ambitious to build
up through Western business to 20 over the
East.rn-Maine Central, and was so fortunate
as to secure no small amount of transporta-
ton in competition with the Grand Trunk.
but, after few years experience, the Eastern
found it losing business, and as result the
project has been abandoned-at least, we are
SO informed by gentlemen who are in a wav
to know the facts without being in auy in
terest.
just now the transportation question is one
OF great interest, and to no people of more
than the citizens of Portland.