New-York tribune., 1874-12-29
THE GRAIN TRADE.
A REPLY TO TIE LETTER OF GEoK'H H.
BLANCHARD.

vHpY CLAIM THAT THE RAiLRoApo -.
CONTRACTS BIZ CHARGING FOR THE ELEVAiIoN
op rRR1GIlTs-A CONCESSION IN REGARD io Inn
ERECTION OF ELEVATORS BY CARRIERS
Fourteen of the principal grain dealers OIL
.s ,o6uce Exchange have addressed letter 10 fr"hA
N. Ed.ou President Of that body, In answer W o'"o
ear Of a. r. Blanchard one OF the Vice-fresiuen' VI .
Erie Railway, on the subject OF inspee''nf' 49,
and delivering rail grain OF TINS pof"
fonoxIne were the names attached 10 tue ie',o' M
T.w,a nowsA Co Jesse Hoyt d. Co., j. NJ Fiske q Co..
Carlos Cobb David Bingham, Sawyer wallace w.
w Coleman & Co., Porter Wetmore, fo't'e @
yaeoby. George v. Hecker. E. r. h b. LNeiiUn' On.
Kent Co., VIM. II. wallace. Parker q howiau. ~
document reviews the position OF the ra"io"u "n
..a,es that when the shipment OF grain wmch cano
nv rail arrived the companies had no knowieogo VI no
eon,remepts of the traffic and facilities Tor DONG "
Having brought their to the ends Of the'e huos,
they sent word to the coDsignees 10 con'o "uu
take their property away. Al ths pou' 'no
controversy began, which has In some Ierm
been kept up ever sinoe Auo P
trouble grows OF the joint deliberations OF 'ne eran
dealers and the railroad freight officials IN reaton W
the grading and delivery OF grain. All the rules
adopted by the Conference aeceptane 10 all VIII
the exception Of one providing that NO charge ior
elevation or unloading boats nor any other charge sha
be imposed upon said grain by the railroad
except as provided by the above rules Ihis was Tue
rock npon which the negotiations were "Fecheu'
the railroad officials refusing 10 be pouuo
by IT, and almost immediately declining to give lighter
nee az lots OF less than five carloads OF gram Inc
dealers claimed that this would drive the traue OF tne
city away to other points, where the hghNrase "ou"
be granted free Tie merchants claim iurtner tna' w"
railroads iu fixing charges for elevation OF reisnC ap'
frvm freight charges, violate contracts Ihcy inahe
this important concession: We are wiling that our
earrers nav erect elevators and that tncy may aou W
tbeir facilities auv other appliances which hey may rc-
gard TO be beneficial. bu: insist that il they DO 80
without our consent they shall bear the expense VIC
reOice at anv evidence OF enterprise tnat 'neS mo!
show II IL be directed i'll the interest oil commerce. o'
ve insist that we shall consulted before either we OF
our shall be required TO pay the cos' VI
any expensive experiment" which they may see ~ ~
make" The portions of ihe letter IN which 9r' bianou
srd's arguments are considered are given below;
Tn this letter MI Blanchard abandoned the retcence
winch had always previously CharacterZcu Tue rSiNa!
ortals and undertook to correct alleged errors OF state
ulcnt had previously been inade His arguhei. m
Tusa and fair reri, NJ one will d0uh after reading
Mr. Blauchard's letter that he has hoth the aD,f anu
the desire 10 nuke the Of the roads appear 10 pe N
boTd onc IA, I really is and yet the whole seven rea-
sOns which he seem TO us to lie 81 piece wit o9
fret ouc whlcn the expense Ol DlauAe auu e'"'''
ts lnagnihed To y grievance. .., M, -rnia
While We as merchants, believe in the pian ana wnlie
We approve OF It, VIC still feel that there are many
reasons which might he urged AGAINST IT, lne gLea i
corporations will We think certainly hnu u
bol in Facilitating their business and Ill enaping tnem
control Trade bui We can count upon no sue suc &
tain profits ourselves 1t need not be dicn for rai
road comuany to tram their intelligent suhordinates III
new ways OF doing business but as soon as am VI
the kind is undertaken task Of explaining the tlug
to each of our Western correspondents must fall upon
"a One cxpianatIOn VIII not suffice. but every man
who cousgus TO "a car load Of gram VIII nave 10 KNOW
for himself ali the details OF the new eonIiyan%ss %
The present channels of trade are worn smooth. we
understand thcm and have learned 10 ACCOMMODATE
ourselves them, hut II the new scneme Is put iutV
force, must devOive upou lis to make IL known o IL
should NOT prove so satisfactory We hope ana DeleVe
Il Will he, the blame viii rest upon H Out H. on Tue con
have we 70 struggle with new competitors for share
Of the benefits which onr labOrs have created. A.,
present controversy the relative value OF the
grading scheme to The merchants and 10 the ROADS, anu
Banchards argument. The real poiut OF difference IS
not as to whether the scntn %oua We an "
for the erhants to ask that their carriers
shall include the charges ;or all services performed by
them iu the one Of freight. Mr. blanchard iuily
unders ans this TO be the issue, ana he attempts 10
mre, il by giving eleven which he states lufu
succd the railway companies refusing TO include the
charge elevation in their freight IL would be dll-
nese @ reas"ns If We snoSd attempt 10 discuss them in
ihr order in which they are given aud we VIII tnere
Offset against them lew reasons when seem 10 US
conclusive the question as to lis bcnS he pOcy ana
hud iir.t we insist that the roads, bS writing on the
face Oi their bills vi idIuG the wOrs ghtcrage Tree
tion and taI IN every where they refuse
10 nay this charge they violate the terms VI an express
contract By entering into tue business OF ghterlng,
and Dy using WORDS the meanings 0f whch are well
known and uehned among people familiar With thst
expressed in those words construed by the ordinary
sSs oT Of IHs and s sacn as liked by
the nul or aud Unc-eSiabIished among lighter
mcu and thosc having dealings with them, is perfectly
well known and clearly understood IL includes several
Items of charge beyond the mere rental OF the D0at
trimming of the cargo. aud elevation 1t means
all OF the service neccs sary TO- remove ine
prOpery ON the wharf scale where may be, and 10
deliver 1t The scale III the elevator Oh on Tue dOck 10
which nae and have So sed uiG 's for over
30 Years ana t1r me mganS E tS ps,Iro,Gs Hoay
dist entered into the OF ghterng they con.
orded their obilgtUn to be just what we now Insist
elevation was an innovation; IL was strenuously
sisted and has always he paid under protest. When
in3ci to use the words lgltcrage free upon their
bills of ladng just as thcy had done before Ihey made
no change ia their contracts they only broke them.
Their agreements always been In writing, and the
e e eppTess9e CYercSarge was fret imposed No one
will cilm but that, when the ROADS collected the first
committed theft. ana unable ~ see the point
where long Practice OF WONG can make 1t defensiDe
a Hulien mpon gram in excess OF other fourthclass
frclgnt, wIoe policy would discriminate, II at
ALL 10 laTUr of tie tr1ic and not against It, We be-
tlai gram, Offering as does III ITS character as
lHr m hv ,ef an% @ any GImsr nda
pendent Of any other merchandise. The roads seem to
known as fourtl-class If, ght, and this class are
found tobacco in hogsheads, pork in barrels grain in
class Is subject to tariff and "hghterage" is
proeksed furnished free for five lots Of either
sass through elevator. and elevation,
such, cannot be CHARGED, but :. the ser
lug Of the property out Of the lighters on to the DOCK
performed all fOurthclass freight other than grain
without extra charge II lighter load OF is to be
PUT and there belug no elevator near. II is
necessary have taken on to the dock by hand this
charge must lie paid by the cOnsignee but II the
gher be hled with pork or tobacco, the expense Of
hftine 1t the boat with ropes aud pueys is IN
eiuded IN the ghterage. We do not wisn 10 claim that
Other kDQs Of traffic too we'll used aui we make
Claim Of injustice - but time when the position of
SeSYorE - gae fso Is 1easSa W Tue en-
ha our carriers shall oer oil the inducements ~ the
load other property which pays e same pree as grain,