The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-24

New York business men realized that
tho latter improvement would divert q
large share Of the western trade from
their city. All Of that from St. Louis
down would naturally seek the south
ern outlet, and great portion Of that
from higher ATTITUDES would be carried
by rail to St. Louis or Cairo, for ship
ment thence TO New Orleans by river
steamers. They became apprehensive
when Capt Eads' system Of jetties was
projected, aud now that that work has
progressed far enough to convince
everybody of the feasibility of the I'M
dertaking, their apprehensions have
deepened into alarm, and as the owners
of existing railroad lines will not give
the relief which the West demands,
they, as will be- seen, are seriously con-
sidering the propriety Of helping the
farmers and themselves out of the diff
Guilty. We take the article from the
Patrons Gazette, and will only add
that it behooves the New Workers. to act
promptly in the matter, for if the west
ern produce is one diverted to the South.
ern outlet it will hardly ever be fully
recovered:
1t is proposed to construct a new
freight railroad to the west as coun-
terpoise to the terrible system of extor-
ton now practised by the leading roads.
The new enterprise is started by the
Cheap Transportation Association Of
New York, the cost is estimated at
seventy million dollars and the associa-
ton affirm that New York City loses
this amount annually in reduced profits
on merchandise, the shrinkage of rents
and exorbitant charge for transportation,
in consequence Of the present railroad
tyranny.
In commenting on the new enterprise
the Journal of Commerce thus forcibly
points out the evils to which it's con-
struction will, it is hoped, put an end.
The season is now approaching when
the great railroad monopolies will have
this city at their mercy. The Erie Ca
nal will soon be closed and no barrier
remain against the greed of these grasp
ing corporations. 1t is only during
these months when the canal is an act
i've competing agent that the railroad
companies pay the least heed to the
just demands of trade between this city
and the West. Necessity forces out Of
them what their unscrupulous selfish
ness would deny. The reduced canal
tolls Of the past summer drove them to
cut down their freight rates. But now
that November is near, the companies
propose to retrieve themselves by a
sharp advance in the rates on grain and
fourth-class freights. The order Of an
increase of 10 per cent, per hundred on
Eastward-bound freight has already
gone into effect, and this will probably
be raised to sixty cents by the close Of
canal navigation. The contract sys-
tenn. which gave an advantage to ship
pers doing large business regularl y
over the roads, is also about to be aboi-
ished. The companies will allow moth
ing to interfere with the full measure of
extortion which they can practise upon
the public. And they do this at time
when business is steadily increasing,
and when they would be amply paid at
the present tariff rates. The freights
westward-bound have not yet been
touched, but the screws will be put up
on them shortly. The parties to this
offensive and defensive league against
the commercial prosperity of New York
are the New York Central, Erie and
Pennsylvania lines. If the Baltimore
e. Ohio road has not joined in the
scheme it probably will do so.
Chicago business men are, also, be-
coming excited. That city has long
been to the trade between the East and
West what Babylon was to the overland
trade of the ancient commercial world
but it has its Nineveh in St. Louis, and
the cupidity Of the railroad companies
bids fair to give its rival an undue ad.
vantage. In recent article comment.
ing on the advance Of freight rates, the
Tribune of that city uses the following
language:
There is but little doubt that before
New Years the rates to the cast will be
50 high as to put an embargo on all
shipments, which will hurt the roads
more than the people, and probably have