The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-17
Another Autobiography Paper.

editorial contained in that paper Of last
Sunday morning. 1t is one of the ablest
and most sensible articles We ever saw
in the Pioneer-Pr ess and we hope that
paper will continue to aid in denouncing
robbery to until public opinion, if not
law, shall compel the extortionists to
forego their greed and do justice by
those on whose patronage they must de-
pend: ,. .''.'.''': 20 y ID Is. 49,. ...
The general failure of all the cereal
and even root and grass crops through
out Russia, with the impending pros
pect of famine in that country, taken in
connection with the partial failure of
the entire food crop, especially of the
cereals, throughout Europe, cannot fail
to exercise a still more marked influence
on the price of all breadstuffs, and par
ticularly of wheat, in this country, than
has heretofore been felt. That the good
prices which have been prevailing for
wheat will be maintained throug bout
the winter cannot be doubted, and the
strong probability is that they will ad-
vance considerably before spring. But
it appears that the farmers of the west
are not to be permitted to realize the
benefits that were anticipated from this
rise in the prices of it's great staple
prodacts.s Now that the close of navi-
cation is impending, and the season is
fast approaching when the water routes
to the seaboard will be locked up by
ice, the three or four nabobs who con-
troll the great trunk lines of railroad
transportation between the west and
the east have put their heads together
and deliberately resolved to rob the
farmers Of the Mississippi valley of
some thirty cents a bushel at the least
on all the grain shipped eastward
during the close of navigation, and to
impose an additional tax on -four which
will virtually prohibit its expectation
from the west, and, consequently, it's
manufacture for expectation. During
the rast year, while the lakes and ca
nails have been open, the cost Of trans
porting wheat from St. Paul to New
York has been eighteen cents bushels.
Navigation being virtually suspended
on Lake Superior, it now costs as much
to send bushel of wheat by rail to
Milwaukee or Chicago as it cost u few
days ago to send it the whole distance
by rail and water to New York; and
when navigation closes, the freight on a
bushel of wheat from St. Paul to Chi
cago will be advanced to 81 cents per
bushel, while from Chicago to New
York the rate, which has been from six
to eight cents per bushel, is to be ad-
vanced on all the four great eastern
railway lines to 36 cents per bushel; so
that in a few days the farmers of Mime
sofa will have to pay 81 cents per BUSH
81 on the transportation of their wheat
to New York, as against Is cents during
the season of navigation, or more than
three times what they have been paying
during the season. Of course it Is not
pretended that wheat can be ca FRIED by
rail anything like as cheaply as by Wa
ter. It need not be said that the rail-
roads cannot compete with the great
water-routes in the transportation of
grain or other bulky products and can
not afford to carry at any approximation
to water rates. But they could we'll af
ford to carry grain at less than one-half
the rates they have resolved to charge
from St. Paul to New York, and at least
thirty cents of the enormous rate they
have conspired to impose on the CARR
age of wheat is pure extortion. 1t is a
bold and rascally scheme to rob the far
mers of the west for the benefit of such
greedy and INSCRIPTIONS railroad sharks
as Tom Scott and Vanderbilt, and We
are sorry to have to add the managers
of the Baltimore l. Ohio to this pack of
hungry beasts IF prey. It may be safe
ly presumed that one effect of this ex.
tortionate advance in freights will be to
put a virtual stop to the shipments of
wheat for the eastern markets during
the winter months. But IL very small
proportion-good judges estimate not
more than one-eig hth-of the Minnesota
crop has gone forward, even under the
stimulus OF the good prices which have
prevailed. 1t Is safe to predict that the
railroads terminating in this state which,
have gone into this plundering combin:l-
ton will carry very little wheat out of
Minnesota during the winter while this
prohibitory tax continues. The farmers
and grain dealers of Minnesota can well
afford to hold their wheat till navigation
opens in the spring rather than pay the
exorbitant rates exacted by these rail
road sharks. BY holding till next
spring they can be reasonably confident
Of some advance in the Liverpool price,
and can be certain Of a reduction OF
nearly forty cents in the cost Of trans.
portation Under these circumstances
it is fair to presume that no wheat will
be shipped till the spring. The farmers
or dealers who wish to realize On their
wheat can ship it to the Saint Paul ele
vator, where they can receive advances
on it and leave it in store till spring fol