The New York herald., 1875-12-09
NEW YORK TRADE.
Meeting Of Merchants and Shippers At ths
Chamber Of Commerce Yesterday.
ARBITRARY RAILROAD MANAGEMENT.
Correspondence, Speeches and General
Business Conference.

he threatened loss OF trade OF this city report was
made that body from the Committee Claims and
Grievances which set forth that determinations were
made against New York by the railroads in favor Of
Boston and Baltimore. In order 70 fully con-
slider this grave questonft agreed that meeting
should be held the day-yesterday-at the rooms
Of the Chamber Of Commerce. In order that the repre
sentatives Of the various mercantile interests shoulG
be heard in reference TO this important subject Ac1
cordngly at two O'Clock yesterday afternoon larg0
number OF influential merchants met at the Chamber
or Commerce and exhaustive and earnest dis
cussion took place Among tho gentlemen present.
were Mr. +. B. Thurber, Colonel B. p. Baker.
Messrs John Henry Kemp, Lees Hazard, Wat
rous and others OF the Cheap transportation
Association, and Messrs. @. @. Dodge Smith, A A
Low and B. G. Arnold, representing various mercan-
tile interests OF this port Mr.. Arnold, Of Arnold,
surgis Co., took the chair and called the meeting
TO order The President said In effect that New York.
railroads discriminating against New York inI
favor Of Boston 1--WE all know he said, show the
railroads OF Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia pro-
tectrhc interests OF their cities We fail compre1
hend here why the large interests OF merchants
are sacrificed TO the lesser Of other citics
Where is tho remedy2 We must seek one. In an
interview with Mr. Blanchard, OF the Erie Railway
yesterday. that gentleman expressed himself being
fully alive to the grievances complained Of and said
Ia their power"
Mr. Thurber then addressed the meeting, ssying:-r
have studied to some extent the questions involved and
would beg 10 present some views and correspondenca
with Mr. William H. Vanderbilt, the Vice President Oh
the Hudson River road Ihe gentleman then read
lengthy correspondence between the New York Cheap
Transportation Association and Mr. Vanderbilt, IN
which the latter gentleman hrmly-eyen satirically-
refused the committee and suggested that any
communication they had 10 make would be consldered
II properly presented 10 the heads OF the department.
having control and cognizance OF the abuses spoken OIL
Tha cOmOlaincl
the from the different seaboard cities 10 the West
the basis OF mileage made the rates to competing
points from Philadelphia i've cents more per 100 pounds
than from Baltimore; hve cents more from New York
than from Philadelphia and i've cents more from Boston
than from New York. Mr. Thurber went on 10 say
the invariable disadvantage 10 New York OF so
called firm rates believe accounted for in the forma
tion Of the through railroad lines upon which
dependent and the relations TO each other OF the differ
ent roads which mako up the several through lines
operated between tho East and West or the three
trunk lines Erie Pennsylvania and New York Central,l
the last named only has rail connection with Boston,
and is, therefore, the only Of the three able to
compete, equal footing, with the Canada line for,
Boston business The Boston and Albany road holding
the key the situation Is necessarily vested with tho
rate making power the New York Central and connect
ing roads Chicago and St. Louis being obligated tot
prorate any tariffs the receiving road may lind 4 necess
sary 10 make So long as the Canada line maintains ami
independent position and any other is nconsis-
with interest, and, therefore, practically IMPOSE
sble) the New York Central cannot consistently n-
cude Boston business In its combinations with ths'
other trunk lines"
After reviewing the question the speaker con-
the competition OF this Canadian line OF railroad s
the Of giving Boston reasonable OF freght
and breaking up The combination Of all OF the other
great lines from that point 10 the West We sect
from this that If New York had trunk line of railroad
honestly built and operated in the interest Of the
merce or the respective sections which II would cons
nect that great city would be benefited
tent that is almost beyond computation"
A case in point OF hardship q merchant hero
presented which represented the actual OF tho
unequal and unjust working Of the discriminating
freights between Boston and New York.
A a aeh
through New York broker The price Of the ar
tice here was cents per pound, gold Freight from
New York TO destination IL. cents per hundred. In
Boston the article held at ll6 cents per pound,
gold. Freight from Boston 70 destination 81 cents
per hundred. The lie cent per pound, cost OF ths
article in Boston over the price in New York,
TO Ga cents per hundred but the eights from BOSTON,
there was a difference OF 1874 cents per hundred in
favor OF making the purchase in Boston. This differ
ence of itself was handsome profit, and il is
essary to add the soda ash bought IN Boston, al
though the price Of the article less here.
Mr. Lees, the Secretary OF the transportation
caton here arose and said something about Proctor
Knotts theory OF the OF the universe-reerrng
to the humorous Duluth speech in Congress few years
snce-Mr. Lees asserting his belief that
WORLD
was at present at Forty second street In the Grand Gem
tral depot Al this point the gentleman was inter-
rupted by the President who suggested that the discus
sion was taking too wide range
MI A Smith then addressed the meeting stating
that there good many things injuring the COM
merce OF New York beside the railroads Last year
his house had sent goods from Boston, Lowell and
Lawrence, ana tound II impossible them
this city Of the horrible condition OF the
New York streets Another merchant had told him
his experiences IN effect that he could ship goods from
Philadelphia cheaper to the West from Europe ac-
count of the conveniences which the Pennsylvania
Railroad gave TO importers and shippers; their steam
landed goods right at the wharves and they could
cartage the goods West in bond and as the
on the wharves The speaker did not denv
that commerce is leaving IA but ne SAID that we should
look not only sharply after the railroads but good deal
more sharply after the scoundrels IN corrupt city
government
n n ~
that In the handling Of through freghts from
Europe 1t undoubtedly cost the merchants at least
thirty three and one-third per handling n
TINS city than II could be done for other cities Mr.
Dodge compared the merchants here with those
places and said should all pull together irrespective
OF party lines Mr. Dodge then read OF resolu-
tions 10 be added to those presented by Mr. Thurber
which were hnaly adopted The resolutions looked
A MASS MRErrso or MERCHANTS
at an early day in order TO impress upon the raroad
magnates the necessity Of policy Of equity toward
New York shippers
In the course OF the debate IL was ELECTED that the
rates nrst, second and third class lreghts West
we're nearly 100 per cent In favor Of Boston. the
might be accounted for by the fact that tho rcghts n
Boston were bcng carried on old contracts made when
the railroads were cutting rates; this probably
would continue until January, J. 1876.
Colonel B. p Baker then addressed the meeting Ia
regard the building of grain elevators by the ral-
roads showing how Baltimore taking the trade Of
city account Of the liberal policy OF the Balt-
more and Ohio Railroad The speaker urged the ne
cessy Of double track freight railroad around the
city, the carriage the town was equal 10 the
freight charges from Cincinnati TO Now York.
Mr.. A. A. Low said there seemed be some dis-
agreement 10 the facts freight discrepancies and
therefore, recommended the appointment Of q CONF
tee TO ascertain and report the facts vet the Qcne
mainly coincided with the efforts OF the parties
who agtatng these matters, but considered than
our troubles primarily came from our insular position
Tho classification OF freight was then discussed bys
various members and a uniform rate vas warmly
recommended.
The Secretary (Mr Kemp then read a communities
ton correcting statement In regard the Pennsvl-
vania Railroad competing for freight al lower rates
rom Boston This was addressed TO the Committee on
Claims and Grievances Of the Cheap Transportation AS
socation and was only received matter Of privilege
The resolutions were then adopted and tho meoung ad
journed subject TO the call OF the Chair