The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-09-02

Cairo ~. 81. Louis
a correspondent of the st. Louis Re
publican, writing under date of August
80. says:
During her mourniul prostration Phil
adelphia, Boston and Baltimore compe-
ted strongly and with considerable sue
cess tor the trade which New York city
had nearly monopolzed. Realizing that
cheap transportation between the sea-
board and interior points from whence
New y ork must derive all of her articles
of export, and to which she must ship all
her imports and manufactures Is the one
great essential in the desired recovery
and augmentation of her trade, the bust
| ness men of New York, through their
transportation bureau, have sedulously
addressed themselves TO the task of cut
ting freights by rail to figure so low
that no other city can hope to compete.
And they have succeeded. They have
induced the managers OF the Hudson
river aud New ! ork Central railway
company to put into effect schedule of
local and through rates unprecedentedly
low with view OF attracting BUYERS of
all manner of goods to New York city.
In this new table of rates st. Louis as
usual is Wiley Disseminated against, and
our merchants ought to inquire at once
into the matter and ascertain where the
responsibility belongs.
The rate TO Chicago on first, second
and third-class goods Is twenty-five cents
! per 100 pounds; on fourth-class goods it
is Ice per 100 pounds. Chicago is 800
miles west of New York city. The rate
| to st. Louis is fixed at 80 cents on first,
second and third-class freights, and
| &c cents on fourth. class, and st. Louis is
I rNt\ I'll ,.ity
rate to Cairo is fixed at 80 cents on first,
second and third-class freights, and at 81
| cents on fourth-class. Cairo is ] ,2S2
miles distant from New York city.
| Can St. Louis business men discern all
| of the danger there is to their trade in
| this new schedule:
First. lnasmuch as the rate 10 Chicago
is % cents and 10 cents per 100 pounds.
| the st. Louis rate should have been 3
cents per 100 pounds higher, or IS cents
| on first, second and third-class freights.
| and l9 cents on fourth-class. AS IL IL,
| the discrimination amounts to s cents
| 100 pounds on the first three classes and
cents on the fourth class and special
frcights.
This NAV seem to be tribe, but be it
remembered that trifles OF this kind are
extremely potent in influencing trade.
| These triiles enable Chicago merchants
| to offer coffee, sugar. hardware, cutlery,
dry goods, leather goods, etc, To the
| merchants of the west and southwest
| shade cheaper than St. Louis can offer
them, and by obtaining rate of freight
| from Chicago To western and southwest
ern points also at less rate per ton per
mile than roads leading west and south
west of st. Louis are willing 10 make,
| still further advantage is given TO the
| Chicago merchant.
| But il this discrimination in favor of
| Chicago is grievance i'm what light may
the discrimination in favor of Cairo be
| viewed:
Cairo is I'll miles further from New
York city than st. Louis is ; as follows
| New York to Chicago 800 miles, Chicago
to Cairo via the Illinois Central railway.
362 miles. This distance added TO 920
makes the total distance from New York
| to Cairo ,2S2 miles. or 2ll miles further
than st. Louis is. Yet freights are car
ried from New y DIRK to Cairo tor 81 cents
OH first. second and third-class, and Fl
! cents on fourih-class. According to the
| proper rate per mile freights to Cairo
| shoilld have been 40 cents in the first
| three classes. and 80 cents on fourth
| class and special but no, st. Louis bust
| ness is of so little consequence to the
| railway companies lnat they never APP
| pear to care for her interests.
BY securing the above rates the mer.
chants of Cairo may now send their
drummers all through the Southeast and
South and Southwest, and cut into the
| trade OF st. Louis in a way that st. Louis
will presently feel most keenly.
The Chicago and Alton Railway COM
pany ought to carry treights from Chi
cago to Louis quite as cheap as the ILL
| nois Central Railway company does to
Cairo from Chicago, the haul being a
much shorter one. Therefore, either this
arrangement should be made with the
Alton road or the Illinois Central COM
pany ought to be prevailed upon to in
crease the rate to Cairo, as a matter of
justice to st. Louis.
Unless our merchants actively hasten
themselves TO have the evils remedied
which are complained of above the fall
trade of St. Louis, which is now opening
so auspicously, will be suddenly checked
and Chicago drummers will success sfully
invade our territory in the west and
southwest, and Cairo travellers will COM
pete with us In the south and southeast.
The writer OF the above is certainly not
well posted regarding Cairo's railroad
advantages, and the distance from Cairo
to New York over the shortest route.