New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-05
Tho Western Graiu Trade.

A Phjladelphis letter to the New York
Times, November 80, says:
The increased demand for grain. which
has been noticeable here and at the other
seaboard cities for some time past, coupled
with the knowledge of railroad war, has
been the means of bringing to light the in
efficiency of the Pennsylvania railroad as a
carrying company. This is perhaps q very
broad statement, but it obtains additional
force when it is said that it is caused by
Colonel Scott attempting to control the
trade of the three great cities of the conti-
nent, when, in fact, be can not supply the
needs of the one that his road started
from-Philadelphia Last spring the West.
ern shippers of grain thought, on account
of the low prices attainable tor their COM
mOdi,ies in that section, and the fair
promises in the East, that the seaboard
cities were the places to locate, and there
fore several firms doing excellent trade
in the lake towns established their offices
in Baltimore and in this city. This fall
their mistake was evident, from the fact
that good prices prevailed in the West, and
the lake trade mas been enormous. This
trade will soon close, and then the move
ments of grain to the East again will be
larger than ever by rail. While this extern
sive Western business has been beneficial
to New York, it has been hurtful to Pnila-
delphia, in so far that the shippers here have
been unable to procure the necessary cars to
bring their grain here, and a few week. ago
it was we'll known fact the maj ority of
dealers were two per cent short on their
contracts, caused by this paucity of railroad
Mr.. George w. Mears, president of the Com
mercial Exchange, they called upon
Colonel Scott to ascertain what relief there
was Tor them, and what he could do to pre-
vent tho recurrence OF euch a catastrophe.
Colonel Scott informed the gentleman that
the matter was beyond his control, mas
much as the local roads in the West were
obtaining good rates for carrying freight q
short distance, while the through rates
from Chicago to the East were so low that
it did not pay to run their cars here. The
Pennsy lvania Company did not possess cars
enough to supply the needs of the shippers
of Philadelphia, and could not obtain those
of The Western roads because of their being
engaged in more lucrative business. How
ever, he promised the merchants such aid
as he could give them. and since that time
has been doing what he could, which, for a
few weeks. will not amount to much.
A prominent operator assures your cor
respondent that the loss to the merchants
here by 1hls failure to ship for them what
they desire will amount to an estimate of
nearly two millions of bushels. Ia the six
months preceding October 81 of this year,
the receipts of gain at this port we're 81 $685.
900 bushels, or 17.6 per cent OF the entire
amount shipped to the East, while for the
same period in 1873 it was only O64O,995
bushels, or 9 9 per cent. The demand has
since tho time mentioned been great but
no new contracts are being made, for one
reason, said the operator, "that we can not
get the grain here" and for the next, that
we can not tell what the rates for ship
ping are going to be next month
Thus it will be seen that the entire trade
of Philadelphia in this regard lays in the
palm of Colonel ScOtt's hand. His road is
the only source of supply, and when it is
blocked, as has been the case during the
past month, the loss falls heavily on the
merchants and growing industry of this
city. Publicly the operators state that
they 90 not think Colonel Scott is to blame,
and that the large interests of his road be-
ing here, he has at heart the best interests
of the city's business. Privately they talk
otherwise, and censure Colonel Scott in un-
measured terms for allowing them to be
beaten by both Commodore Vanderbilt and
Mr. Garrett, and point to the fact that he ii
endeavOring to supply New York operators
to the exclusion Of his cid supporters IN
Philadelphia ''It would have been fal
better for us," said an operator, "hsd
Colonel Scott never obtained posses
sion of that Camden and Amboy
road. Since then his energies seem
to have been devoted to that enc