, 1877-03-17
/ / Fhila- Bill
| H1sfon. ffefDHiN. | more.

isf5:::::::::::: 1875 S&SS 11S:3 Ia: 55s::s i i:
THESE figures show IN almost continuou:
comparative loss on the part OF New York
| which has been chiefly met by gain in Phil
| adelphia and Baltimore, while Boston and
Montreal have varied but little during the
whole term. In the actual volume Of re-
ccipts tile two last named cities hnye, how.
ever, increased; while New York has III
creased, but less rapidly, till within the last
two years. It might thus seem that there is
no real OCCASION for ala-n on the part of
New York, except in the way Of jealousy of
more rapid growth on the part Of her neigh
bors. But the true character Of the change
can only be understood by looking at the dis
which point the dgc says:
Part is destined for export, another part is for
domestic consumption: and whi;c it il. matter
Of Indifference, comparatively. by which port
grain is exported. the domestic market of each
puEt is pretty strictly limited Of late years. New
York requires just about mnch grain for its own
consumption and for distribution for home consump
tiou and this amount it is likely to receive under
any ordinary circumstances. This Is not true OF
the export grain. Should the cost Of exporting
through Montreal OF New Orleans become 10 cents
.or ess) per bllscl lower than the cost by way Of
Kew York, and remain 80 throughout year, New
York doubtless would lose NEARLY all OF Its export
trade, while maintaining nearly its other grain
trade. During the seven Years from lS7D to 1876,
the difference between the receipts and exports
1t New York varied only from ST.,
500, 600 to Is, 700, 600 bushels; it was
10, GOO, 600 in 1870 and 10, 400, 900 in 1s7G,
though meanwhile the receipts varied from 7o 000,
900 to 104, 000 600 bushels. Thus the portion OF
the business most liable to luctuation is the tx
port movement. But the increase in the receipts
Of the other ports has been ully for export. They
keep from II, 900, 900 to 50 900, 600 bushels for
consumption and for local distribution, aud export
the remainder: nnI this remainder increased from
:s3 O00 QUO bushels IN 1873 to 20, 0O0 900 in 1S7U
New York's exports meanwhile increasing only
from -, 600, COO 10 81 o0o, go. In 1873 the
pctiuy ports exported ~ per cent OF the total; in
1876 nearly st per cent. We may say that the en-
tire increase in the export business has been done
through the other ports. Montreal. which is not
much considered As Il competitor, Is seen to TX
port nearly all its Receipts. 1t is thus
more formidable lis competitor to New
York than would appear from its receipts.
Boston, whic, usually receives about
much grain as Montreal, export. bnt very smnIl
proportion Of these receipts. Its export business.
though larger than formerly, il still comparatively
triainy, amounting even in 1876 to only IL per
cent Of the total exports OF the five ports, though
it had lDa per OF the receipts. Its large grain
business is overwhelmingly domestic traac. New
York, Us we have secu. requires something like
20, 000, 900 bushels besides its exports, whatever
they may be. These are sometimes less talA half
Of its receipts, sometimes much more, last year
they were 81 per cent OF its receipts The Ph:la-
dclphia exports show the greatest comparative
growth. They were mere fraction I'D per cent?
OF Its receipts In 1878, but had becomc &c per cent
in 1876. Baltimore has increased its proportion
more slowly, having been large exporter in 1873
and in 1876 exporting nearly rs large proportion
of its total receipts as Philadelphia did.
The Southern ports have thus largely ill.,
creased their exports, chiefly because the
great reduction iu rail rates, especially in the
summer. has deprived New York of its
former advantage as the tcrlni] bus of the
cheapest route to the seaboard. So long rs
the canal was the cheapest channel for the
transportation of grain, New York WIS sure
to receive most Of the grain destined for cx-
port; but when rail rates are as low
rs canal rates, Philadelphia and Baltimore
are able to compete with it. other things
being equal. The ~jge further says:
Meanwhile the long monopoly OF exports which
New York has cnjoyed has n,a.lc it possible IL in-
troiucc and maintain rate OF faxes for handin.
and merchants dues at the terminus such IL would
have been Impossible l,ud the competition Ut the
other ports been sharper II is conceded that New
ork takes arger tolls than any other port ont OF
the grain exported and the grain merchants find it
very difficult to reform this. The business is old;