, 1877-06-14


cause Of thu competition Of othor cities
whlol, command ohcapor European frofghts,
mil laneuting that trade. which was once
exclusive, now goea nrountt that city, they
may look with some concern TO the diversion
going on In tho export trntlc. Tho time was
when tho export Of brehdstuffs was almost
exclusively mndo from New York. Tint city
vns the grand contro to which all graiu was
shipped and thence distributed. Provisions
were even sent from tho West to New York
and thence sent 10 tl1e Southern States. Now
The distribution Ia mnis elsewhere. Liver
pool dealers In grim and provisions buy
largely In Chicago, md at this point can
choose from a number Of competing routes,
and socure lower rates Of freight from CHI
cago 10 Liverpool than can 10 Ind by send
Ing the grain to New York and t',ore con-
tracting for ocean frcights. Tho agent OF
tho foreign house can mako a contract in
Chicago for delivery OF the grain or pro-
Visions on steamer In Montreal, Phil
adelphis, Baltimore, or New York, and
ita delivery in Liverpool, for much
1crs thnn hc can contrnot for It's romovnl to
Now York, and thence, by contract thero,
for its transportation to Liverpool. Freight
once In Now York must par, like freights to
New York, whatever the Now York steamers
demand; but in Chicago tho New York
steamer line mnst accept such rates as aro
offered by othor lines or GO without For
this reason, tho export trade, like tho import
tradc, Is NOW done without reference TO New
York at oil. Freighta from Chicago to Liv-
erpool arc not exactly Is low as from Naw
York to Liverpool, but AFRO so much less than
can be had by sending frat 10 Nav York and
thonco to Liverpool that 1t furnishes tho
purchaser here largo margin OF saving,
uonce. In the fullnoss of time. contracts for
ocean froiglts from Chicago to Liverpool for
b1oadstufIs and provisions will become tho
rule, rs European frcights from Liverpool to
Chicago have, according to tho Now York
1inIes, taken tho place Of ocean freights
from Liverpool To New York In certain l;nea
Of imports. What New York Is to do under
these circumstances Is hardly explained by
tho following conclusion Of tho rcmarks OF
the New York 7in,es on tho sitnation:
Freight rates to this city were high because OF
tho existence Of tho steamboat combination; they
worc low to the Wcss because the lines xeut.tnx
vessels to this port wcro obliged 10 compete With
companies sending ships to Philadelphia, Doston,
and Canadtan ports. AZ twelve shil,lngs and ak
pence ton, or even At fifteen shlings ton It WAS
not profitable for them to carry freight to Chicago
srou, Liverpool. They had to make up their losses
by taxing Now York, and By tho rates received for
carrying grain md produce from this country to
Europe. Going out, thotr ships wcrc niways full.
md they mndo money, There was no tlonbt that
tho railroad companies running out Of New York
lost by taking European fscights to Chicago and
othur Wenctn ctttca as tho rates Indicated sun
nll OF them. hut principally the Eric anil New York
Central, wero Obliged TO do 30, they did not, kAe
stdashtp eompdn.ts roHid 10 Obliged 10 erase sent.
Ing shtps 10 this port. and then he railroad COM
pantts controlled in thts Slate EoHd hars no p,eans
e} forwarding Wtst<rn prodacs TO Earoptan mar
k<s. 1t 1t for these reasons that Now York IL los
Ing hef distributing trade, and that 10 many ex-
tens!Ee importers arc complaining Of hard times
aud dull business.