New-York tribune., 1877-05-30
OCEAN FRETGHTS.

THE DETERMINATIONS AGAINST NEw-YORK STILL
MAINrAINED THEIR INJUsrIca-A CHANGE
NEEDED.
1t is now nearly two months since The
TRIBUNE called attention 10 certain ruinous dcrimla-
tons against NawYOrk in the rates Of ocean freight on
metals aud chemicals The exposure created sensa-
tion al the no in commercial circles, and led to tine
making 0f ureE reprcseu the steamship com
panlcs in regard 10 the injustice OF these rates TWO
months nave passed aud there Is ameloraon yet IN
The discrninons Ere sat on metals ana chemicals 10
Boston remains s GI per ami 10 Baltimore and
PHILADELPHIA los per ton, against Iae OF l2s Gd' with
10 per cent prnage added, on freight 10 New-Iork
The disastrous tar0h rate also remains the same as for
the Last eight months Freight II SIN carried through
NewYork the West cheaper than II IS brongt to New
York. Here paragraph which illustrates that At be
.ng written on face OF bli oi !adne Of I'm plates
received in this city last week from Liverpool the freight
to Nee-York being 13s. o.. Per ton: "Cohssnoes 10
Lave option Cf taxing delivery of The whole or part 0l
Che WITHIN goods II Chicago Cleveland, Cincinnati Lou
i,yile, Buffalo, Rochester Niagara Falls Suspension
Bridge DuEkirk Toledo, ami Detroit dt l2s Gl per ton,
net st. Louis and Milwaukee a los per ton net, On
declaring same before landing IN winch goods lgoto
be sent forward al ships expense but at risG of slipper
and cons gnsps" This is thc ineXpodhlc arrange
mcnt which hes bo,u in force or nearly year II
ppp!r not solely tin pa,es bat 10 metals, chemicals
and large number OF asticIes of the special class
is said chat there Will be change for tAe better
to. 70 G cazo viii then go in, force, the rate 10 New
York relauih 49, - present. This IS slight improve
uen. but 50 - at scarcely 10 b., of practical value
Sothla viii bc cuer iaiT or beneficial u Ne"-1 1rk
unlc,s based the prncple tnat through rates
shall eoual The ocean freight with tie railroad freight
inland added Merchants here ask for II taing mere
than fair play. Tney do not ask for rate which
shall favor New-Yofk and discriminate against other
cities on the c0ast; bat they ask that the rates
shall be just to al alke, ana that the mat
fer as to whether inland buyers ssan seek The
market OF NrN-York Boston BaltimoTe or Philadelphia
shall b. let TO private enterprise nl rely II is believed
her, that a through can bc nach'd "b'ch would oe
fair To all four cities. Ocean nsp0Itltipn to Baltimore
costs n.orc than TO Boston, but inland transportation
from Blliim0ge is cheaper. II, now To Ihe ocean
rates from Liverpool the our principal cities Of orr
North Atlantic coast there DC added respectively nc III
land rate, from those cities to Chicago it will he found
that the sum in each is about the same The
average of the would give fair through rate which
would be equitable 10 Boston. NcwforS, Philadelphia,
aud BaltimoF, Competition between the four cities for
interior trade would then be left, It ought II be- to
private enterprise.
The present system (Which will not be amelioracd blythe
propCscd change july l. is disastrous I'm the extreme
If IA i'm 90 sibe for merchants here what import
ant busine ntercs in this sbeuchted by IT, The
steamship companies running To NeW-1oih wlich con
Inv II The railroads leading West from Ncw-York
are conpelled TO carry heavy commodities at rates
Chicaco and ST. Louis Which threw their bats Into tie
air the expected adYuntages oI this
pOlicf both compelled 10 admit that thty
really by It, being delivered at
twenty other places in the North ana West rs cbeGply
under this system tO their own merchants NewlOrk
merchants being put tO great expense aud trouble by
H. Some them wnO do large business ana have the
capital afford compelled TO open stores III otner
places thus transactDg bu mess no larger Than before
| az a vastly increased expense one nFn IN the metal
trade hee is obliged by this system to carry stocks In
PORTLAND Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore New-Orleans,
Chicago Louis. Other firms here which have
the capital 10 ate this example are poWeress TO ar.
| rest the diversion Of thcir trade.
Tnc is there il only one interest which Is benefited
this unnatural arrangement In regard 20 feghts.
vast advantage IL by 1t Ia the merchants IN London
and LiyerpoU against tho American merchants. Under
the plosent system the English merchant has only 10
little Office IN NewIOrk, aud then SIND his agent
along the line OF certain railroads leading westward and
ware or drug at Buffalo, Toledo Detroit, aud
twenty such places, and offers To sell goods. and deliver
them the sidewalk Of the local dealer at prices which
the New York merchant ndG cd the interior merchant,
taking goods out of store, tndsit impossible To compete
| with The merchant In England, employing his capital
storing his goods and spending his ronts there,
builds up what might almost be called retail track III
this country and wress business from the hands OF the
| native dealer.
This discrimination in feighs Is relentless in Its inu
ence upon the market OF Ncw-Iork The feeling In re
gard very strong and many declare that
diguatnn meetings shOud be held and
that steamship and railroad companies which have
made fortunes by OF the enterprise of the mcr
| chants Of New-NOfk should be told wHat those
chants think about this matter. Prom what Is said
every day this subject there ID little doubt but
| that steamship company and railroad line which
would bolt from the combination and guarantee ar play
10 NewYork would lac cordially supported by large
| body OF merchants Of great influence.
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