, 1880-04-11
THE RAILROADS.
Another Reduction in East Bound
Freights Talked Of.
Proposed Shortening of Time Between
Omaha and New York.

EAST-BOUND FREIGHT MOVEMENT
Ks predicted in last Sundays TRIBUNE the
east-bound freight business for the past week
has largely fallen of, and the prospects are
TINT during the present week rail-shlpments
will dwindie to very diminutive proportions.
a week or two ago the roads were not nble
to accept all the business that offered owing
to the want Of cars. Now the yards are
again full Of empty cars, and there is no busi-
ness for them. The roads were under the
impression that the boom of a week or two
ago would continue even after the opening
Of navigation, and they already felt highly
elated over the prospects Of being able
to continue the present high tariff
for some time to come. But d
change has NOW come over the spirit Of their
dreams, and they are beginning to feel the
necessity of another reduction in rates. 1t
is predicted that reduction in rates will be
decided upon about April Is, but this is by
no means certain, as the Eastern magnates
will not come down unless compelled to do
so by force, Of circumstances, and .conse-
quently the reduction may not be made until
about a week later, when lake competition
has become little more active than ut pres
cnt. Most of the grain vessels in this lllrbor
have left during the past week with cargoes,
and some of them have already arrived at
Buffalo. The vessels Wlntcrlng at Eastern
ports are also on their. way TO tl,is
b bbrisE norther which. prevailed an day
yesterday and still continues will have
the effect of bringing them III here much
sooner than was expected. While THIS Will
have the effect Of greatly reducing the ship
opening of tic Erie Canal that tue compe;i-
tim will be seriously felt BY. the railroads.
The present competition, while seriously af-
fecting the roads between hero and Buffalo,
will do no harm, to the trunk lines east from
that p4a on the 1ey a1e raner dne
way, whether shipped by lake or rail. Thus
it is their interest to keep up the present
high tariff until the commencement OF actual
competition by the Erie Canal. Al the
present rates the trunk lines make nal SO 50
between Buffalo and the Eastern sea,
to Soar's 1t 'aSs their nSy Wyestefa % lines between
here and Buffalo and other points on Lake
Erie suffer for awhile It looks, however,
shippers, who show no anxiety to ship any 7,
the present, and they claim tllat they can well
afford to wait until the canal, IS opened and
the rail rates further reduced. There is now
no necessity of shipping ut once, as there IS
plenty Of storage room IL the elevators, and
another blockade is not likely to occur this
year. The wheat in the elevators will mostly
be shipped by lake, and, us there is but little
more lett in the interior, this will soon be
disposed Of. There is some corn still left in
the country, but this will also seek the
cheaper route by lake. Therefore the, pros;
poets point to an exceedingly light raiI
business during the summer, and
the railroads will be compelled, in order to
Keep their cars running. to reduce the rates
much below the figures they meant to have
them short time ago.
The shipments Of grain, -four and provisions
during the past week were I,0l tons, against
C.. IA tons the week previous, falling off OF
1905 tons. The decrease would have been
still larger had it not been for the fact that
some of the rouds were still taking forward
freight contracted for during the ''boom "
week or two ago. Nearly the entire decrease
was on grain shipments.
The following statement shows the amount
Of business done by tho various roads: