, 1881-05-01
TEE RAILROADS.

~
| There has been slight falling otf In the East
bound freight shipments t3,lrin, the past week,
out they still continue unusually large. There
IS no prospect that shipments to the East will
seriously fall oil until the contracts made during
the time thur grain rates were down to Is cents
| are disposed Of. This will take until navigation
hns fairly oponcd, and if by that time the rail-
roads do not make reduction In rutes to meet
the lake competition they will have very little
business to carry. Tho New York trunk lines
no doubt desire TO keep up the 10-cent
rnto nll summer, because it would prove
Of fncncuatic benefit to them. They
care but little If their Western connection
suffer. SO long as they make money for them
selves. II the rail rates OH grain arc 30 cents
per 100 from Chicago to New York, the trunk
lines will get the regular pro ruta proportion Oh
nll the business that comes to Eastern lake
ports. Therefore, If business is forced on the
lake BY the high rail rates, tho trunk lines will
have 70 carry the bulk of tho business from
Buffalo to New York md other scAbonrd points
Any WHY, and they get much more money thntl
Il tho rail rate were down to =: cents. Or curse
the lines between here aud Buffalo could
hot hope to do much business during the sum-
nler If rates remained at 20 cents. hut tie
make this nil right BY allowing the roads he
tween Chicago and Butrulo to cut the r,res-
c!andcsttneiy. Of course-when they get short OF
ngo. THAT such action greatly Injuries
those, shippers who do. not possess The
confidence OF the railroads sufficiently TO get
to the ,rrunk-line Presidents, so lnug as they
can make money for themselves by the opera-
ton. Stiil it Is hardly prohuble that the trunk
lines vii! succeed in xecping up the grain ruto
to 30 cents during the Summer. The managers
Of the roads leading east from Chicago cnulu do
but littieto bring down tho rates, as they hive
dents, who coutrol alI the lines east from Chsca-
70 at present But the managers Of the lines
apol!s will Ie unable to stand this sort Of thing,
and they will compel the trunk lines cutne
down with the rates. The lines east frum t:lose
points urc now suffering Severely from the ar
rites without notice week or two agn.
They do not, seem to have been sutli-
roads have done, and mako a1l the contructs
they could while the rates were down. In con-
sequence the business west from these points
taken by the barge lines from St. Louis TO New
Orleans. While the roads running eas: from
Chicago arc doing, an Immense grain carrying
Louis arc doing comparatively nothing, us will
ee seen by the following item from the St. Louis
1toix- Democrat:
now, shippers prefcrring to hold their sum until
rntcs take Il tumble. III the meantime the
various barge lines are taxing "ut coossa! tows
Porter, OF the st. Louis & New Orleans Trans-
poEtation Company. IS preparing to take
out An Immense tow tile latter part OF
this week. the Mississippi Valley TrarspoEta-
ton Company will send out about ten bargcs
during tho week. AMI it the railroads never give
III to reduction the merchants Ut st. Louis
and those within 100 miles enst Of this city will
not suffer for transportation facilities. The
Western shipper can rest in the knowle ledge that
he IS independent Of railroads after he gets TO
St. Louis.
The st. Louis Eastern roads will not be able to
stard this condition Of affairs very long, and If
they do NOT mean 1o be driven to the wall they
will be compelled to cut shB rates. and this will
compel the Eastern trunk lines TO consent to
general reduction. no matter how much they
dislike It.
Tho total shipments OF grain, flour, and pro-
visions by tho six lines running East froCa this
city for tho week ending April 20. amounted to
q decrease Of ;. 40 tons
The following statement will show the amount
Of business done by the various roads during the
naSt week.