Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-16
EASTERN FREIGHTS.

EASTERN FREIGHTs.
"A possibility of a Reduction by Reason of
the Completion of the nickel Plate
Vanderbilts Hatred of the New Line.
Especial Telegram to the Globe
CHICAGO, Oct. 15.-There has been a
slight increase in East bound freight ship
ments during the past week, which, how
ever, is no indication that business is i'm
proving, as there are always slight fuctu-
atlons one way or the other. The pros
poets of decided improvement in bust
ness are as slow as ever. The situation is
rather worse than it was last month. At
that time the western roads were trans
porting large quantities of grain. and al
though most of it went into elevators or
was shipped East by the
lake lines, yet the eastern
rail- lines felt sanguine that after the close
OF navigation they would get the bulk of
heavy business brought here by the west
ern roads. But since then business on the
western lines has greatly fallen off, and
| nearly all of them are now doing q very
| light traffic.
To stimulate the business the western
roads have agreed upon a reduction in
grain rates from Missouri river points, to
go into effect tomorrow. This action on
| the part of the western lines may help
them little, but as long as the prices of
grain IN the west are correspondingly so
much higher than they are in the east, a
great Improvement i'll business cannot be
expected, especially as the eastern trunk
| lines seem to be determined to keep up the
present rates, preferring to get small
amount of business at large profits than
large amount at small profits. Still, the
trunk lines may be compelled after all to,
reduce the rates on account of the compile
ton of the New York, Chicago & ST. Louis,
and the other new eastern lines. The New
York, Chicago & St. Louis road will open
for freight traffic this week, and although
it cannot expect to carry large amount of
business until its road is in better condi-
ton, yet it will take away some
of the business from the pool lines, and as
| the shipments for these lines are extraor-
| dinarily light, the business taken by the
| new line although the amount may not be
| large, will hurt them severely. The Chi
] cage q Atlantic will also open for bust
| ness about January l, but the competition
| of this road, it being an Erie line, will not
| hurt the old roads as much as the New
York, Chicago & st. Louis, as the former
will no doubt be admitted into the pool at
once, as the Erie is now one of the
pool lines. There is but
little prospect, however, of the
admission of the New York, Chicago &
st. Louis into the east-bound pool. Van
derbilt hates this company SO bitterly that
he is not likely to allow it to come into
the pool at anything like reasonable TERMS.
no matter what the result may be. Con-
sequently the New York, Chicago & st.
Louis, in order to secure fair share of
the business, will DO compelled to cut the
regular rates. AS the road completes with
Vanderbilt's Lake Shore at nearly all
its prominent points, Vanderbilt will be
compelled to make the same or better
rates If he means to have Lake
Shore hold its own. And if there is war
on rates between the Lake Shore and the
eNickel Plate,'' the other eastern lines
cannot avoid being forced into
the fight, such fight however, may
rove blessing to the eastern roads
after all, as the lower rates that would be.
made would probably help to increase the
business SO much as to keep eastern lines
busy during the winter, and the increased
business may more than make up for the
loss on rates. Asst is at present, producers
that they will obtain better perices
for their products later in the season, espe-
cially since it transpires that the crops did
not pan out as well as at first believed
they would. Nothing but large reduc-
ton in rail rates could induce producers
to dispose of their products at present,
and unless this is done shipments East
will remain light for some time to come,
especially as there is but little demand in
the East.