Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-10
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
River Transportation Rates on Wheat
West St. Paul Road.

Asking Congress for y West st. Paul Levee
River Transportation Rates on Wheat
West st. Paul Road.
At the Chamber of Commerce, yesterday,
Mr.. Murray offered the following resolution,
which was adopted:
Rcsolued, That the secretary of the chamber
of commerce is hereby instructed to call the
attention of the Minnesota delegation in Con-
gress to the memorial OF the legislature of the
State of Minnesota, approved February 10,
1881, asking Congress to make an approprla-
tion to aid in the construction of levee and
the improvement OF the Mississippi river at
st. Paul, and request them to assist in procur-
ing the legislation necessary to accomplish
the purpose named in said memorial.
RIVER TRANSPORTATION.
The following report, presented by Capt.
Reaney was adopted:
To the st. Paul Chamber of Commerce:
Your committee appointed by this chamber
for the purpose of investigating and reporting
to this chamber the difference Of freight rates
by river and rail since the improvement OF the
Mississippi river, would report, and wishes
this chamber to rember the competition OF
the Mississippi river with railroads is limited
mainly to shipments of grain and flour to st.
Paul and points on the river below this city
for expectation from New Orleans to foreign
countries.
This tonnage thus divided amounted in 1881
to sc, 900 bushels of wheat and 125 barrels OF
flour from this city to New Orleans by river.
The rates by rail from st. Paul to Glasgow
| were, in June, 1881, Sl.02H per barrel, and by
river Is cents per barrel. Your committee
could not get railroad rate on wheat to any
foreign port but the rate by river was 70 cents
per bushel from st. Paul to Glasgow. You
-, 80 IF rJU
route on flour of 36H cents per barrel. Inc
same difference will hold good on wheat in
| favor of the river route.
Mr.. George II, Morgan, secretary OF the
| st. Louis Merchants Exchange, says that upon
| the opening of navigation in the month OF
March, 1881, and for some time thereafter, the
| through rate from st. Louis to Liverpool was
| as high as 1858 cents per bushel on wheat
fwhile the rate by rail via New York and thence
| BY steamer to Liverpool was about 80 cents.
| He states, however, that since the first rush
ended freights have gradually declined until on
the 31st OF May the rate from st. Louis to
| Liverpool via the Mississippi river was only
| 1SX cents per bushel on wheat, whereas at
| the same time by the rail route via Atlantic
| seaports, it was about 80 cents per bushel
difference of liz per bushel in favor OF the
river route.
This same difference will hold good as to the
| .~>.- -
June, 1881.
Mr.. John King, Jr.. late first vice president
of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad company, in
his report to the joint executive COM
mittee of the east and west trunk lines
under date of April, 1881, states that on
March 20, last, the total charges for transpor-
tation on grain from st. Louis to Liverpool,
| via New Orleans, including river rates, ocean
rates, insurance and transfer charges at New
Orleans amounted to 46 cents per 100 pounds,
or % cents per bushel, and that at the same
| time the total charges for Transporting grain
from St. Louis to Liverpool, via New York,
including rail and ocean rates and all incident
al charges amounted to go cents per 100
pounds, or 36L cents per bushel.
This shows the charges on the route via
New Orleans to be less than the rate via At
lantc sea ports by 8H cents per bushel.
At the time this statement was made by Mr..
King, the river rate was S4 cents per bushel
from St Louis to New Orleans. 1t is believed
| by well informed persons that grain can thus
be transported in barges at a profit from 5
4 cents to 4 cents per bushel.
The extent of the diversion OF grain by the
Mississippi river, is illustrated by the follow
ing table, showing the exports from the cities
onlthe Atlantic and gulf coasts: