The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-02-02
FREIGHT RATES.
The Matter Given a Partial
Examination.
What the Barge System will
Accomplish.

The members of the st. Paul chamber
of commerce have been investigating the
question Of freight rates by river and ly
rail, and they have made report which
furnished certain information that proves
of interest to all cities along the river.
The report is not of a general or COM
prehensive character, and deals somewhat
with estimated figures, but as submitted it
| was as follows:
70 the st. Pad Ghamber Of Commerce.:
Your committee, appointed by this cham
Der for the purpose of investigating and
| reporting to this chamber the difference OF
| freight rates by river and rail since the i'm
provement of the Mississippi river, would
report and wishes this chamber to remem-
| Der that the competition of the Mississippi
river with railroads is limited mainly to
shipments of grain and -four from st. Paul
| and points on the river below this city for
expectation from New Orleans to foreign
coun tries.
THIS TONNAGE
| thus divided amounted in 1881 to $4,000
| bushels of wheat and 1875 barrels of -four
| from this city to New Orleans by river.
| The rates by rail from ST. Paul to Glas-
Cow were, in June, 1881, 81 .O24 per bar
rel, and by river So cents per barrel. Your
| committee could not get railroad rates on
wheat to any foreign port, but the rate by
river was 25 cents per bushel from st.
Paul to Glasgow. You win see the differ
ence is in favor of the river route on Hour
of 363 cents per barrel. The same differ
ence will hold good on wheat in favor OF
the river route.
4 M
| 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 264 cents per
bushel on wheat, while the rate by rail via
New York and thence by steamer to Liv-
erpool was about 35 cents. He states,
however, that since the first rush ended,
freights have gradually declined. until on
| the 31st of May the rate from s.. Louis to
Liverpool via the Mississippi river was
only 1874 cents per bushel on wheat, where
IS at the same time by the rail route via
Atlantic seaports, it was about 80 cents
per bushel difference of III cents per
bushel in favor of the river route
This same difference will hold good as
to the shipment Of wheat made from st.
Paul in June, 1881.
MR.. JOHN KING JR.
| late first vice-president of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad company, in his report
to the Joint executive committee of the
east and west trunk lines under date OF
April, 1881, states that on March 90, last,
the total charges for transportation on
grain from St Louis to Liverpool, via
New Orleans. including river rates ocean
rates, insurance and transfer charges al
New Orleans, amounted to 46 cents per
100 pounds, or % cents per bushel, and
| thatAat the same time the total charges fol-
transporting grain from St. Louis to Liver
pool via New York, including rail and
ocean rates and all incidental charges,
amounted to 80 cents per hundred pounds,
or 364 cents per bushet.
This shows the charges on the route Wis
New Orleans TO be less than the rate via
Atlantic sea-ports by st cents per bushel
/ At the time this statement was made by
Mr. King the river rate was 81 cents PEI
bushel from St. Louis to New Orleans. II
is believed by well informed persons thai
grain can thus be transported in barges al
profit for from cents to 4 cents pei
bushel.
1 The extent of the diversion of grain by
the Mississippi river is illustrated by the
following table, showing the exports from
the cities on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts
1t appears that, the exports from New
, Orleans during the year ending June 80
1881, exhibited an increase of 4 $50, III
bushels, as compared with the exports o.
the preceding year, whereas the aggregate
: experts of the other ports mentioned ex
hibited decrease of Il, 81, 286 bushels.
IN CONCLUSION
your committee would state if the govern
, ment will give us six feet of water be
tween this city and ST. Louis, and eigh
, feet between St. Louis and New Orleans
for six months of the year. it will be onl,
question OF time when the port of New
Orleans will occupy the position New Yorl
occupied as a shipping port in 1880
Taking the above figures of freight rates
and the very lowest saving would
To between rail and river, eigh
cents per bushel, and on basis of 40, 600,
900 of a wheat CT OPP for our state we have
saving of 8 8, 200 600 to the produce on on
crop, and a saving to the 10 states border
r ing on the Mississippi river on the sam
3 basis-4o, 000, 600 bushels of wheat-C
matters not il it is cotton, tobacco, corr
a. or wheat, as the same saving would b
made on these several products we woult
2 have savin. on one crop of $32. 600, o00
1t does not follow that the whole of the pro
ducts of these several states would have t.
go by river to make these savings. Wit
good navigation, railroads would be com
PEELED to carry for same rates river Re
specially submitted.
Never exnariment too much. hut use til