St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-02
For Brisk Business and Heavy TratHc in
Freights on the Lakes the Coming
Season.
improvements Being Made by the Roads
So as to Handle Their Business
More Easily.
Wall Street Full of Rumors Regard
ing the War on Transcontt-
nental Rates.
Unsettled State OF Rates ON st. Paui
Business--Norther Pacthc
Land Sales.
Like Transportation.

This season promises TO be very livery
one in lake transportation from Duluth, Su-
periOr and Wash5urn, and the railway lines
running 10 those points are now making
preparations for the opening OF naVlgatloh'
Duluth was made free port last season,
and il was the Intention of the Omaha road
To make Washhnrn a free port also, but
when the season had fairly set in il saw 1t
could not possibly do this on account OF the
limited amount of business handled there.
This year it WILL however, make Washburn
a free port and let il remain so the season
throughout For this purpose it built an
elevator there this winter, which will be
opened when navigation is, and all vessels
of the different transportation lines will be
provided with the same facilities for re-
ceiving and landing freight. This. IL Is
thought. before the season is finished VIII
add materially to the importance OF WASH
burn as lake port and III year or TWO
bring it into prominence with the olher
large ports on the lakes The harDor there
is a good one. and the Omaha road has
direct communication with it. There Will
undoubtedly be
REPETITION OF THE TROUBLE
experienced last season in making grain and
flour rates from st. Paul and Minneapolis
10 eastern points by rail. as against rail and
water, in equaliZing the rates so as TO allow
the water route a small diTferential. IL Is
thought that with the extra competition
that will be on the lakes this season, from
Lake Superior ports to Buffalo and Sarnia
and COllingwood, rates will rule somewhat
lower than they were last season. The
Grand Trunk railway of Canada has been
compelled by the order of Secretary Man
mag OF last wear. that Canadian boats could
not receive business at American ports, for
the transportation of inter-American bust
ness; that they could only receive business
at American ports destined to Canadian or
foreign points by way of Canada. to put
another line of boats, ostensibly an Ameri-
lean lire, between Duluth and Sarnia, for
the transportation of inter-Amerlcan busi-
ness. This amounts 10 considerable, as a
large portion of the flour from Minneapolis
is sent via the Grand Trunk to Buffalo and
New England points, on account OF light
ness OF the freight charges. Several OF the
boats employed on the Milwaukee and
Grand Haven route will be put Oh Lake
Superior as soon as the ice goes out of the
lakes. The many improvements being
made by the st. Paul & Duluth, Northern
Pacific and Omaha lines, will greatly facili-
tate the transaction of business at that
point.
Mr.. j. NJ. Hannaford, general freight
agent of the Northern Pacific road, returned
from New York yesterday, where he has
been for the past few weeks attending to
the company's affairs and interests in the
transcontinental rate war. MIR. Hannaford
tells nothing particularly new, but believes
that the war will be long and fierce one.
The Northern Pacific is in good position
10 fN, ion, Of hn hr.Ci
going, and in the matter of traffic will not
lose anything except perhaps little in the
difference between tariff rates and the rates
which are in effect at present. The Pacific
Mail has not begun to cut rates yet its
agreement with the Transcontinental asso-
citation not expiring until the 18th of the
present month. When this time expires il
is not probable that it will then cut rates.
1t wants to stand in with the transconti-
mental lines in case new agreement is
patched up and have its subsidy of $50, 00O
per month renewed. On the other hand
it might join in the fight and
make rates so low that the
other lines will feel it their duty to sue for
peace. The Pacific Mail is strong corpo-
ration, but if it did enter the tight the
Northern Pacific would not feel its effects
to any alarming extent. The Southern Pa
cifc would, however. These two lines,
one ship and the other ship and railway,
do business nearly alike and it would be a
case of ''dOg eat dog" In this case little
attention would be paid to the Atchison,
Topeka 81 Santa Fe, which has been so far
the precedent in the fight. All this line
wants is to demonstrate its Importance as a
transcontinental line and claim an advance
in its allotment OF percentages. This il
will not receive to the extent demanded by
it, as there would be scarcely anything left
for the other lines doing Pacific coast bust
ness. The Northern Pacific has not taken
part in California business yet, but may in
a week or two as soon as certain arrange
ments are perfected.