Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-07
WHEN WILLTHISEND?
A Member Of the Grain and Flour
Exchange Arraigns the Roads.
UNEQUAL RATES TURN BUSINESS
From Pittsburg to Western Cities Not
Entitled to the Steal.
THIS CITY NOT ONE OF THE FAVORED

Mr.. Carnegie's letters on the subject Of
freight Determinations have awakened great
interest among Pittsburg business men. 1t
is just possible movement will be started to
bring such pressure to bear on the Pennsyl-
vania road that it will have to reduce its rates.
The woods are full of ofmanufaoturers in other
lines, too modest to allow their names TO ap-
pear in print, who have the same compliant
to make as Mr.. Carnegie. Even the mer-
chants, the wholesalers in particular, suffer
from the effects of the railroads discrimina-
ting policy. e+- '@ei
As sample of how the railroads turn
away the grain business from Pittsburg, q
perusal Of the following interview from q
member Of the Grain and Flour Exchange
will show Said the modest grain man.
who has holy horror of seeing his name
in newspaper: 4s-- ss1c
am member of the Pittsburg Exchange,
pay 500 year for the privilege, and yet
haven't bought pound of grain on the floors
of the exchange for year. Why? I will tell
you. go to the exchange and learn the price
of corn; say it is % cents per bushel. I at once
telegraph Chicago, Peoria or st. Louis for
prices, and they can furnish it for Is cents per
bushel.
REMARKABLE COMPARISON.
A customer of mine at West Newton, Johns
town or some other nearby town wants a car
load of corn. Instead of shipping it to him
from Pittsburg, I order it to be sent direct from
one of these western cities, and the freight is
not any more than it would cost me to ship this
car from Pittsburg to Johnstown or West
Newton.
The result is that don't keep grain in my
Pittsburg warehouses anymore. This business
which should come from Pittsburg is captured
by these western cities. They have big grain
elevators and warehouses and employ a great
many men, but there is nothing of the kind in
Pittsburg- My connection with the Exchange
here doesn't do me any good, but will stick to
it because such an organization is credit to
the city. Freight discrimination is turning
plenty Of grain away from this city.
Here is another sample of how the roads do
business: am engaged also in the -four trade.
Punxsutawney is 1872 miles from the city and
want to ship barrel of flour there. It will
cost me Ii cents per 100 pounds or 26 cents
barrel to send it from Pittsburg. Buffalo Is 22S
miles from the same place, and the rate from
the former city is only 615 to cents per 100.
FLOUR FROM BUFFALO.
What do do? When customer of mine in
Punxsutawney orders -four have it shipped
from Buffalo. save money by the operation,
Pittsburg loses the business and Buffalo getsit
The fact is that rates are so arranged these
davs that a Greensburg merchant can buy as
cheap in Philadelphia as he can in Pittsburg
The majority of Johnstown merchants go East
to buy their goods. Cumberland people go to
Baltimore, Youngstown business men TO Gin
cinnati and Columbus and Pittsburg nearer to
these places than any Of the cities mentioned
by an iniquitous system of freight discrimina-
tfon loses all this business.
By the way. have had some experience in
trying to secure excursion rates for Pittsburg
on different occasions. / know what it is to
wrestle and pray with obstinate passenger men.
for Pittsburg, no matter what the occasion
may be, is past. Other cities can secure these
favors, but not Pittsburg. During the late
County Centennial one of the managers Of the
Pennsylvania Company told me that if he had
been in the city at the time the l-cent rate for
150 miles was made he would not have allowed
it. "Pittsburg," said he, doesn't need any
centennials, .expositions or May festivals to
boom its trade"
THEY WOULD ALL WANT 1T.
':If Pittsburg is granted any favors then
every little way station holding a picnic viii
ask for q contribution and rates;' and then
sinking his voice to whisper he said: "The
interstate law forbids such determinations"
Alasl if the Interstate law could only reach
the unfortunate and helpless shipper in the
State, they would rise up and call Senator
Cullom blessed.
Why the wholesale men in the city had an
awful time to get 2cent rate for the retail
merchants within q radius of 200 miles, who
have been invited to visit the city during April,
beginning on the I'D and continuing until the
end of the week. The New England roads,
however, gave the Boston merchants rate of
one fare for the round trip for a similar pur-
pose. When the proposition Of 2-cent rate was
first made to the Pittsburg Passenger Agents
Association the Allegheny Valley, Pennsyl-
vania Company lines and the Lake Erie voted
against It, while the B. & o. and the Pittsburg
and Western voted for it. Afterward, when
the rate was granted, they positively refused
to make the same rate as the New England
roads had for the Boston merchants.
However, a 2-cent-a-mile rate within a radius
of 200 miles of Pittsburg was never made be-
fore, and we have gained one victory at last
These are only a few instances which show
how Pittsburg business men and manufacturers
suffer at the hands of the railroads.