Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-10-06
wHEHT MHRKETs.
What Benefits HAay he Elk,
Pected From Hnother
Railroad.

One question that has been re
ferred to very little in the discussion
Of the benefits Of another railroad ii
the effect it would have on the loca
wheat market. In this matter i
will be interesting to fairly conside
the probable effects of another rail
road. AS a rule but one elevator
company has a station in tOw1
that has only one railroad, as it il
better for elevator companies to di
vide territory than to divide thu
trade in the entire territory, and g
railroad company would have moth.
ing to gain by encouraging the loca.
ton of several elevators at one sta.
ton, az the wheat could all he han
died from one easier than from sew
eral. Therefore the general interests
of buyers and shippers tend to estab-
lish only one buyer at each town
that has but one railroad. Where
there are two railroads, however,
each road will see that there is an
elevator at it's station, in order that
it may gain an income from shipping
as much grain as possible. In the
northwestern wheat markets eleva-
tor companies will not get into very
many wars on prices, and that can
not be expected, but each company
will try to get all the wheat it can.
If only one public buyer has an ele-
vator at market he can be more
on grades. dockage,. etc.,
than as though a few blocks away
was another public buyer with an
interest and desire to procure all of
the business possible. Prices would
continue to be based on the terminal
markets, but the margins would be
closer, and the grades and dockage
more favorable. Again, many farm
ais desire to get cars and ship indie
pendent of the elevators. Where
there is but one railroad the railroad |
is in no hurry, during the
times when it's rolling stock is in |
greatest demand, to furnish any
shippers with cars at points where
it has a monopoly of shipping facili-
ties. 1t then makes it's greatest
effort to supply cars where there is
danger OF losing business if cars are
viz: at competitive points. !
For instance, if Little Falls had both
the Great Northern and Northern
Pacific roads farmer desiring to
ship a carload of grain would go to
one railroad agent and say that he
wanted car the next day, the mar
ket having taken g turn that he de-
sired to take advantage OF. The
railroad agent would reply that cars
were scarce, and he couldn't let him
have one for four days. The other
agent would probably make about
the same reply to the first request.
If the farmer should then tell the
Northern Pacific man that he would
take the car if he could get it tomorA
row, if not he should take Great
Northern ear that had been offered
him in four days, that agent would
beyond doubt soon guarantee that
farmer a car, and some farmer or
other shipper at a non-competitive
point would fail to get a car that he
and possibly expected. The
danger Of losing this business at a
competitive point would compel
zach ROAD to make the greatest efforts
to supply the demand, and the farm
Frs at the points that had but one
railroad would have to wait for cars
till the more fortunate farmer had
been supplied. The advantage of
shipping facilities for -four
mills is an9ther part Of the subject
that will be referred to.