Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-06-07

uusI he sasd the furniture dealers 81
Gssnd k1psfs lad be<a paslns rate u
u - per huadred on All goods sh4pp~i
% the coast. The rate was I'D from
Chicago. and only 5 cenfs vss sdssed
from Grand Rapids. bot By pro rata
zgrc<menf the local roads reseised
much GREATER amount Recently the
rate had been increased 70 tl-S. Ia
other words. the roads insisted upon re.
esssias the full local rate fsom Grand
Rapids 10 Chicago. Under the pro rata
division they had received probably Is
or IA eents Mr. Sign s<id thls increase
never xould have been made II there
were = line u lake steamers running
into Grsnd Rapids In discussins the
matter Il transferring goods az Chi
cage from lake steamers. Nj Sigh sad
that fully IS per cent q the
furniture shipped BY rail- had % be
transferred Sot more than three
fooFths u IL il sent in carload Lots and
msny ~ the leading trBas never load
full cas FOO any x-stern point IL sss
"a more expensive 10 transfsr from boats
Ia ears than from cars % cars and the
difference between rail aad water rates
represeet - much net gain.
Mr.. halls kensinisecsss~.
Mr.. Gilbert admitted that this was a
coalition be had not suspected He
always supposed that most 81 the fuEni
tnre a. shipped Ia carload lots
%. A. Ball -aid the discussion reminded
him II a personal reminisconso. Ho
paid a glowing tribute 10 Mr. Gilbeft's
excellence Of Judgment and honesty OF
purpose. But said Mr.. Ball. when |
canr here thirty years ago. young man
full u ambition. Grand Rapids Was a
very small town in comparison 20 What
IL - nov. One day heard some
OF the business men talking
Of the citys future. One old
and highly respected resident, who-e
judgment was regarded rs first class. de.
eiared that he did not believe the city
ever could have more than 1o,O,o IN
habitants- | myself would have con
ssdered II wild flight 81 imagination IL
anybody had sand there would DO
5000 But time has proved that the
judgment OF that esteemed citizen was
az fault The gentleman IN question
was the Hon Thomas ID. Gilbert. l
believe Mr.. Gilbert is right in saying we
are banking upon the future. but be
lleve the future Is a safe thing for US 10
PUT OUT confidence in. We are losing
trade every day because We haze to depend
upon tie railroad for transportation
The railroads viii not give Ia car rates
on mixed groceries. Every article must
be weighed and paid for according 10
the specific tariff l know OF one order
OF t2.ooo which Grand Rapids lost be-
cause Saginaw could give a water rate"
All Favor the Improvement
Samuel Lemon corroborated Mr.. Bale
final statement. NJ. s. Crosby declared
himself To be in favor os the improve
ment. He had confidence in the judg
ment II the men who are advocating II.
He said he came here before any railroad
was put through. and ne believed the
money that the city had voted as in
ducements 10 railroads to build to this
point had been we'll invested He be
liesed for the same reason that ex-
penditures for the improvement Of the
river would prove equally good invest
Eents.
The argument was continued by diff
ferent members along this line. The
concensus II opinion was that the im-
provement 81 the-river was little short
of an absolute necessity.
Before the board adjourned President
Briggs appointed Charles H. Leonard.
John A. Covodc and Amos 5. Mussca-
man IA a committee TO drew up suitable
resolutions on the death Of George /.
Quimby, and present them 10 the board
at the next meeting.