The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-24
a Val net,.een the Mest md south.

Wall between the West and south
Since the Chicago excursionists. who
recently visited this section. returned
home there has been great deal in the
/ Chicago papers respecting the importance
+ of closer trade relations between the
west and the south. From what the Chi
/ cago papers say the southern railroads
/ have raised a wall between the south
and west-a wall that practically prevents
/ the west from finding in the south a mar
! ket for her products. The railroad rates
between New York and southern cities
are very much lower. il is stated, than
the rates between Chicago and cities of
the south. They are so much lower. it
is claimed, that furniture. for instance,
can be shipped from Chicago 10y way Of
New York 10 any southern city at a less
cost than it can be shipped from Chicago
direct TO southern cities. If this state
nent is correct, ana we have no reason to
doubt it, steps should be taken at once
by the south and west to have a radical
reform in the rates of railroads between
tho two sections. There is no good rea-
son why rates from the west to the
south should be higher in proportion 10
the distance, than they arc from the
east to the south. one advantage the
east has over the west I'm trading with
the south-an advantage it would be diff
ficult from the railroads leading from the
west to the south to overcome-is that OF
ocean rates. Rates by steamer from all
of the south are much less than all rail
rates between these points. Still the
west, from all accounts, has good ground
Of complaint against the railroads lead
ing from the west to the south.
The south is certain to be much more
deeply Interested in the west in the near
future than she has been heretofore.
There is a movement of immigrants from
the west to the south that is already
large, and is steadily increasing. Unless
signs fail there will be hundreds OF thou
sands of western people settled in the
south within the next four or five years.
This immigration movement will draw
the west and south into closer social and
business relations. and will help to re-
move the wall which, it is alleged, the
railroads have raised between them.
But the south and west ought not to be
compelled TO wait for the removal Of the
wall by such a slow process. The leading
business men of the two sections ought
to endeavor to have it removed at once
The south would be as much benefited
as the west by its removal. Chicago and
other western cities are looking for sea-
board outlets at the south. They are not
partial to New York. and yet owing to
railroad rates they are forced to do their
importing and exporting through that
city.
Recently party Of leading business men
of Cincinnati visited Savannah with the
view of finding out what advantages she
possessed as a seaport for the west.
They were greatly pleased with what they
saw, and returned home convinced that
movement should be started at once
to make Savannah the importing and ex-
porting point for the west. The Chicago
eXcursionists lately here were pleased
with this port, and would no doubt be
glad OF an opportunity for Chicago to do
her trading with foreign countries by
way of our harbor 1t is apparent there
fore that the south is interested as deeply
as the west in having the wall which the
railroads have raised between the two
sections torn down.