San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-01-05
GRAIN RATES.
RAILROADS INTO NEW YORK COME
TO TIME.
The Extra Charges for Terminal are
Knocked out to Meet South
ern Rates.

New York, Jan. 5.-The Herald
this morning says: The trunk line
railroads have at last decided to take
a hand in restoring the grain trade of
New York, which during the last two
years has been slipping away to SOU
thern ports on account of the prohib-
tive terminal charges here.
These terminal charges were made
the basis of the complaint which the
New York produce exchange filed with
the interstate commerce commission
several weeks ago, with a view to
compelling the railroads to grant the
same facilities to ocean steamships
for loading at this port that are offer
ed at Baltimore, Newport, and other
Outports. No charge is made at some
of these southern points.
The indications now are that the de-
sired result will be brought about vol
unfairly by the railroads, for they see
that the business interests of this city
are identical with their own, and that
they have been heavy losers by refus-
ing to offer as good facilities to ship
perS as the southern roads do. 1t is
not known that the joint traffic asso-
citation has taken definite action, but
such is believed to be the case, since
the organic alton is not so strict that
there are believed to be no violations
of the agreement. If so, there is a
thorough understanding in regard to
the action of several of the railroads.
The steamship Edwin is now taking
on a cargo of 100000 bushels of No.
2 old corn at the Erie grain elevator
in Jersey City. 1t goes to Cork, Ire
land, for orders. The corn was ship
ped from the west and il is said to be
exported on a through bill of lading
in which the terminal charge is proba-
bly, absorbed.
The incident is important, because
this is said to be the first large steam
ship that has loaded at a railroad in
this country for a number of years,
though it is not an uncommon thing
for smaller crafts to do so.
Trainmen think it means that induce
ments were probably offered to the
shipper in the west which practically
offset the elevator charge of cent
buShel, which was adopted by the
railroads in 1881, and which since
then has been the usual rate in excess
of the usual terminal charges.
Prior to that time ocean steamships
were loaded without this extra tax.
The extra charge diverted business
from New York and there was no Ion
ger need to keep the slips at the rail-
road elevators dredged out for the
large steamships. The trunk lines,
however, as if by n concerted plan,
have recently dredge3 out their slips,
and are apparently preparing to re-
sumo their wOnted activity in the eX'
port grain trade.
For some time past most of the
grain from the railroad elevators in
tended for export has been lightered
and of course a good round tax has
been imposed for the loading. In the
opinion of the grain men, the invita-
ton to large steamships to come to
| the elevator means nothing less than
| the Offering of free loading, or conces-
sions equal to this, which may be
granted to the shipper in the east.
1t is believed by the Produce ex-
change that the action of the Erie IS
simply the beginning of program for
beating the railroads at their own
| game, at which all of the other trunk
lines will take part, and that they
are expected to get the business as
best they may.