The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-28
GULF PORTS AGAINST ATTAIN
TIC PORTS.

Many changes are taking place in
the country that are so great and slow
that few realize what is transpiring.
The continual shifting Of the center
of population to the west has been
noted and commented upon for some
years. When Mr.. Cleveland was elected
four years ago it became evident to
the people that the middle west con-
trolled our national politics in presi-
Dental elections. When the national
conventions of the two great political
parties were held last year. the politi-
cal power of the middle west became
more patent than ever before; so great
was it that at Chicago not merely was
a trans Mississippi man placed in nom
ination for the highest office within
the gift of the American people, but
trans Missouri man was.
Other changes no less important but
of an entirely different nature are now
taking place. We refer TO a question
of supremacy in certain directions in
foreign commerce. This is the trans
ference of the Mississippi valley export
trade from Atlantic ports to gulf ports
Already Boston and New York realize
the threatened danger. Thus, the Bos-
ton Herald says the new danger
threatens not only Boston, but every
port on the Atlantic coast, and they
viii all be called upon TO carefully
guard their foreign trade interests
from the inroads of a powerful gulf
competition. This great and dreaded
competition was inaugurated by the
Illinois Central railroad securing a di-
rect line from Chicago to New Orleans
with the distant object of getting a
monopolization of the entire MISSISSIPPI
pi valley export trade. 1T now trans
pres" says the Herald, that the
leading merchants of New Orleans are
working with the railroad company in
it's efforts TO build up the foreign COM
merce Of the city, and that tempting
inducements are held out to the various
steamship lines to make New Orleans
their terminal on this side of the At
lantic. The latest move is to guarantee
to steamers bringing goods to this
country full return cargo, the object
being to make New Orleans the chief
city Of import in the United States.
The Illinois Central, with its great
trunk line running through the heart
of the country, and with connections
that reach out in every direction, is in
a position to supply a vast territory
with imported merchandise and at
rates that will prove a material factor
in accomplishing this end. AS a con-
siderable volume of importations for in
terror points come by way of Phila-
delphia, New York and Boston, it is
easy to foresee what would follow even
a partial success of the Illinois Cen
trails enterprise"
New York has suffered quite a Sc
we're loss in the matter of export trade
through eXtortionate terminal charges,
and some of the papers of that city
have spoken against them. They also
realize that new competitors are loom
ing UP in the south the same as Boston
realizes the fact Export trade once
diverted is a very difficult matter to
regain. Then the cheapness of the
new export route for Mississippi valley
products will give the gulf ports a
very decided advantage over the At
lantic ports.
There is nothing to be regretted be-
cause of this new change. 1t empha-
sizes the fact that this is a great coun-
try and that the process of develop
ment is still going on, that is all.