The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-19

Suspect. tho Conner's syndicate OF Trying
To Ruin its Grain Trade.

QUEBEC, Dec 17.-Quebcc and the other snip
ping ports of the ST. Lawrence below montreal
are laughing at the airs assumed by MONTREAL
toward the Buffalo capitalists who proposed 70
establish an enormous grain shipping business
there. Tho propositon OF the American syndi-
cate 1. ON So vast a scale that the Montreal people
arc afraid 10 commit themselves to It's acceptance
lest Il should he found to conceal plot for the
destruction Of their port.
The offer Of the Buffalo capitalists headed by
W J. Conner Is to do large part OF their grain
shipping business from Montreal Instead OF from
Buffalo They have interested number oil
Canadians in their scheme by taking In some
Of the prominent members Of the governing party
here They ask for space In the, hnrbor Of Mon
treal to build number Of elevators The space
asked for comprises about one.ffth OF the entire
harbor space, including that part Of u which 10
scheme as to eon,Iol The trade OF Canada canal
system. The syndicate offers TO guarantee. in
s. ooo 900 bushels Of wheat annually to Montreal
witch a, present exports only about ten million
The Montreal Harbor Commission was about
TO agree TO this arrangement last week, when
vigorous opposition nIoss on inc ground dn ,ha,
TO obtain a controlling interest In the port o. Mon
trcal fc, the purpoee Of killing us trade In
trcai Corn Exchange does no, hesitate 10 de
clare that n gigantic trust Of american railways
Is al the bhCk Of the COnnrrs elevator scncHe,
and that II seeks, by expo nding a million OF SO
Of money, TO close up the ST Lawrence route
so far ~ competing with these roads and New
York and Boston In the grain-caryinE trade
IL concerned. The plan Of the railways. he says,
is to maintain Buffalo as the great grain dis
tributing centre. and TO govern the rates from
that city to the sea which the recent com
plrtion at a cost Of $50. 600 600 Of the Canadian
canal system threatens TO disturb II Is urged
that the American railways controlling the trust
running 20 the scnboard and handling vast guam
titcs ~ grain, for which they receive Tour cents
n bushcl view with alarm the opening OF the
Canadian canal system in its enlarged form.
which will enable grain TO BE- shipped from the
West To Montreal for two cents bushrl There
fore IL Is alleged they have resolved 10 close
petition in this quarter by the expenditure oil
an odd million or so Of dollars through Conncrs
md his syndicate. II they can obtain possession
Of the commanding sites in the port Of Montreal:
few years ago the people Of Montreal would
have Jumped at the chance 81 such Offer rs that
they appear SO satisfied that within the next few
years they will be handli ing a bundled mi lion
bushels Of wheat a year by keeping the trade in
their own hands, that they have become firmly
convinced that the Conners syndicate Is simply
acting for New York railways and Boston elevators
ns the great distributing centre. So suspici Gus
nrc they Of Yankee trusts and Of the American
desire TO rob them ~ tho vast advantages Of their
newly and extensively enlarged canal system
that they are unable 10 realize the possibility OF
the Buffalo syndicate's doing a legitimate ship
ping business in Montreal and finding a SUN
cicnt induccment for 90 doing in the difference Of
grain by rail TO New York or Boston end by water
10 Montreal II the syndichte's offer should h.
finally rejected by Montreal, II may he repeated
TO Quebec, where speedy acceptance awaitsit