Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-23
FEAR The GULF TRADE
New York Commerce Commission
Comes to Chicago to Consult
Western Shippers.
Want to Devise Means of Stemming
Current of Shipping to
Gulf.
Plans for Making Attractive Rates
and Facilities for Shippers to
Eastern Seaboard.

Chicago, Nov. 23.-The special New
York state commerce commission will
confer with prominent local grain and
provision dealers in Chicago today.
Two members of the commission ar
rived in Chicago yesterday afternoon
and third arrived this morning. The
commission was authorized by act of
the New York legislature in 1898, but its
powers We're greatly enlarged in 1899
The occasion of the commissions APP
pointment was the phenomenal growth
OF commerce by gulf ports and cut offs,
and more recently by Canadian routes.
Chicago merchants, fearing for this
city's supremacy in commerce, were the
first to sound the warning, which New
York was somewhat slow to appreciate.
Chicago grain men for years have
complained of the excessive terminal
and elevator charges at Buffalo and the
delays and excessive charges of the
lishterage system at New York. Sew
eral prominent houses have been forced
to put in elevators al Buffalo, and have
considered putting in similar equipment
at New York.
The commission. will furnish informa-
ton to Chicago shippers as well as Sc
cure data. 1t has investigated the ac-
counts of the floating elevator compa-
MES at New York and of the elevator
pool at Buffalo. 1t has definite idea
OF the actual cost of elevation and
transfer at these points. 1T has gone
INTO the subject of trunk line differen-
tails and has visited Philadelphia. Bal
timore and Boston 1 has gone over
the Canadian system of canals which
have been a factor in developing cheap
grain transportation.
The discussion here will largely in
volye the recent increase of business by
southern routes. There will be some in
vestigationS as to the efforts being
made by local firms to hold the bust
ness of the northwest and west. The
commission goes from here to Mime
apolis and later to Duluth. The work
done west of Buffalo has been at the
direction of Governor Roosevelt. He is
Fsreatly interested in the possibility of
developing and holding the commerce
Of the west TO approximately its origi-
nal lines. All the work of the commits
of extensive improvements to the Erie
canal. In short it appears to be the
aim of the governor TO learn the eX-
tent 10 which the commerce finding an
outlet at New York city can be aug
mented by charging the Erie canal.
We wish to get the best available in
Formation as 10 the mpediments to the
course Of grain traffic through Chicago
and New York city" said Alexander r.
Smith. We want to learn what is be-
ling done to countsract -he diversion of
business 10 gulf ports and the extent 10
which this business may be recovered.
| The governors idea is that If terminal
and transportation charges between the
west and New York can be reduced the
volume of commerce can be increased
lcorrespondingly Our instructions were
10 make thorough Investigations of con-
! ditions here and in the northwest. We
are ready for suggestions from Chicago
linen as 10 what New York should dc
TO facilitate commerce. We want them
! to point out obstacles in the line of ex-
cessive terminal charges and suggesl
jremeaies The interests of New York
Land Chicago in this matter are identi-
Icai,n