The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-01
UPPER RIVER BUSINESS
WATER FREIGHTS THREATEN. 70
PUT NEW KINKS IN THE -
SITUATION
BIDDING FOR FLOUR TRAFFIC
Normal Conditions Leave Rive,
Rates 20 Per Cent Lower Than
AII-Rail Rates to COM
mon Points.

The Diamond 10 steamship line Of IN.
per-river boats threatens few now
Kinks In the freight situation during the
open season which commences in few
weeks The freight department Of the
line has planned to make a very active
campaign for upper-river business. and
VIII give especial attention to products
and manufactures from the Twin Cities,
consigned to points reached on the river
TRAFFIC arrangements embodying several
new features are being arranged with
lines south of st. Louis, and as soon as
Pepin is free from ice, the line will begin
service vastly improved over ANYTHING
in the past fifteen years.
Normal conditions leave river rates q
per cent lower than the all-rail rates to
common points Where the Burlington Is
able to make rate Of 25 cents per hun
dred to Dubuque and Muscatine, To-, the
Diamond 10 line has always made the
tar1n from 10 to III cents. Rates 10 ST
Louis and the lower river have beeo in
about the same proportion The officers
or the line have decided that with q tri-
weekly service from st. Paul, a much
larger share Of south-bound freight can
be obtained, and that the increase Is Suf-
ficient to warrant further reduction via
the water route.
The all-rail lines cannot compete with
revenue to themselves on this basis The
differential which has always be n allow
ed the rail lines, based on quicker service.
has maintained a parity and prevented
rate troubles between the rail- and Wltar
lines. Freight men say that a reduction
still further on the part Of the Diamond
10 will place them at a severe disadvan-
tage, and will have the effect Of throw
ing all but fast freight consigned 10 COM
mon points via the latter line What the
outcome in this event will be the local
all-rail men are unwilling to state Thera
is little doubt however, but that aggres
sive action on the part of the Diamond
10 Will precipitate a conflict in which the
all-rail lines will be seriously handicap
ped.
Last seasons business of the rivcr line
demonstrated that the bulk of -four ship
ments from the cities and the Northwest
to points reached by that line could east
ly be cut out for the water route. In fact
during several months of the season. the
south-bound cargoes out Of ST. Paul via
the Mississippi consisted almost wholly
of flour and cereal products. The differ
ence In rates over the all-rail lines TO
New Orleans for export was sufficient to
enable Minneapolis millers to compete il,
foreign markets tributary to New Orleans
on basis very considerably more profit
able than that afforded milling concerns
located where the water route was not
available. The boats In service last year
on the Diamond 10 were able to carry
cargoes Of 500 and 800 tons of flour in ad-
dition to the routine shipments of mer-
chandise, without crowding. This sea-
son the st. Paul. which piled on the up
per river as far as Dubuque last year.
will be put in commission between the
head of navigation and St Louis. The
Sydney and two other remodeled vessels
will come as far as Dubuque.
Indications at present are that the river
will be clear Of Ice unusually early. In
the bends of the river the Ice pack still
remains, but in the open 1t is rapidly be.
| ing cut away, and by the time the ice or
| Pepin begins to break up, the upper DIS
| trict will be entirely free. The United
| States government has advised the river
men that additional safeguards to navi-
| cation will be supplied this season, and
| considerable amount of dredging and
| lighting done.
The Diamond JOS local business Will b.
handled. SIS last year, by General Agent
| Broclxway. The offices on the levee will
be opened as soon as the boats begin tic
| run on the river south of Dubuque, and
| the season will be IN full blast when the
| first boat comes up. Several large con-
| tracts for transportation OF -four and mill
stuffs from Minnesota milling points have
been made, and the important flour inter