The sun., 1903-04-14
fHB EXPORT GRAIN TRADE.
WHY TEE MILLIONS FOR CANALS
CAN'T HOLD IT.

Yssk n Grain Is shipped st Bait.
mere o. Newport News-An niustrs-
tisa sf Method in the Grocery Trade.
One Of the weather-worn ideas Of the
canal partisans Ii the immense value to
the commercial ascendency and material
prosperity Of the State OF the bushel OF
grain that Is transported by canal When
ever the statistics for a year show q loss
In the tonnage Of export grain carried
by canal the ditch worshippers shake their
heads wofully and predict a shrinking up
that will result In q Littler New York.
Every tramp boat that loads at Baltimore
or Newport News they see carrying away
q part OF New York's greatness.
As O matter Of fact the export grain
trade that goes to Baltimore, Newport
News and Norfolk goes to those ports
largely because Of the clumsiness and cost
Of handling at New York grain that comes
by canal. In other ports cargo steamers
may tie up at wharves and take their grain
direct from the elevators which drop their
spouts into the hold. Grain brought TO
New York by canal must be transferred
by floating elevators which exist In this
harbor because OF the canal.
Newport News and Baltimore have no
canals and no floating elevators. They
are In competition for the export grain
with the railroads running into New York.
The ocean liners which carry passengers
and miscellaneous freight load up with
grain to make up the remainder OF their
cargoes as ballast.
New York has dwarf elevators, the New
York Central's at the foot Of Sixtieth steet
on the North River and the Erie and Penn
sylvania lines, on the Jersey side. but the
liners will not 60 to these elevators for their
loads, but insist on the grain being brought
to them alongside in the lighters. Tramp
steamers do not load in New York because
they cannot compete with the big liners.
While the tramp, or cargo. steamers load
mostly In other ports a large proportion
| Of the business is actually done In New
| York. Members OF the New York Produce
| Exchange deal In certificates representing
grain in elevators at Baltimore, Newport
When tho broker makes q sale abroad and
| gets q tramp boat for his cargo he wires
| to the master of the vessel, for example
| to 60 TO Newport News and load. The
tran:aftiCn centres in Ne. Nsv dt York and p the
nected with the bare handling Of the grain
| at the shipping point.
| To make an illustration In another line
| Of business: The grocery firm OF Matthews
4 Co. Of Newburgh gets an order for lot
OF staple groceries Tor the Buffalo State
Hospital for the Insane.
The merchandise called for is q product
Of the West. Matthews Il Co. send an
order to Milwaukee. but they do not have
the stuh shipped TO Newburgh and then
back to Buffalo. They order II sent direct
| from Milwaukee to Buffalo. Yet the trans
action takes place in Newburgh and the
profit IL there. Having no more freight
charges to pay than the Buffalo grocery
house would have which might have filed
| the same order Matthews 4 Co. can COM
| pete with the Buffalo house on an equal
| basis. In the same way members Of the
| New York Produce Exchange deal In ex-
| port grain whether 1t goes aboard boat at
Baltimore or Newport News and at as large
profit as II shipped from the port Of New
York.
II the State should spend four times
Sl0I 900 900 on an enlarged cannl II would
| In no way meet the obstacles In the way
Of terminal facilities which divert some
OF the export grain trade to other ports.
In there enough heft OF the canal advo-
oate's argument to warrant spending Z
sum Of money In principal and Interest on
the debt equal to the cost Of al the schools,
academies, colleges and universities Of the
State OF New York, including their sites.
buildings and equipments7