Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-02
GRAIN MARKET FOR OMAHA
Proposed Institution Means Much for the
City and State.
RAILROAD OPPOSITION MAY Be OVERCOME
Parties Interested I'm the Move WIN
Go to Court of Last Resort in
order TO Secure Fair
Local Treatment.

The railroads are good deal, but they
are not the whole thing yet. There Is in
existence an Interstate Commerce COM
mission, and II all else fails that power
viii be eXerted to compel the railway to
oner rate facilities favorable to the estab-
ishment OF a grain market in Omaha II
the roads continue to disregard the in
terests Of this city and the wishes OF both
shippers and buyers. this supreme author
ity may be invoked. and IL this is done
there are reasons why the fat through
rate In and out OF Omaha will be easily
obtained. That It will be possible to enlist
the most earnest efforts OF the commission
in the cause is quite certain. The Omaha
Board OF Trade has recently taken ou,
membership in the National Board Of Trade
and that vast influence would be behind
this city in such a movement"
With these words a prominent grain man
OF Omaha commented upon the position Of
hostility to Omaha's interests assumed by
the railroads.
The argument Of the railroad men
against favoring the establishment OF
grain market here Is a sieve from begin
ming to end. II will not hold water any
where" he said. you can take it point
BY point and show it's fallacy. In answer
TO the statement that Omaha is no place
for grain market. l say that there Is
not better place on the globe. The city
is situated practically in the center of the
best agricultural territory in the world
stretching out for nearly 400 miles on every
side. What more do you want!
Matter of Consumption.
But the railroad men say there's no con-
sumption, that this is the great thing nee
essary, that the grain brought in here for
sale must be consumed largely in con
tiguous territory in order that thu market
may expand and be a success. That l may
answer in two ways. IN the first place
Omaha has a large or larger contiguous
/ natural consumption than any Of the other
/ grain markets propOrtionately to its size,
| and the other avenues Of consumption,
/ milling. manufactures and such will fol-
low the market here. You cannot expect
| them to precede 1t. Oatmeal factories.
cereal food factories and all manner OF
mills would come in here on the heels Of a
\ securely established grain market. In the
second place. It is not true that grain
which reaches the markets Of this country
| is consumed largely near them. Chicago
! sends fully 80 per cent OF its grain out.
and the rest keep but small proportions.
And these railroaders talk as II Chicago
were the whole thing. and the only obiec-
tive point for grain from this territory.
II is neither. II grain were brought in
here for market and inspected and weighed
here. It would be ready for the markets Of
the world. not necessarily Chicago
"AH these arguments advzncsd. against
/ the grain market were used by the rail-
roads when the movement to establish
stock yards and packing houses here was
started. That fight was won. and this one
/ n
\ in on the stock proposition. the Chicago
houses saw that It was going to cut in
on their trade and they all came out here.
! They had to do It.
Must Come TO Omaha
I'm Just the same way the grain men OF
! Chicago and Of st. Louis and OF all the
other big grain markets would have TO
come cut here as soon as they saw that
/ this was to be live grain center. They
would have TO have the representation on
| the ground. With the market in operation
/ and the railroads helping it the population
/ would be swelled $4,000 in five years. It
/ is needless to explain how such an influx
would boost every kind OF business.
'In short, this grain market would make
Omaha, IL the railroads would give IL a
/ chance and we can compel them to do that.
| They cannot discriminate against US. II
means population. 1t means business and 1t
means money. Once get IT launched we'll.
/ and the country will have to come to US.
We need the grain market badly. and we
need a relaxation OF the unjust discrimina-
tion Of the railroads a great deal more. In
fact, l think that the future Of the job
bing business here depends upon our get
| ting that latter. II the railroads are 70
continue in that attitude Chicago jobbers
can do Just as much business in cur terri
tory and in Nebraska as can Omaha Job
bers, and even more. They get every adj
vantage Were l to start iobbing busI-
ness to cover Nebraska now I would operate
from Chicago, but with the ban Of local
! tariffs removed the commercial strength
| nf the city could be tested BY none"