The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-22
WICHITA AND THE GULF GRAIN TRADE

From the Philadelphia Enquirer
The war over grain rates from Chicago to Atlantic
ports called attention to fact that this traffic can
only be held by the most extraordinary means and il
seems likely tha Of it can not be retained
in In this part of the country surprised
to learn that wheat going Europe by the gulf ports
in Increasing quantities. This is because the average mali
has defective education il geography especially that
OF his own country.
The grain export trade IS hundred years old and
More. It The Mohawk valley that became the first
American sranay for Europe and the construction Of the
Erie canal legitimate outcome of that trade Then
Ohio became great wheat state and the expansion of
the country the civil carried the granary region
to the Mississippi river After the war g large portion
Of the million Union soldiers discharged from
the army rushed west to get the free lands given by
government and in ten years was wheat to sell be-
yond the Missouri Up TO 1899 the surplus all came across
Aneghenes New York Philadelphia or Baltimore Chi
the selling center and the milling business was
largely concentrated near Minneapolis the sum
time lake and canal freghts cheap ranspora-
ton, but in the winter there usually war between
the railroads which kept prices down time the tei
nal charges at the Atlantic soaDos became so large that
following the line Of least resistance the foreign trade
sought outlet and in the last years this has
increased rapidly until the gulf ports threaten to absorb
most the grain
Kansas is the greatest wheat growing state in the
country and near ii Nebraska the DakOas and Okla
homa The surplus that goes to Europe seeks the easiest
route 1t is about miles less distance from
Wichita Kansas City New Orleans or Galveston than
1t is to New York Moreover the route is almost entirely
down hill instead of across water courses and over
mountain It is said by railroad men that ocomo
tive can haul twice as many from Kansas City to
Galveston as it to New York. In these DAYS whe.
the saving of onehundredth Of per ton per mile is
big item can be how great IS the leverage Of the
gulf ports. Moreover cotton IS going from the gulf in
large quantities. and is possible to make up mixed
cargo Of wheat and cotton in way that is profitable to
al concerned
On purely mileage basis it now claimed that there is
an advantage of 80 the gulf ports while if
gradients are TO be considered the advantage is more
Under the system 10y which the easy and short routes were
TO charge than the long and expensive ones adiu
ments were made in attempt prevent the operation
Of natural laws of trade They have failed absolutely
New York is alarmed because is losing its grain trade
and began that war Of rates which led to reprsals This
would net be so important not for the fact that
Chicago is fast losing its Of the selling trade II
can no longer maintain its supremacy excent tbr,uqr
agencies west OF the Missouri and this aids merely The
brokers. and Chicago
Inc man VINO IS interested in the future Development
OF the trade of the United states should s- r.F -
Typographical mapthe ordinary ones are useless for the
purpose-and note hc the rivers run 10 the sea so
does trade along What are in the las. a~7lrs +r
easiest routes There seems To he No possible oln- a,
IN the next twenty years the traffic IL the srf r-S will
grow IN much greater proportion than thar et the Atlantic
1t behooves rs in the 10 80 TO it that there is soma
thing 10 take place