Omaha daily bee., 1905-02-14
FIGHTING AGAINST NATURE.
New York Efforts to Check Grain
Shipments TO the Gulf.
Wall Street journal

Last week there was gathered at the
Produce exchange a collection OF repre-
sentatves from the various trunk lines en-
tering New York, and from a great num-
ber of large shipping companies on the At
lantic coast, with the ostensible purpose OF
devising ways and means whereby the At
lantic coast ports can recover the trade
they have lost to the gulf ports.
One and all, these gentlemen appear TO
be under the impression that New York has
lost its export and import trade to the gulf
largely through indifference on the part OF
the New York railroads and shippers. or
through artificial means adopted by the
railroads and shippers OF the gulf region.
The sooner these gentlemen realize :heir
mistake. the better B. ID. Caldwell of the
Lackawanns, perhaps unconsciously, cpl
tomized the real situation when he quoted
the remark of an Arkansas darkey:
Il am in the hands OF an all-wise and un-
scrupulous Prodidence."
The reason why there has not been the
same growth here that there has been in
the commerce OF the gulf ports lies in that
decree OF Providence which has ordained
that the center OF population in this coun-
try shall move from the east to the west,
and not from the west to the east. So
long as the populat ton of the west keeps on
increasing in greater ratio than the popu-
lation OF the east. just so long will the ex-
port and import traffic through the natural
commercial gateways Of the west keep on
increasing faster than will the movement
Of this traffic through the eastern gateway.
1t was this same law of nature that
brought Chicago with rush frsm the bot
tom OF the list of great commercial oenters
to within one notch of the top. 1t was for
this a me- rea aon that 81 IoIia from haina
a struggling river village, has come to rival
Boston in its commercial activities.
Nature viii not reverse its mandates for
the sake OF swelling the visible revenues of
New York shippers SO long as the law Of
gravity prevails II will be manfestly
cheaper TO haul a ton of freight from
Omaha to New Orleans than IL would be to
haul the same ton OF freight from Omaha
across the Appalachian mountains to New
York or Boston.
Paul Gothiel, representing a great ship
ping firm, states that a continuance of
present conditions must result in the with
drawal Of the large cargo boats at Atlantic
ports and the transfer OF export business TO
the gulf. He therefore desires to see
present conditions discontinued. The wish
is natural. Its fulhllment would be nm
natural. II these gentlemen could move
the Atlantic seaboard 500 miles to the west
or could run the White Star liners into
their docks at Pittsburg or Chicago, the
wish would have fair chance OF fulfill
ment As II is because Canadian Pacific
and a multitude OF other lines can put their
steamships 600 or GOO miles nearer to the
wheat fields OF Nebraska than can the
White Star. these smaller lines will In
evitably get the transportation OF the wheat
OF Nebraska into their own hands. The
shippers OF New York and the railroads Of
New York must sooner or later recognize
that Ia their struggle to maintain their
trade In low grade western export staples
they are not hghtins the ports OF the gulf
the lines that serve the gulf, the western
shipping firms or any other human agency
They are lighting nature One OF the
trunk line presidents says his line will fisht
20 finish It is not difiieult TO guess the
finish