The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-10
 GULF PORTS ARE FEARED
 - Diversion Of Export 1rafIic Discussed. MEETING IN NEW YORK Market and Grain Men Hold Conference. Rsspsaae to Envss.tisn nxtenasA V cemmtttee on Trnds aaa a,rsns- psrtatisn q ths rredues
 ExeAAnse.
MEETING IN NEW YORK

Now York. Feb. 0.--Tn response 10 an invitation extendsd by the commistes on Trade and Transportation of tho New York Produce Exchange. over 109 representatives Of the markets and grain exchanges Of the larger cities ef the country met here today to conxer on the diversion of grain and provisicn export trafac to the gulf ports.
 The avOwed purpose of the conSsfa ence was to assist the trunk line rail~ roads and their western connections sn meeting the discriminating rates of tho southwestern lines. After much favorable discussion a set of reaolu- tions which will be sent to the prnsi- dents and trafae managers of the dik@ ferent railroads whose interests gre affected by the gulf rate dIscrimina4 ton" were unanimously adopteds
 The preamble states that the in~ terests vital to the existence of tha grain business in the middle western markets and the Atlantic Seabonrd ara being jeopardized by the course of tho southwestern railway system in in~ troduoing unreasonable discrimin&ttve rates of freight from the territory directly tributary to the points of ac- cumulation and distribution in the west and that the very life of the interior markets. the Atlantic ports. as ports of shipment, Is being sapped by thEs unjust and persistent determination to divert to the gulf, ports the business which is natural to the middle western markets. The resolution adopted tais lows;
 'ResoIved. That this convention composed of a large and prominent representation from Chicaso. Miiwau kee. Toledo. Detroit, Buffalo. Bostcn. New York phiIadeiphla and Baltimore does hereby express its appreciation or the timely action of these companies ana takes this method of assuring theln Chat the many importanf lnseNesss herein reported and have r0nhdenca In their ability to meet this corapae tion. and heartily endorse their present attitude and hereby pledge their united support.
 .sEesoived That tho several western and eastern roads be earnestly urged to continue to protect the large tu@ terests that are dependent upon them for maintenance and continuance Of the many different lines of business and trafic involved until an agreement is arranged that win restore and in the future preserve to the middle western and eastern markets the bugf- ness that they have established and are entitled to and which is now being so seriously menaced by unjust dis- crimination
 aResolved That one member from each commercial body here represented is appointed a standing committees charged with the duty of aEitating this question, and, in conference with the railroad companies, further the inter- ests for which this meeting is called.
 Before the adoption of the reselu- tions, James E. Parker Of New York advised that 8 committee on publicity be appointed to lay the true facts be- fore the public, and that New York; Philadelphia. Boston and Baltimore should be thoroughly aroused to the fact that they have lost . great deal of their export trade and that the prospect was that if something was not done immediately they would lose q great deal more. He was of the opin- ion that the commercial life Of New York and other Eastern cities was se- riously threatened.
 Col. Percy O'Suilivan of the New York Coffee Exchange said that the principal complaint that New York had was with the. discrisnination in favor of New Orleans.
 H. B. Chamberlain, third yice-Prasi- dent of the Erie Railroad, saids
 Fight tO the Finish.
 we are In this ughL 70 a uulsme The grain men who are interested in the Eastern ports should stand with the railroads, for 1t Is a light for the com- mon interests of all With unanimity of action and united support of tha railroads, we cannot fail to stand"
 vice-President V. D. Caldwell of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western said:
 "our spirit as between railroad come panles is primarily that of falrnass to each other and sometimes the point ue view is SO different that 1t Ia unfair for one interest in the sense of the other to make a severe criticism of the other. It seems to me. however. from the ate tacks that have been made upon ua, both on exports and imports, that we should take a stand"
 John T. Sickle of the Chicago Board of Trade. referring to exportattcn Of corn. said that whereas in 1900 only IS per cent went through the Gulf ports the amount had increased at the press ent time to 40 per cent.
 George c. Marcy of the Chicago Board of Trade outlined the history or the situation and said:
 'The Atlantic seahoard stands bat- ter chance today of obtaining an eQuif-5 able adjustment than 1t ever did be- fore. It Is simply a case of the ChE- cago- Mississippi River gateway roads and the Atlantic seaboard roads stand- Ing for and insisting upon their riEhts.'
 The assistance of all the organiza- tions represented were pledged to the support of the resolutions.