The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-29
OF
CANADIAN WHEAT
More Than Forty-three Per
Cent Shipped Via
New York.

Ottawa, May 29.-That nearly half
of the wheat which came down last
year from the Canadian west found an
outlet to the ocean through the port
of Buffalo is the dominant feature of
a report on Canadian canals just is
sued by the department of railways
and canals. There were over 63,O0O,-
600 bushels of Canadian wheat trans
ported through the Canadian canal at
Sault Ste. Marie during the past yea
and 43.S per cent went to Buffalo.
Wheat is supposed to follow the chan
mel offering the lowest freight rates,
other things being equal. In this in
stance. however. distance INC freight
rates We're substantially in favor Of
Montreal, and yet other considerations
caused nearly half of the wheat which
came down last year from the Cana
dian west to find an outlet to the
ocean through the port of Buffalo.
Inc course of the wheat trade dur
ing the month of November, 1911,
may be taken as illustrating the situa-
ton. In that month over $4,000. 900
bushels of Canadian wheat passed
through the Canadian canal at Sault
Ste. Marie, or nearly one-third of the
"NoA NoiaS Iva lAc year. Lie
ter freight rate from Fort William
to Montreal in November was 4 1-2
cents per bushel. The water rate from
Fort William to Buffalo was 8 l-2
cents per bushel plus 5 1-2 cents by
rail- from Buffalo to New York. Mon.
treal n New ork are the essential
points of comparison. Thus in Novem-
ner the freight rate from Fort Will
nam to Montreal was 1-2 cents as
compared with Q cents to New York.
RMS would seem to establish a con
ironing advantage in favor of Mon
trea!, other things being equal, but
in hat month 4S.3 per cent Of all
Canadian wheat which came down
from the west including that which
passed through the American canal
Went out by ay of Buffalo-New York.
Why Wheat Went t" New York.
careful inquiry was made as to the
conditions which operated in Novem-
DER last. and which in some degree
operate IN all seasons. as a counter
vail to the lake freight rates in favor
Montreal. The conditions were as
certa1ned to be, availa bility Of ocean
tonnage at New York. lower insurance
rates between New York and foreign
ports and lower insurance rates ia
New York. These factors were oh
vlouSly sufficient to divert in Novem-
per last nearly half of all the Canad-
AN wheat from the west into Ameri
can channels. November is the rush
month in h wheat trade, and market
considerations may, under such cir
cumstances. rise above the immediate
Of rates. Marine insurance
rates remained unchanged during the
year.
OF all the Canadian wheat which
down in 1911 through the.Cana-
IA canal at Sault Ste. Marie. 54.4
per cent chung exclusively to Canadian
The proportion IN 1910 was
oS.6 per cent, so that the diversion to
american channels was considerably
in 1911.
me aggregate value of freight NOV
through all of the Canadian canals
last year amounted to. over $4,000 900
TONS. which was a decrease of over a.
100000 tons as compared with the
year. This decrease is more
accounted for by the decline in
rattle at Sault Ste. Marie, applicable
almost wholly to American ore. How
eVer. an increase of 211,339 tons
.hrough the Welland canal, and of
S4o.955 tons through the St. Law
rence canal point to satisfactory
as far as strictly Canadian
CUISINES was concerned.