Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-14

~eek the present freight
extend over the entire eastern pa.
the North American continent anu @A.
will he the worst tieup OF 1000 sloia
.var known. There is no way at present
m Obtain official figures OF the eAae'
amount of grain, -four and otner loo"
stuffs which is now stored at seAuo".
points or in railway terminals or oi 'He
amount Of food products sucn as Dut'ef'
cheese eggs, etc, piled up on oocAs VI
waiting on railway sidings. but 1t Is SUI
dcient to say that the amounts are huge
and practically every railway Is oiocKeo
except what few cars are going into Dos
ron. where the situation Is less acute
than at other ports.
British Orders
The British admiralty have now Issued
orders to all ships flying the British nag
that they must have Is per cent OF their
cargo in all boats coming from Argen-
time 70 Great Britain constituted OF
wheat or -four and for all ships carrying
freight from any and all Atianuc sea-
ports from 50 to Is per cent. TINS Is
working great hardships on conslsnees
and those holding contracts to denver
other foodstuffs on the other side OF the
Atlantic.
The ocean tonnage situation was pan
enough before this order but since II mas
been put into force it is worse for those
who had already delivered shipments OF
nroduce at seaboard and cannot get 1t
away There are thousands of boxes or
cheese at the port of st. John, Ne"
Brunswick. which cannot be shipped ow-
ing to the lack of tonnage, and wneh
ships arrive the ocean freight room
available is so small that it is Impossible
to obtain accommodation as space is very
small when -four and grain cargoes have
been taken aboard to the average OF 81
Der cent of their capacity
The result Of the great scarcity OF ocean
tonnage has caused freight rates 10
mount UPWARD to almost prohibitive
heights.
The insurance rates have also ad-
vanced to much higher levels. due TO
the renewed activity of the enemy SUD-
marines which has been reported in
the Mediterranean.
Grain PiIins Up
Grain is not only piling up at sea-
board but the congestion is extending
back thousands of miles into the
country on both sides of the interna-
tional boundary line. Wheat is accu-
mulating at Winnipeg. Montreal, Fort
William, St. John. New Brunswick,
Halifax, " S, Portland, Ne, Boston,
Chicago, Kansas City, ST. Louis, Oma-
ha, the Southern and Gulf ports, and
gradually extending back into the in
terror of both countries. In Canada an
embargo has been established west OF
Fort Williams and at present writing
no empty cars are allowed TO be sent
westward Of Winnipeg as those few
which are available are needed to take
grain or store the same in east of Fort
William and Port Arthur. Storms have
been raging in the. Canadian West,
which has delayed movements consid-
erably, and no trader really knows
when he can deliver orders which are
on the way East. The railway COM
panies have issued orders to reduce
the speed of their grain freight trains
to avoid accidents. The weather is so
cold that locomotives are hardly able
to-move trains as fast as the regula-
tions allow. and therefore the delivery
in the East is slow. This is not to be
bemoaned, however, as receipts are
arriving as fast as they can be taken
care of, and storage room found for
the grains.
Await Shipment
Locally Montreal grain elevator
holding include many quarters of grain
which are already sold, but which do
not appear in their stocks in store fig
ures, and are only awaiting shipment
through the ports of Portland, Me-,
and st. John, n. B., as fast as ocean
tonnage can be secured Canada is
doubly handicapped as regards the
clearance Of grain as both her winter
ports are Only equipped to handle but
small quantities of grain. and there
fore most of the huge crop raised this
year must go through United States
ports.
From Montreal the shipping rates
througn the ports of ST. John, N. B.. and
Portland are practically equal. but tho
lower insurance rates out of Portland
and the better facilities there for hand
ing grain make that the more fayored
port for the consignment of shipmen>s
of grain and flour from here. This st.to
OF affairs. although opposed by the Cana.
olan government, was necessary TO 70.
heVe the congestion that has been an
preaching for some time since the c,ose
OF navigation on the st. Lawrence rive,
So far the -four milling industry hos
not been affected as sufficient cars have