Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-14

Washington, ID. c., Nov. 11.-New
York city has lost the supremacy as
the greatest grain exporting center of
North America and the world and
must now take second place. The city
of Montreal has stepped into the first
place and the present trend in the ex-
porting business indicates that she
will hold it.
This Nmay be a matter of surprise
to most of the people OF this country
who have grown accustomed to the
idea that the United States has the
biggest and the most and the best of
everything, but it is none the less true.
New York interests realize it and are
beginning to study way and meal of
recovering the lost honor.
Ten years ago New York exported
53 100000 bushels Of grain to Mon
treal's 3S,000.000. In 1914 the Ca
madam city passed NewsYork for the
first time with 74,000,000 to 61,000,-
900. but New York took a great jump
to the front the following yea with
126, 100000. while Montreal dropped
off to 43,000,0 00. In 1916 New York
with a total of 154. DOC, 900 bushels:
Montreal did 7O,000,00 that year.
The rivals maintained the same rela-
tive position the next year. but then
Montreal began to forge ahead until
last year she handled a total of $780,
100000 bushels, while New York ex-
ported only 6S,000,000.
The figures for 1922 are expected
to show an eve greater predo1ninance
in favor of Montreal.
Experts say that this seizure of su-
premacy in grain was not the result
of accident or of. causes that could
not have been corrected. Congestion
on the railroads leading to New York.
or within the limits of the port. to-
gether with the excellent facilities Of
fered at Montreal resulted in the phe-
nomenal growth of the Canadian city.
Some of these factors are temporary,
but it is feared that others of them
may be permanent.
In any event it is certain that con
ditions with respect to railroad trans
portatiOn have been worse this year
than they were last, which will place
New York at a further disadvantage.
Railway cars and locomotives have
been in unusually bad condition as a
result of the shipments strike. Ac-
cordingly the railroads have not been
able to cope with. the demands incident
to a normal revival in business. the
/ usual fall increase in traffic and the
movement of one of the biggest grain
crops on record. When the mining
of coal was resumed that product was
given priority over grains in shipping
and undoubtedly millions of bushels
, have been diverted to Montreal. that
t ordinarily would have gone through
the port Of New York.
May Use Barge Canal
If New York is to regain first
place, it is said, her only hope lies
in 0rnatar Sa rf tho c4oto hor~o m,
nal. This waterway should be used to
an extent that would go far toward
relieving the rail congestion and stimu-
Ilating the grain traffic through the
} port of New York. but as yet the ex-
/ pectatiOns of its advocates have not
been realized. With a capacity Of To-
100000 to 100000 tons yearly the
: trade on the canal is but a fraction
, of that volume. Also. as a result OF
: difficulties in rail transportation rates
on canal barges have been advanced
. until they are actually higher than raj
rates, whereas they should be consid.
erably lower.
The commercial victory which Mont
real has won in grain exporting is al
the more significant by reason of the
5 fact that her port is closed by ice for
at least four months of every year.
: New York on the other hand has all
the advantage Of a full 12-month sea
I son. As a still further handicap, in
~surance rates up the st. Lawrence are
: higher, but Montreal is winning in the
race nevertheless.
AS a matter of fact, the Canadian
: city is making such strides that she
now ranks next TO New York in volume
of general exports and leads Boston,
Philadelphia, Norfolk, New Orleans.
: San Francisco and Seattle. Thus it
, is apparent that New York has a real
task to accomplish if she is not to lose
]. supremacy in other phases of trade
] as well as in grain. As vet Montreal
does not rival New York in size, finan-
cial power, or industrial activity, but
commercial leaders of Manhattan plan
+ not to be caught mapping, They see
various movements now under way
which might easily develop to the dis
S advantage of their port, New England
, cities are seeking export and port diff.
: ferencial under New York such as
i those now enjoyed by Philadelphia and
Baltimore, and gulf ports are making
, every effort to secure rail rates which
would divert to them freight from tbs
interior that has found an outlet
through New York for years.
| Some of the transcOntinentai rail.
roads are also seeking reductions from
middle west points to the Pacific which
, might result in the movement Of traf.
fic overland to the western coast that
!, now goes to New York and thence to
the Pacific by water through the Pan
. anna canal.
: VoIstead Law Also Blamed
Even prohibition is in the c~onspir-
acy against New York, it is claimed
and this is no vaudeville joke. Ii the
Interpretation thus far placed on the
: Volstead law is sustained and it OPP
claims. 1t is our opinion that no
body knows, and no one will know
until the legislature meets, just