Year: 1872

The Competition for Western Trade.


An unusual awakening is apparent among
our neighboring Atlantic seaports to the i'm
portance of Western trade. The great staple
of grain seems specially to claim the attention
| of the commercial communities to the north
and south of the metropolis and stimulate ex-
traordinary exertions to attract its current to
their wharves. Thus we see that at Boston
combination of railroads, whose lines are eight
hundred miles in extent, propose the erection
of immense grain elevators, which will be able
| to take freight from their cars and discharge it
| directly into steamers and vessels destined for
European ports. This, in connection wit
negotiations for bringing to Boston steamships
of the Allan Transatlantic line now plying to
Portland and the cities on the st. Lawrence,
affords our Yankee rivals opportunity to
rejoice in advance over the prospect of divert
ing to their wharves profitable part of the
business Of transporting and handling grain,
which has during the last forty years brought
great gain to New York. In view of this pro-
ject to divert trade from ''the leading COM
mercial city of the Atlantic coast"





monopoly of that business with the
West is. already broken by the judicious
use OF railroad facilities On lines leading to
other ports. 1t particularly specifies the busi-
ness of the Canada Grand Trunk road with its
terminus at Portland, and says that quite re-
Gently heavily laden freight trains have begun
to pass through direct from Western ship
ping points to Massachusetts Bay "with-
out paying tribute either to the canals or
elevators of New York" To this i'm
proved railroad connection between the
New England ports and the seat of grain
production this paper attributes the fact, which
it alleges, that whereas "a few years ago New
York used to ship annually to Boston and the
ports of Maine many h undreds of thousands
of bushels of grain and proportionate quanti-
ties of -four, now these shipments amount to
comparatively nothing" It gleefully looks
forward to the day when. with the proposed
elevators built, Boston will furnish Montreal
and other Canadian shipping ports ample and
convenient outlet for their merchandise Winter
as we'll as Summer, affording plenty of bust
ness for both the Cunard and Allan lines and
great advantages to Boston. But the Yankee
capital does not rely on Canada alone for
hor Western trade. She is vigorously
pushing and improving her railway con-
neotions with all our New York West
ern lines and her merchants have their
drummers securing all the country between
the Hudson and the Rocky Mountains, seek
ing to establish business relations with con-
sumers of merchandise and shippers of pro-
duce. In doing this we note with regret that
the thirst for gain induces departure from
truth and transgression Of the rules of fair
rivalry. False reports have in this interest
been spread of the prevalence Of yellow fever
in New York, to frighten customers from their
habitual Summer visits, and induce them
instead to trade at Boston. Gilmore's big
musical festivals have had the same object.
To all honest efforts in neighboring cities thus
to cultivate business, even at her own expense,
New York does not object. She, too, has
many and great advantages of position and
facilities for trade, and what she lacks in i'm
proved land and water lines connecting with
the great fruitful West she has the means and





vators and oil the appliances essential to the
speedy and cheap handling Of freights. They
can be created at command, and our mer-
chants will see their necessity if they would
retain the proud position of our city as the
great entrepot of American commerce on the
Atlantic. Portland is industriously making
the most of her fine harbor and short Cana
dian railroad to court freights.


Southern cities are also not behind those of
New England in efforts to secure share of the
toll which the Western farmers pay on their
grain before it reaches European markets.
Philadelphia seeks it by her comprehensive
railroad system. Last week she launched the
first of a line of steamships for direct trade
with Great Britain. To support this line she
must give it twice the present amount Of her
trade; but if the steamers fail to find employ
ment in the Delaware no doubt freights in
abundance will await them at our docks. Bal
timore has both railroads and canals for her
connection with the Ohio and the territory
beyond. Norfolk boasts natural and artificial
facilities. Charleston and Savannah, with
their railroads, claim share, and the cities Of
the Mississippi are alive to the fact that certain
classes of vessels can take grain from the pro-
ducers and pass from their levees to the Liver
pool docks without breaking bulk Canada
cities make the same boast. All these rivals of
New York for the Western trade are active,
and each determined to make the most of their
several advantages. Still, if our business men
keep step with the growing requirements Of
commerce, we have no reason to fear its
diversion. We need improved canal naviga-
ton and cheapened tolls we need exclusive
freight railroads, which would greatly reduce
the cost of transportation on long lines and