Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-08-19

1 A fine point in railway matters has developed through the inability of the Steamer Rapids to pass the Ro6 Rov shoals, south of Pine Bluff, and Gc- liver freight to Little Rock and other points north and west of Pine Bluff.
 The Little Rock Packet Company proposed to unload the Rapids at Pine i Bluff and ship the freight hy rail- routing it over the Cotton Belt. bn. the Cotton Belt, it is said demanded i the interstate rate for carving the i shipment from Pine Bluff to Little Rock, thereby opening up rate ques- tion of no little interest.
 The packet company brought this freight from Memphis to Pine Bluff on the Rapids, the railway having no connection with the shipment up to this point. That company wished to make the shipment from Pine Bluff to Little Rock, and the managers of the company can not see wherein it makes any difference to the Cotton Belt whether the freight came from Mem phis to Pine Bluff by rail, by water or by airship, for that matter so Ions as it is billed as an original shipment from Pine Bluff. They contend that the railway is entitled to charge o@7y the intrastate rate since the f.ei2nt would be delivered to the read a Pine Bluff as the original destination.
 The Cotton Belt. il is believed, takes tie stand that the shipment originated! at Memphis. and that the railway IS HoJ to blame fer the fact that tn packet cannot pass Rob Roy shoals.
 The packet company officials are Of the opinion that the railroad company is taking advantage of the packet com- pany,s pred'cament, and is holding for the interstate rate, when the in- trastate rate should govern.
 The difficulty at Rob Roy bridge presents something of a mixed ques- tion from first to last The railway originally built the draw span of the bridge over the channel designated by federal engineers Later it shift ed to another span, leaving & sand shCal under the draw.
 On the other hand railways and other companies maintaining bridges over navigable streams are supposed to keep the river open for traffic at all times.
 Owners of bridges are liable to heavy penalty for every day they fail to open a draw when demand is made ! by the master of a boat, the penalty amounting to about S100 per day.
 Whether the case at Rob Roy can be regarded as an obstruction of traf- flc on the part of the railway com 0any is a matter which will likely be settled by the war department upon application of the packet company.
 The packet company officials, at least, expected the Cotton Belt to CO., l operate with them in the matter of assisting in getting the shipments to Little Rock, since it is the Cotton Belt bridge which originally prevented the Rapids from getting through.
 What the war department will rule in the matter is a matter of conject- ure. Packet company officials believe that the department will hold that the Arkansas, being a navigable stream, must be kept open for boat traffic at any cost, even to the extent of sacri- ficing the bridge at Rob Roy.
 The Cotton Belt, on the other hand, adhere to the belief that the road in building the bridge and draw span according to federal requirements, has done it's share toward keeping traffic open.
 The road has announced that it will either build a new bridge at this point or put in second draw over the present channel, giving the rail- road two draws over the shifting channel, in case the river takes a mo- tion to switch back to its original po