The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-26
BEATEN BY MEXICANS
FOUR TIMES AS
LONG AS PANAMA LINE.
No Rivalry for Professionalism Il.
Curtiss Compares Two Roads
In Purposes, Pr0fats and
Effects.

Writing to The Chicago Tribune from
Washington. William e. Curtis says:
Notwithstanding the difference in
distances the railway owned by the
Mexican Government across the 18TH
mus of Tehuantepec is carrying more
freight between the two oceans than
the railroad owned by the Government
of the United States across the Isthmus
of Panama The Tehuantepec Railroad
Is 100 miles long; the Panama road Is
forty-seven miles long. and the freight
rates are the same, which Is undoubted-
ly one reason for the difference. An-
other reason Is that the Tehuantepec
road Is seeking business and the Pam
anna Road Is not. The latter Is main
struction of the canal, and itssordinary
commercial patronage is sacrificed for
that reason, being maintained as pub
lie convenience rather than for profit.
When the canal IL completed there will
be little use for the Panama Railway
as freight carrier. 1t Is expected
that most of the cargoes Will be car
ried through on steamers instead of be-
ing unloaded on both sides of and re-
loaded after crossing the isthmus on
railway cars as, at present. The rail-
way. however. always win be OF the
greatest Importance for passenger traf-
fic and as an auxiliary of the canal.
The following statement shows the
compa rative amount of merchandise
carried by the two railways annually
since the Tehuantepec Railway was
Panama 1907, $4,000. ooo. 1908. ss.-
SOC, 900: 1908. ss.5o0.0o0. Tehuantepec--
1907, $4,000. o00: 1908, $4,000, 900; 1903.
$52, 1000, 900.
OF the ss2,00o.000 worth of merchan-
disc crossing the isthmus by both rail-
ways during the last fiscal year $780,
900, 600 originated at New York. New
Orleans and other Atlantic ports, and
was destined for San Francisco and
other Pacific ports of the United States
the Hawaiian Islands, Japan, China and
the Philippines; and s26.o0o.000 worth
of freight originated on the Pacific
coast and at the Hawaiian Islands and
was destined for the eastern ports of
the United States. New York. San
Francisco and Honolulu are the centers
for the Tehuantepec traffic. Compare
lively little goes to or comes from the
States on the west coast of South Amer
lea.
The chief business of the Tehuante-
nee line is to carry sugar from the
plantations in the Hawaiian Islands to
the refineries of the trust at New York,
Philadelphia and other Eastern ports.
There is q line of big cargo steamers
owned by the trust and the Hawaiian
Sugar Planters Association, which have
a contract with the Tehuantepec Rail-
way, extending over term of years.
This business might have gone to the
Panama company, but the Canal Com
mission would not undertake to handle
It because IT might interfere with con-
struction work.
Nearly all the raw sugar raised In
the Hawaiian Islands Is shipped to New
York and Philadelphia, and of total
of $24, 500 900 worth OF freight received
at Saiina Cruz. the Pacific terminus Of
the Tehuantepec Railroad, more than
SIs.0 OO. 900 was sugar from Hawaii for
the refneries OF those cities. OF the
remainder about $5.000,000 worth orig
mated at San Francisco and consisted
of canned fruit and miscellaneous mer-
chandise.
OF the 100000 Of freight passing
westward over the Tehuantepec line.
$23, 100000 was miscellaneous merchan-
disc sent from New York to San Fran
cisco. San Diego and SeattIe. Only
"a 00o. oOo of west bound freight went
10 Hawaii This consisted Of machin-
cry, agricultural implements and msr-
chandise.
The sugar from Hawaii used to be
carried around the Strait of Magellan
In steamers constructed especially for
that purpose. with machinery for hand
ling the bags. which weigh $50 pounds
each. The steamers have accommoda-
lions for a few passengers. The Mex
lean Government has spent millions OF
dollars in the construction OF harbors
at Coatzacoaltas on the Atlantic side
and at Salina Cruz on the Pacific side,
| and furnished the money to put the
railroad In excellent condition. It is
now under lease to Person and sons,
the great Liverpool contractors.