Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-27
Iehuantepec Railroad Has
Most Of Business I.
Across Isthmus Between Al,
|antiC and Pacific Coasts,
Panama Railroad Not Catering For
Freight..might Bother Canal.

washington, Dec. Observation-Disclosures
i'1s the difference in distances the rail-
way owned by the Mexican government
across the Isthmus of Tehua ntepec is
carrying more freight between the tuo
oceans than the railroad owned nv the
government of the United States across
the Isthmus of Panama Teh Tehuap-
tepcc Railroad is 1870 miles long. III.
Panama road is AZ miles long, and the
freight rates are the same, which is
undoubtedly one reason for the differ.
ence. Another reason is that the Te-
huantepec road is seeking business and
the Panama road is not The latter is
maintained, at present, to aid in the
construction of the canal, and it's Or
binary commercial patronage is sacri
feed for that reason, being maintained
as a public convenience rather than for
profit. When the canal is completed
there will be little use for the Panama
Railway as a freight carrier. 1t is ex-
pected that most of the cargoes will be
carried through an steamers instead
of being loaded on both sides of and
reloaded after crossing the isthmus
on railway cars as at present. The rail-
way, however, always will be of the
greatest importance for passenger traf-
fic and as an auxiliary of the canal.
The following statement shows the
comparative amount of merchandise
carried by the two railways annually
since the Tehauntepec railway was
completed:
1907 1903, 1909.
Panama, $12OO00OO 80, 900 $95oO.GD
Tehuantepee, 30,0O0,o00 100000 520O0.oo1
Of the So, 600 worth of merchandise
crossing the isthmus by both railways
during the last fiscal year s36.o0O0Oo orig
mated 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 ISL
ands, Japan, China and the Philippines;
and $26OO0,O0O 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 CEN
tiers for the Tehuantepec traffic. Com
parativey little goes to or comes from
the states on the west coast of South
America.
The chief business of the Tehuantepec
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 line
of big cargo steamers owned by the trust
and the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Asso-
citation, which have a contract with the
Tehuantepec Railway extending over
term of years. This business might have
gone to the Panama company, but the
canal commission would not undertake to
handle it because it might interfere with
construction work.
Nearly all the raw sugar raised in
the Hawaiian islands is shipped to
New York and Philadelphia, and of
total of $24500,0 900 worth of freight re-
ceiveG at Salina Cruz. the Pacific ter
minus of the Tehuantepec Railroad,
mora than S1S,000.00O was sugar from
Hawaii for the refineries of those cities.
Of the remainder about s., 000, 900 worth
originated at San Francisco and con-
sisted of canned fruit and miscellane-
Gus merchandise.
OF the $27, 0G0 of freight passing
westward over the Tehuantepec line,
$23, 00G coo was miscellaneous merchant
disc sent from New York to San Fran
cisco. San Diego and Seattle. Only 3d.
! 100000 of westbound freight went to
Hawaii. This consisted of machinery,
agricultural implements and merchan-
disc
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 $50 pounds
each. The steamers have accommoda-
tons for few passengers The Next
| can government has spent millions oil
dollars in the construction of harbor4$
ia Coatzacoaltas on the Atlantic side,
and at Salina Cruz on the Pacific side.
and furnished the money to put the
| railroad in excellent condition. 1t is
nowiunder lease to Pearson & Sons, the
great Liverpool contractors.