The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-06
IS A SLAP AT The
Big RAILROADS

Washington, May 6.-Few realize
that the traffic movement on the lower
Mississippi river, once so tremendous,
has so materially declined in recent
years, that the supremacy once en-
joyed by that great ream has been
transferred to the 10 river, and that,
therefore, Pittsburgh, rather than eth
er ST. Louis or New Orleans, is today
the most important river point in AM
erica.
These and other interesting facts are
CLEANED from the appendix to the re-
port of the inland waterways commits
sion. The report Stself was made pub
lie recently, but the appendix, which
has just come off the government
printing office presses, was made pub
lie today. The greater portion OF the
data contained in it was prepared un-
der the direction of Herbert Knox
Smith, commissioners of the bureau of
corporations.
| The serious declaration is made that
is many cases railroads are probably
carrying goods ab less tham COST for
the purpose Of shutting out water COM
petition. "It is evident that lin such
cases an Increase in TIE rail rate would
be an advantage to all concerned" it
| is declared. "for 1t would restore GER
tain bulky traffic to the waterways,
where it economically belongs, and
leave the railway equipment availa-
BILE for traffic properly moving by land,
and at the same time making possible
a reduction of other rail rates by cut
ting off business done at a loss and by
| increasing the volume of profitable
business. Nor should the railways fear
the restoration of water traffic to this
extent for the history of water trans
portation shows that it frequently
makes traffic for the railroads more
than sufficient to make up for the ap-
parent loss of business"
Retains Relative Importance.
1t lis shown by the report that the
lower Mississippi, whrcn has always
been recognized as of greater CONNER
cial Importance than the upper part
| still retains this relative Importance
| Among the important factors in the
decline the traffic on the lower Missis-
sippi may be mentioned that formerly
large quantities OF wheat, corn anc
oats were sent down the river from
St. Louis AMI other points to New
lOrleans, but the building of railroads
Through Nebraska, Kansas and Okla
homa to the gulf, together with tht
Hack of attention to river improve.
ments, has operated against the ship.
ments Of grain down the Mississippi
j This has resulted in the general dis
appearance in the last fifteen years q
many finely equipped steamboats, OF
the lower Mississippi, as a result o
sharp railroad competition and othe
causes.
Another important cause for this de-
cline in the traffic movement on tina
great stream has been the introduction
of the cotton compress, resulting i
the overturning of th2 old system o
handling cotton by river. FormerI
the only cotton congresses were 10
Gated at important centers, such a
Memphis, vicksburg and New Orleans
but now any town Of slight importanc
has it's own compress, which have ex
cellent facilities for receiving and ship
ping bales Of cotton by rail.
f4indered BY Railroads.
The report declares that the devel
opment Of river traffic Is hindered j
many ways by the railroads, whic
at some important points on the Obi
/ have gained control Of much OF til
!, land available for terminal facilitfe
j one of the serious difficulties for line
operating on the Ohio and its tribu
taries is the matter of excessit
J wharfage charges. The packet line
i charge that it Is a common practic
7 for little towns along he river to lev
j charges which in some Instances ru
r from one fourth to one-third OF the N
B profits Of the boats. Boat lines, as
i rule make lower rates than those
t rail carriers. The loss Of pro ratir
: arrangements with the railroads az
i ded difficulties for the river lines, 4
Q instead of being able to aaote throue
& rates, the packet lines must now quo
: their own rate to kiae point where the
:, Icoznect with the railroad, and ths
laAM the local tari@ -ate Of the raj