The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-06-23
James ]. Hill Declares Lack Of
Traffic Facilities is Menace
to the Trade.
MIlLtRS HOLD CONVENTION
Prominent Railroad Man Thinks Ter
ninals Should be Enlarged to Al
ford Temporary Relief--itead-
just Distributing Business.

Minneapolis, Mimi, June 23.-A con-
vention with over 700 delegates from
all parts of the United States and
from several foreign countries, repre-
senting more invested capital, prob
ably, than any other convention ever
held I'm Minneapolis, is the annual
meeting of the Millers' National Fed
Grafton, which opened here today
with headquarters at the West Hotel
The sessions will continue three days.
during which time numerous ques-
tions of interest and Importance TO
the milling fraternity will be dis
cussed.
A paper by James j. Hill, read at
the convention of the Millers was
feature. In part it was as follows:
zone fact, ii seems to me. should
give you more concern than almost
any other because you have already
felt its effects and because 1t looks
large and dangerous. This is the
pressure upon existing terminal IA
cilities 1t Is a future menace and n
present handicap. You have felt, and
will continue to feel, the partial en-
barge that traffic conditions have
placed upon all the business of the
country; upon yours perhaps as seri-
ously as any other. The milling in
terest of the entire country, except
where il serves a purely local de-
mand Is feeling the pinch of the trans
portation situation and will in the flu
ture feel Ii more severely. The
growth of the country in population
i'm production, in transportation busi-
been corresponding growth In the
facilities for transportation.
For months past il has been i'm
possible to get freight shipments de-
livered promptly IL these have to be
transferred at any of the central mar
kets or principal terminal points. The
flood of business that rose to such
dangerous height in 1907 is piling up
again, with the additions made by ma
tional growth since then. The future
will add in increasing ratio to these
difficulties as well as to the losses they
involve The only probable relief
from the pressure upon our transpor-
tation agencies, and especially upon
terminals. where the greatest difhculty
exists, is the decline of our export
trade. The demand of the home con-
sumner Is lessening the volume ol our
report of foodstuffs, and Will erect
similarly some other items on the list
But this change will bring rellet 10
the carrier only in so far as export
terminals arc concerned.
"An enormous volume of new traiilc
is being developed by the Industrial au-
vance OF the country between tne
Mississippi river and the Pacihc
coast. All of this must seek its mar
ket: and much OF II will be adueu u
the total that already oFcr-puruehs
our terminals.
'In the great markets of e eastern
half of the country, in New horh
Cleveland. Buffalo, Chicago, the crlsis
has already arrived. Traffic growth
and terminal congestion are applying
the brakes to business progress lhiS
means trouble for the whole country
II is no more disastrous to nave '"'
banks close their doors than TO haN'
the railroads choked. The lhteres
which YOU represent must suffer VIII
the other and therefor 1t shoulu W
taking thought with others for the iu'
ture. For the same cause VIII Wori
out the same effects in the west
'eWhat Is the remedy? or course
there is none cut and dried co"'p'e'
and effective, for an evil that mas pee.
growing for so long time, and whic'
publication thus far has tehdeo " -
tensify rather than 20 diminish ~"
best that can be done Is to oiier sue
gestions for tentative and partiai re
lief and then to engage the o''
thought and effort for the whole cou"
try. especially of business men an
associations such as yours, in an ei
sort TO lessen the tension that ho'
strangles trade. Where terminals ca
be enlarged without incurring pro
hibitive indebtedness, that, OF cours'
as the natural remedy. Existing Ia
ciities also may be made more eio'
i've
Decentralization of traffic terhii"a
offers a partial cure, paruaiiy VI"
however. because II Is applicable on
TO n portion OF the business TO DC uo''
Some of the through business OF u
country can be diverted 10 o'"'
points than those where IL no" W
lect. but the great central market ca
not be destroyed nor the bulk OF the
business affected.
There is, however, n considerap
element in our traffic aggregate WV
Is capable of decentralization la
your own industry for example,
cause both your raw materia' a.
your product are bulky and heaVy
ticles. you are. perhaps, more in'eres
ed than others. since you are NV
likely TO suffer from terminal congo