Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-23
TAX ON RAILROADS
Traffic Problem a Serious One,
Declares James J. Hill.
us WARNING TO MILLERS
Tells Them transportation Facilities
Will Soon Be Unequal to
Business Demands.

Business Demands.
MINNEAPOLIS. June 23.-"Wheat''
was the subject Of discussion at the
meeting of the National Association OF
Millers here today. The subject was
treated in a paper prepared by James
]. Hill, chairman of the board of d-
rectors of the Great Northern railway.
and read by Charles b. Jenkins OF
Noblesville, Ind. Mr.. Hill was unable to
attend the meeting.
Prof. B. l. Christie, superintendent OF
agricultural extension. Purdue University.
spoke on What one experiment station
is doing toward increasing wheat pro-
duction,' and Prof. \. F. Woods. dean
and director of the Minnesota agricu-
tural experiment station, st. Paul, ad-
dressed the convention on What Min
nesota might do to aid in greater guam
tity of wheat
Mr.. Hills Paper.
Mr. Hills paper was in part as follows:
"One fact, it seems to me. should give
you more concern than almost any other.
because you have already felt its effects
and because it looms large and danger
Gus. This is the pressure upon existing
| terminal facilities. 1t is future menace
and a present handicap. You have felt
and will continue TO feel the partial en-
barge that traff1c conditions have placed
upon all the business Of the country;
upon yours perhaps seriously any
other The milling interest of the entire
country, except where 1t serves a purely
local demand, is feeling the pinch Of the
transportation situation and will in the
f,,fpr feel u no
of the country in population, in produc-
ton, in transportation business. has been
| marked. There has not been a cor
| responding growth in the facilities for
transportation.
For months past it has been inpossi-
BILE to get freight shipments delivered
promptly if these have to be trans ferred
at any of the central markets or princl-
ness that rose to such dangerous height
in 1907, is piling up again, with the ad-
ditions made by national growth since
then. The future will add In increasing
the losses they involve. The only proba
BILE relief from the pressure upon our
transportation agencies, and especially
upon terminals. where the greatest diff
Guilty exists. is the decline of our export
trade. The demand of the home con-
sumner is lessening the volume of our ex-
port Of foodstuffs. and will affect SIMILAR
ly some other items on the list. But
this change will bring relief to the car
rier only in SO far as export terminals
are concerned.
Enormous Traffic Increase.
AN enormous volume of new traffic is
being developed by the industrial advance
Of the country between the Mississippi
river and the Pacific coast All of this
must seek its market, and much Of 1t
will be added to the total that already
overburdens our terminals.
In the great markets of the eastern
half Of the country-in New York, Cleve-
land, Buffalo, Chicago-the crisis has al
ready arrived. Traffic growth and ter
minal congestion are applying the brakes
for the whole country. 1t Is no more dis
astrous to have the banks close their
doors than to have the railroads choked.
The interest which you represent must
should be taking thought with others for
the future. For the same cause will
work out the same effects in the west.
What Is the remedy? OF course. there
fective, for an evil that has been growing
for so long time and which publication
thus far has tended to intensity rather
than to diminish. The best that can be
done is to offer suggestions for tentative
and partial relief and then to engage
the best thought and effort for the whole
country. especially of business men and
associations such as yours. in an effort
to lessen the tension that now stranRies
trade. Where terminals can be enlarged
without mourning prohbitive indebted
ness that, OF course, is the natural rem
edy. Existing facilities also may be made
more effective.
Partial Cure Offered.
Decentralization Of trafic terminals
offers a partial cure-partially only, how
ever. because it is applicable only TO
portion Of the business to be done. Some
of the through business of the country
can be diverted to other points than those
where 1t now collects. but the great CEN
trail markets cannot be destroyed nor the
bulk Of their business affected.
There is, however, a considerable ele-
ment in our traffic aggregate which Is
capable of decentralization. Take your
own industry for example; because both
your raw material and your product are
bulky and heavy articles, you are, per-
haps, more interested than others. since
you are most likely to suffer from ter
minal congestion. 1t is worth while to
consider whether considerable share of
your distributing business could not be re-
adjusted. Ii orders went direct to the
mills from the smaller cities and towns.
and shipments were MADE direct to them.
instead of being consigned to central
agencies. and thence transferred 20 buy
ers, 1t would make less business for ter
minals. By ouch a process of decen-
tralization. adopted by business gener-
ally. much relief might be obtained.
The problem of terminals is the great
est problem of the country. the problem
of transportation agencies, of financiers.
of the communities directly affected and
of all the industries that depend directly
or indirectly upon cheap and speedy car
rage for the commodities which they
buy and sell. 1t is a problem for every
body since probably not one business
man in the whole country would fail to
feel the disastrous effects il il were to be
neglected for the next five years as II
has for the last ten, and to blight every
form of activity by paralyzing the whole
trade
TRIBUTE TO THE DEAD.
Members of Many Organizations At