The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-06-24
FRE|GHT CONGES-
TON MENACE
J. j. Hill in Adde'S to Ma
tional Millers Points Out
Dangers Ahead.

pared by James ]. Hill, chairman of
the board of directors of the G. N.
railway, and read by Charles G. Jen-
kins, of Noblesville, Ind. Hill was
unable to attend. Mr.. Hill said:
Zone fact, it seems to me, should
give you more concern than almost
any other, because you have already
felt it's effects and because it looms
large and dangerous. This is the
pressure upon existing terminal ia
cilities. 1t is future menace and
a present handicap. You have felt,
and will continue to feel the partial
embargo that traffic conditions have
placed upon all the business of the
country; upon yours perhaps as SER
iously as any other. The milling in
terest of the entire country, except
where it serves purely local de-
mand, is feeling the pinch of the
transportation situation and will in
the future feel it more severely. The
growth of the country in population,
in production, in transportation bus
mess, has been marked. There has
not been a corresponding growth in
the facilities for transportation.
For months past it has been i'm
possible to get freight shipments de-
livered promptly if these have to be
transferred at any of the central
markets 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 national growth since then.
The future will add in increasing ra-
ito to these difficulties as well as to
the losses they involve. The only
probable relief from the pressure
upon our transportation agencies,
and especially upon terminals, where
the greatest difficulty exists, is the
decline of our export trade. The de-
mand of the home consumer is les
SEEMING the volume of our export of
foodstuffs, and will effect similarly
some other items on the list. But
this change will bring relief to the
carrier only in so far as export ter
minals are concerned.
IAN enormous volume of new traf-
fic is being developed by the indus
trial advance of the country between
the Mississippi river and the Pacific
coast. All of this must seek it's mar
ket; and much of it will be added
to the total that already overburdens
our terminals.
I'm the great markets of the east
ern half of the country, in New York,
Cleveland, Buffalo, Chicago, the cri-
sis has already arrived. Traffic
growth and terminal congestion are
applying the brakes to business pro-
gress. This means trouble for the
whole country. 1t is no more dlsas-
irons to have the banks close their
doors than to have the railroads
choked. The interest which you rep
resent must suffer with the other,
and therefore it 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 is none cut and dried, complete
and effective, for an evil that has
been growing for so long time, and
which publication thus far has tend
ed to intensity rather than to dim
inish. 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
strangles trade. Where terminals
can be enlarged without mourning
prohibitive Indebtedness, that, OF
course, is the natural remedy. Ex-
listing facilities also may be made
| ulOT0 cIICCtANS-
Decentralization of traffic ter
minals offers a partial cure, partial
ly only, however, because it Is ap-
plicable only to a portion OF the
business to be done. Some OF the
through business of the country can
be diverted to other points than those
where it now collects, but the great
central markets cannot be destroyed
nor the bulk of their business affect
ed.
There is, however, considerable
element in our traffic aggregate,
which is capable of decentralization.
Take your own industry, for exam
ple, because both your raw material
and your product are bulky and
heavy articles, you are, perhaps,
more interested than others, since
you are most likely to suffer from
terminal congestion. 1t Is worth
J while to consider whether a consid-
J cradle share of your distributing
J 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
<hav, inefoo5 ~ hoiu0 c0nai1ned to