The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-01-27
TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.
How New England Is Losing Millions
Every Year.

ID. o. Ives, director of the transpor
tation bureau of the Boston chamber
of commerce, certainly got down tC
facts in regard to New England needs in
transportation in a recent speech be-
fore the Pilgrim Publicity association
of Boston.
Mr.. Ives said in part: "'The Boston
chamber of commerce has now in hand
cases covering comprehensively the sub
| Ject of freight rates between New Eng
land and every state and district in the
country; it has brought to successful
conclusion the question of rates west
on imported goods, and is about to open
the question of export rates. In con.
| nection with the campaign for better
| terminal facilities, very strenuous eff.
| fort is being made to get better trans
fer facilities for freight which origi-
mates in any part of New England and
is transferred at Boston for shipment
to any Other, part of New England or
the. rest of the country; but the grea,
crying need, or at least the need which
has most strongly impressed itself on
the chamber because it seems such a
glazing omission of golden opportunity.
is the matter of a steamship line to the
great southwestern empire, Texas.
Texas sends to New England 100000
bales of cotton, and almost as much
comes, from Oklahoma, the two furnish
ing about %. per cent of New Eng
land s requirments of cotton. New
Mexico and Arizona send great uuanti.
ties of wool to Boston, and the south
west also furnishes ms meat products.
rice, oil, fruits, vegetables, hides and
lumber. On the other hand, New Eng
land manufactures innumerable com
modities of which the great southwest
IS a large consumer; and the lamentable
state OF affairs is that all this traffic is
forwarded through New York and the
Gulf, and New England shippers must |
pay the added charge of the haul be- |
tween New York and Boston over what |
New York manufacturers pay, because
the all-rail rates are absolutely prohibi. |
i've except in rare cases of high cost |
articles. Boston was once a great sea.
port, and in handling New England
business, yielded first place to no other.
but today New England takes no part
in carrying any of this great business
Its own commerce. New York gets
AZ the benefits, and what is the reslllt9
FIGURES show that New England trade
Is steadily on the decrease in the south.
west; we are in the habit of thin king
on New England as a great shoe centre.
out New England furnishes Texas less
pei CCHb VI us SHOES. |
"The opportunities for the expansion
Of our trade in the great southwest are
greater than in any other section for
three. reasons. We of the Atlantic sea-
board are, in transportation units. near.
Or the heart of Texas than is any other
great centre, not excluding st. Lonis.
New England and Texas are commercial
COMPLIMENTS of one another; they pro.
luce what we use, and we produce and
manufacture what they use; and while
mere has been phenomenal growth in
many parts of the country the south.
vest has outstripped all other sections. {
Inc awakening of Mexico, the wonder. j
III development of the new state, Okla.
iona, the opening of the Panama 5
anal, the almost fabulous possibilities !,
n Iexan agriculture, the great and !
instantly increasing cotton acreage.
nd the enhanced value of cotton: ali
hese are real reasons why our trade {
!ltn 5he great southwest should be mul.
,,plied many times. One great obsta.
lie stands in the way and prevents anv