The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-10-21
AFTER THE DOCK TRUSTS"


On the petition OF commercial inter
ests of Galveston and Mobile, the in
terstate commerce commission is now
making a special and very searching
investigation of the terminal condi-
tions at those ports, it being repre-
scented that these are under the con-
troll, reaching to the measure Of mo-
nopoly. of the railroads which do bus
mess at the ports. 1t is said that the
investigation may have far-reaching
consequences in the improvement Of
the terminal situations at various
ports which have suffered from rail-
road domination Of their waterfront
facilities. 1t is pointed out that
without holding physical monopoly
of the wharves at port, the railroad
companies may yet, through their con-
srol of rates for terminal service, act
ually dominate the handling of bust
ness over the docks, thus constituting
effectively, il not theoretically,
dock trust" and that the interstate
commerce commission may find some
way In which this domination may be
broken and the facilities of the water
front may be opened to the CONNER
cial world, without the restrictions
that are now put upon them by the
power of the railroads.
This inquisition should be of par
ticular interest and concern TO
Charleston, where the domination of
the waterfront by the railroads has
been a feature of our commercial re-
striction for a long time. 1t has just
been determined by the committee of
business men appointed to work out
some solution of the terminal difficult
ty at Charleston. to submit the Whole
matter to the state legislature. It'll
was suggested, during the conferences
that were held to map out a plan of
action, that the good offices of .he
interstate commerce commission be
invoked for relief of the situation,
but 1t was thought that such an mp
peal might not be effective. The pro
ceedng that has been taken by the
commercial interests of Galveston and
Mobile, and the extended scope that
1t is indicated the inquiry may take,
should, however, lead those charged
with the relief of the Charleston sit
uation to follow very closely the cases
that have been laid by the two Gulf
ports to see if there may not be
something in the decisions resulting
from them that may assist in working
out solution of the trouble here.
AS it has been pointed out, the
remedy for monopoly of the docks at
great and wealthy ports is the pur
chase or construction of public
wharves, and this is the most impress
sive as well as effective solution of u
commercial problem that a comm IA
ity can make, but such undertaking is
not possible to every community, by
reason of the great cost it entails upon
people of limited resources. In the
city of Charleston we have made a
beginning toward a policy of public
ownership of the wharves. but in The
first effort in that direction we have
seen how severe are the limitations
upon an endeavor of this sort, though
good start has been taken and the
foundations laid for policy that
should, in the course of time, pro-
duce great results. But the smaller
ports should have some resources az
law against the arbitrary power Of
transportation corporations, just as
every community, however unimpor-
tant, has a remedy against discrimi-
nation of the railroads, as public car
riers. Docking facilities constitute a
very important branch of the trans.
portation business. and they are of the
very first grade of importance to the