Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-23

1and-water traffic, particularly with re-
aspect to the establishment of joint
Irail-and-water rates and the equitable
division of such rates between the
/ cocarriers. This is a. matter of vita
Importance. If there is to be any
successful attempt to increase com
petition in domestic water traffic, ii
| seems certain that such ioint-ratc ar
Engagements should he far more gen
Ierally established than at present
Since joint through rates are almost
| invariably less than the sum of the
local rates. a steamship line deprived
| of the advantage of Il joint-rate ar
arrangement with railroads on an equit-
able basis is practically unable TO
compete with a rival enjoying it.
The report says that 20 railroads of
the country control steam vessels and
barges Of $4,000 gross tonnage en-
gagged exclusively in domestic trade
and continues:
The tonnage of the New Haven
system is the largest. aggregating Il
little over 200. 900 gross tons. Next in
importance is the Union Pacific
Southern Pacific, with a grand total
excluding tonnage engaged in foreign
trade of over 150,000 gross tons. The
Pennsylvania Railroad Cos water
lines have $500 gross tons in steam
erS and $500 tons in barges: the New
York Central, over $4,000 gross tons;
the Central of Georgia Railway, over
%, GEO gross tons.
The total capitalization of water
lines controlled by these railroads
Ghis not covering holding companies
and several very important unincor-
porated services) aggregates $53339,375
in stock and s3l. 263,sS7 in bonded debt.
Of The stock $40, 223, 500 and of the bonds
s19,211, 1877 are owned by Is railroads or
their subsidiaries. In most instances
railroads own practically all the stock
of the separately Incorporated water
lines which they control
on the traffic not dominated by rail-
roads along the Eastern searboard, the
great bulk, adds the report, is con-
trolled by two important steamship
consultations, the Atlantic, Gulf and
West Indies steamship lines and the
Eastern Steamship Corporation. With
q few exceptions the constituent COM
panies of these consultations were
formerly subsidiaries of the Conselida-
ted Steamship Lines, organized by
Charles w. Morse, and which collaps-
ed in 1907
While there appears to be no inter-
ownership of stock between these two
steamship consultations. Mr.. Conant
adds, they have several directors in
common indicating a considerable
community of interest.
On tho Craat Takes all the inlnOr-
tant through passenger and package
freight lines. it is declared, are owned
by railroads. In the local package
freight traffic there are large num-
Der of independent water carriers.
Several of the principal Lake fleets
handing ore, coal and lumber. it is
said, are under the control of impor-
tant industrial concerns, the largest
being the .Pittsburg Steamship Com
,pany, controlled by the United States
Steel Corporation.
i On the Pacific coast, the commission
err found independent steamship lines
forming an important factor in the
coastwise trade, but said several WA
ter lines We're under railroad control,
instaneing the interest of the Union
Pacific Southern Pacific in the Pacific
Mail and the San Francisco & Port
land Steamship Company. The South
ern Pacific also controls fleet of oil
vessels, belonging TO the Associated
Oil Co, he adds.
Steamboat lines on the Mississippi
River, Mr., Conant says, have largely
suecumbed to railroad competition or
natural difficulties. The great bulk OF
L -. ~ 81
traffic o-day on the Ohio and Missis-
sippi Rivers is handled, he adds, by a
single industrial line-the Monongahe-
la River consolidated Coal and Coke
Co., controlled by the Pittsburg Coal
Company.
Railroads now control continues Mr..
Conant, about 80 per cent. of the mill
cage of the few private canals still in
operation.
'On the Erie canal. the most impor
tant artificial waterway in the coun-
try" says the commissioner, "the
west bound business has virtually
passed under the control of railroads.
while easthound traffic has been large
ly diverted from the canal by the re-
peated reductions in rail rates, rate
and railroad control of
terminal facilities. These reductions
in rail rates are, however, to a consid7
cradle extent attributable to- canal
competition H
The report deals chiefly with req
ular through passenger and freight
steamship lines and takes no account
of tramp steamers. 1t is the fourth
instaliment as the result of the Bureau
If Corporation's extensive inyestiga-
ton of water traffic, the three pre-
vious reports relating to water routes,
volume of traffic and the control of
terminals.
At the regular meeting of Gray
Grange wednesday night, Dec. Is, the
following officers were elected for the
ensuing term: Master, w. S. Allen;
overseer. Victor C. Yeaton; lecturer,
Mrs. Celia Doughty; steward. George
Doughty; assistant steward, H. Ches-
| ter Marsden; chaplain, Mrs. Mary
Barton; treasurer w. B. Sweetser;
| secretary, Mrs. Inez Yeaton; gate
| keeper. Josiah Allen: Ceres, Mrs. Jen-