Evening star., 1915-12-08
Would Bar Rate Cutting.

Amendment of the interstate COM
merce act to prevent railroads from
lowering rates al water-competitive points
will be sought by Senator Joseph E
Ransdell at the present session of Con-
gress. Senator RansdeI made known
this plans in the course of his annual
ADDRESS as president of the Rivers and
Congress must pass law authoriz-
ing the interstate commerce commits
sion to fix minimum as well as maxi
mum rates Boat lines will not oper-
ate unless they can do SO profitably, and
they cannot operate probably so long
as the railroads are permitted to slash
their rail rates at water points to an
outrageously low figure-to a figure
often below the actual cost of trans
porting the freight. These losses are
recouped by excessively high charges to
interior points
Discrimination Charged.
Under present conditions water
points obtain low rates at the expense
OF interior towns. and in turn, pay for
this privilege by the loss of still lower
rates on water. If the interstate COM
merce commission Is empowered to set
a limit below which rates shall not
be lowered at water points. the rail-
roads will be unable to place their
freight charges at such low figure
as to crush water competition Boat
lines will then be established and our
waterways actually used.
But protection to our carriers by
water is absolutely necessary, and
the interstate commerce commissions
power to fix minimum rates will afford
this. 1t is my purpose to introduce
an amendment to the interstate COM
merce act to this effect during the
present session of Congress, and I be-
lieve the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress should get behind legislation
of this character. The l. C. c. in its
mended this legislation, and | hope to
haveasits cooperation in securing its
enactment
Interest in Harbor Development.
Declaring that the encouragement
and money given for years to the rail-
roads by the government now are being
shifted to helping the waterways de-
velopment, Mayor Martin Behrman Of
New Orleans, speaking at the session
this afternoon, said that interest also
is turning. to the development of har-
bors and terminal facilities in order
that there may be better preparation
to handle the great volume of business
promised under rapidly changing COM
mercial conditions"
Water transportation. he said, has no
superior as a freight regulator. He
been made by many ports of the coun-
try in allowing their water fronts to
pass into private ownership.
Views of Logan w. Page.
Speaking on THE Relation of Roads
and Waterways" Logan Walter Page
director United States Office of public
roads, said that proper development can
be brought about, first, by the improve
ment of waterways themselves; second
through provision of terminals with
proper facilities for handling transfer
cargoes, and, third, by well planned
system of improved highways reaching
out to the surrounding region and
forming direct contact with shipper
and receiver.
Under such system. Mr.. Page be-
lieves, the waterways would form the
logical trunk lines of transportation
and by correlation with highways for
immediate feeders and railroads for
tapping more distant regions would
furnish the cheapest and most natural
system for handling large portion
of the countrys freight. The need for
good roads extending back from wa
ter ports always has been great, he
declared, but with the development of
the country between waterways it has
made itself more keenly felt