The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-01-18

5IdlGSS ldtSiy the prices QuOLeQ at
Pensacola, particularly on turpentine,
have been higher than at Savannah.
FREIGHT RATES.
at has long been the policy of the
Louisville & Nashville railroad to re-
strict the use of its docks at PEN
sacola to such steamship lines as it
preferred, and as a result of this
policy no ships bringing cargo from
or taking cargo to ports on the At
lantic Coast of the United States were
permitted to land at these docks. AS
the only docks in Pensacola avail
able for the interchange of freight
between rail and water lines were con-
trolled by the L. & n. Pensacola has
been a closed port so far as transact
ing business with the eastern cities by
water was concerned.
This condition was brought for
mally before the Chamber of Com
merce on March 18th, when schoon-
er here to load lumber for Phila-
delphia was refused a berth at the
L. q N. docks. The matter was i'm
mediately taken up with the officials
of the L. & N. in Louisville and with
the Interstate Commerce Commission
with the result that on May 4th traf-
fic became effective permitting ships
from and to all ports, with the excep-
ton of Mobile, Gulfport and New Or
leans, to land at the docks. Pensacola
is now an open port.
1.-THE freight matter handled by this
office during 1915 have been too num-
erous to go into detail in regard to
all of them, but the following is
brief sketch of our activities:
'Overcharges amounting to approx
imately $4,000 have been collected
for various consignees.
Reduced rates on limestone flor
agricultural purposes( to all stations
on the Pensacola division of the l..
& N. were secured.
Rate of one cent per ton per mile
secured on ground rock phosphate
(for agricultural purposes) between
stations on the L. & n in Florida.
Crates on the 10 commodities
from Pensacola to stations on the L.
& N. in Alabama reduced to put PEN
sacola on a parity with Mobile
"And a parity of rates has been
maintained as between Pensacola and
Mobile on business destined to sta
tions on the L. & n. in Alabama.
Reduction in the rate on butter
from Hutchinson, Kan, to Pensacola
amounting to BIC per 100 pounds Sc
cured
early in the summer the L. & N.
railroad filed an application with the
Florida Railroad Commission for per-
mission to cancel certain commodity
rates applying between Pensacola
and points on the Pensacola and p.
& A. division. To cancel these COM
modify rates would have left the
higher class rates in effect. This adj
vance, particularly when applied to
naval stores, cotton, cotton-seed, fer
tilizer, molasses, general merchan-
disc, ETC.. would have worked con-
siderable hardship on the business in
terests of Pensacola. Your secretary,
therefore, in accordance with instruc-
tons, appeared before the Railroad
Commission at its meeting at Mari
anna on August 10th and opposed the
cancellation of rates on commodities
in which Pensacola was particularly
interested. On December list the Rail-
road Commission issued an order de-
cIining to permit the railroad to cam
eel the commodity rates in which we
were interested.
"The supply of railroad cross-ties
available for movement through the
South Atlantic ports of Savannah,
Brunswick, Fernandina and Jackson
vile is rapidly diminishing and the
cross-tie people are turning their at
tention to the Gulf Coast with the
view of concentrating cross-ties at
some port over here. With the view
of securing for Pensacola the bulk of
this business your secretary began
correspondence, more than a year
ago, with the J.. & n. officials, ask
ing them to publish the same rates
on cross-ties as on lumber. After
some delay rates were published, but
they were higher than the lumber
rates Being unable TO obtain rates
that we believed to be reasonable we
accordingly took the matter up with
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. The case was heard in PEN
sacola on October u under the title
of G. S. Baxter & Co. VS.. Louisville
& Nashville Railroad Co. ct al, I. G.
C. Docket Nos. s045-s046, and is now
before the Commission for decision.
IF the case is decided in our favor
Pensacola viii probably take rank as
the largest cross-tie market in the
country within three years.
''Realizing that the development of
the agricultural resources of the |
county affects directly the prosperity |
of the city of Pensacola considerable
attention has been given to this
branch of the Chambers activities.
early in January last year we
brought into the county a representa-