The Robesonian., 1917-12-24
Cut Out the Long Haul to Ports.
Wilmington Star.

Cut Out the Long Haul to Ports.
Wilmington Star.
The one effective way to build up
American commerce and develop ma
tional ocean and rail transportation
system would be toFscut out the long
haul railroad custom that nas built up |
certain ports and Disseminated against
others to the extent that they nave
had no opportunity to develop thell
possibilities. The old system has re-
suited in the over-development OF
few ports, with the result that the
war in Europe very quickly congest
ed every first and second rate port o.
the Atlantic.
TIE nations ocean and rail trans
portation system heretofore existing
has simply collapsed, and that is al
there is to it. It has failed to meet
/ the needs of the tremendous export
business of this country, and the evil
dence of it is a few hOpelessly con-
gested ports to which the commerce
Of a nation Of 100O00,0O0 population
has been rushed regardless Of sound
| transportation economics.
! The necessity for relieving the con-
gested ports has brought problem to
/ the government, and as matter OF
! course, it is the whole country's prob
| lena very grave one, too. Even the
government seems at loss how to
remedy the situation in Washington.
The Hon. A. W. Mclean, national
Democratic committeeman for North
Carolina advocates remedy in the
way Of utilizing the ports of Whining
ton, Charleston and Savannah for ex-
ports in order to take some Of the
burden off the ports that have more
business than they can handle. With
reference to Mr.. McLean's suggestion,
Mr.. Parker r. Anderson, the well
known Washington newspaper CORES
pondent, writes:
Gone way Of relieving the congest-
ed railroad traffic, according to Dem
ocratic National Committeeman A W.
Mclean, would be to utilize the ports
at Wilmington, Charleston and Savan-
nah for the expectation Of many arti-
cies now being sent and received by
rail at the eastern ports. II this plan
is adopted, Mr.. Mclean said, it would
; greatly relieve the terminals in New
Y ork and other northern ports, and at
the same time relieve the railroads by
having the goods delivered and receiv.
ed at nearer ports instead Of hauling
them all the way to New York, Phil
adelphia and other points"
Mr.. Mclean called attention to the
ample depth Of water at the port of
Wilmington for the handling of such
ships as are engaged in carrying mu-
, in Europe. It was his idea, at least,
that exports being hauled from South
ern ports to New York, Philadelphia
and other North Atlantic ports could
just as well be handled at South At
lantic ports instead Of railing them all
the way to ports already congested
Of course, there is merit in Mr.. Nc
Leans suggestion, and the Fayette-
vile Observer thinks this Of it:
"Mr. Mclean las spoken to the
point. We read in a newspaper not
very long since that the ports Of Viii
nington, Charleston and Savannah
:. lad been hit hard by lack Of business
since the beginning of the war, but
we cannot imagine what excuse car
be made for not utilizing them for ex
;, portation, as Mr.. Mclean suggests
Something drastic must be done with
out doubt; the railroads have moro
), = business than they can handle now
anu " nave CIlSlI1 SpOIG gOOQs
hundreds and often thousands of miles
= to a Northern or Eastern port whe1
there are three Southern ports rea7
= at hand, seems poor management"
- The government has failed to devel
,. op Southern ports as it should hav,
J done on national scale, but thes,
: ports do possess certain facilities tha
" would be of service to the governmen
=, - at this time, but the government can
q do it all. These ports could have Ion,
y y ago handled some Of the country's ex
: ports, but it requires the organization
- - that has never been attempted at
= single one of the South Atlantic ports
~ So far as commerce is concerned. tn
, government can do very little fo
Southern ports without the very nee
!, essary cooperation on the part of tn
~ ports themselves.
% If Mr.. McLean's suggestion can nc
i be carried out, why not? In answer
= ing that question, the ports have
"a n chance to make study that will b
W. worth something to them. 1t is CT
~ y rious, indeed, that they have not lon
~ since done so. 1t is the ports thu
w ought to do something "drastic".
:" is up to them more than it is UP to tn
, government