Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-26
PORT'SUSE URGED
BY TRADE BODIES
Committee Making Com
plete Survey of New York
and Philadelphia
WILL WRITE TO MADoO
Trigg Shows Economic Waste
in Sending Freight for Fol-
eign Shipment Through City

The emergency commercial commit
tee on transportation Of the Allied Trade
Bodies of Philadelphia has prepared
letter TO send to Railroad Director Cen
erai McAdoo urging upon him the use
OF the port OF Philadelphia to relieve
The shipping congestion in New York
ana the eastern freight tanglc.
ERNEST T. Trigg, president of the
Chamber of Commerce, Is chairman Of
this committee. f1e announced today
that the committee is making a through
private investigation Of the port 'l
Philadelphia and the port of New York.
He would not divulge the names of the
investigators, but said that they are men
wen versed in shipping conditions Their
report will show in detail the conditions
preyaiiing in New York and those in
the port Of Philadelphia.
The committee has agreed that the
facilities Of this port are not being use"
to'copoety in getting supplies 70 Europe
Mr. Trigg has already given public ut
terance TO his feelings ON the Subje' ''
TIeshas declared that the economic waste
In shipping foreign freight through Phil
adelphia by rail to New York is coll
ossal
He mas pointed out that there has
been no logical reasou--or even excuse
--given for not utilizing the excellent
facilities available here.
This morning he reiterated his for
mer statements and added:
.The committee OF which ! am chair
man has decided to go after this mat
ter with all the force that 1t can pUt
behind It.
"we are going to see that Philadcl-
phia receives justice. We are going to
urge the Government authorities i'm
charge Of shipping to allow Philadelphia
to make ali Of her facilities available
for the successful prosecution Of the
war
MAKING SURVEY OF PORTS
.'we are not. however, going into
this thing bEndly. We are having Il
thorough investigation MADE or the port
here and in New York. We are going
10 have all the facts before US before
we place our case.
"In the meantime, we are sending a
letter TO Mr.. McAdoo, asking him To-
send us more ships to handle foreign
freight, 50 that immediate relief might
be given to the freight jam that IS Tying
,fp industry and hindcring the manu-
facture and shipping Of supplies ana
it.onary forces and the troops OF inc
! Atiies.
.sWhen we have before MS the results
Of our investigation We viii decide on
future steps in the movement. cannot
ntQthis time say what they Will be
Y6h may be assured that they will be
asSforceful as it is possible to make
them"
AR Trisg did not say whether the
case would be carried first to Mr. Nc
Adoo. in Washington. or to his assistant
A H Smith, in New York. There is
also possibilities of the case being car
---s-ied to the United States shipping
Board (which has control over the ton
mage tISlt is taken across the seas after
II Is placed on the piers OF various sea
ports.
Goo.ge :. Webster Of the Department
Of Wharves. Docks and Ferries, said
there had been no further developments
from his "trip to New York last Thurs
day He has asked Edward T. Garry
operating director Of the Emergency
Fleet Corporation, United States ship
ping Board, for an interview, and IL
awaiting word from him before going
TO Washington. The Director expects to
hold this conference some time next
week. The Director also expects to go
10 New York again TO see Mr., Smith.
Mr.. Smith was called to Washington
last Thursday and the Directors con-
ference with him was cancelled. The
plan for the use of the port of Phila-
delphia was placed before NJ. J. Algeu.
secretary to Mr.. Smith for reference
to his chief.
ADMIRAL PRAISES PORT
Strong support for the claims Of Phil
adelphia for its share Of the Government
shipping of the country has been given
by Rear Admiral +. T. Bowles, of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation, who. in
his evidence before the House COM
niittee on Merchant Marine and Fisher
les, criticized the failure to utilize the
facilities Of this port and attributed
that failure to the fact that "a group
of rich men have sought to make the
port of New York the greatest in the
world"
ADMIRAL Bowles declared that the
Philadelphia port offers great advan-
tages for shipping, and said that its
advantages had not been commensurate
with its possibilities. He urged an early
Appropriation of S5O.O00.O0O to enable
the Emergency Fleet Corporation to
speed up its shipbuildlng program.
Representative Edmonds, Of Pennsyl-
vaida, also had some interesting views
on the advantages Of the PHILADELPHIA
port. and told the committee that much
OF the freight congestion could be re-
lieyed by diverting rail shipments from
New York TO Philadelphia, where he
said about 80 per cent Of the wharves
are idle.
NEEn AJRpIANE ENCINCEDc