Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-24
City Probes Freight
Jam in NeuU York


erumcnt OFFICIALS allowed an average Of
twelve shiUs "a day to go to the port Of
New York for cuEoes during that pc
riod. This has had the effect OF adding
10 the freight Jam in that port, instead
of lcSscniug it.
In Philadelphia the reverse is true
During the entire five days only sixteen
ships arrived in this port five OF these
being i'm the coastwisC trade ana the
remainder being foreign. only thirteen
ships cleared this port In the sam"
period. two of them being foreign. Al
no time during the ive days were there
more than thirty ships tied up in the
harbor. ana none Of these was for want
Of coal.
While the New York jam was being
augmented by the arrival Of twelve
ships per day philadelphia. with its
port free for the handling Of ships, re-
ceived only a little uvcf an average Of
three a day. The capacity here is well
over the hundred m trk New York re-
ccivcd more foreign trade ships in one
dag than Philadelphia received tu the
five.
This will bc one of the subjects Of
ccrutiny by Director Webster. He and
others familiar with conditions here and
in New York believe that some Of those
twelve ships Z day should have been
diverted to the port Of Philadelphia,
where coal, standing idle on the tracks
awaiting entry into New York, could
clsily be made available.
Virtually all Of the coal used in the
port of New York must pass by rail
through Philadelphia, It's d,vortmg would
have been accomplished hy the simple
signing of an order to that effect. In
stead It has been allowed to stand IN
the way of other coal and other freight
and to add tn the congestion instead
Of relieving it,
ECONOMIC WASTE ENORMOUS
/ Business men of Philadelphia consult
| ed in the matter have all declared this
action illogical, to say the least. The
economic waste, through the idleness Of
/ men and equipment, all much needed, has
been enormous.
/ All this could have been avoided by
1 the expedlent of giving ships, idle In
New York. sufficient coal to allow them
/ to steam to Philadelphia,
Director Webster is backed In the
fight by all the business organizations
Of the city. The Chamber Of Conn
merce, the Bourse and the Maritime En-
change, through their presidents, have
all thrown the weight OF their influence
in baCl, of the movement. These or
ganzatiOns represent all the industries,
. business men and, shipping interests Of
Philadelphia.
All have declared that Philadelphia
can handle any ship now plying to and
from New York The pier facilities in
Philadelphia have been pointed TO as
being more efficient because of their
eliminating lighterage. Virtually every
- ipI, tbrp,tph hn
Of New York must be lightered from the
railroad terminals to the loading PIERS
Of the occan-going ships. This makes
/ added expense and Il loss of time. All
Of thus could be avoided. In philadel-
phia the belt line railroad In Delaware
avenue. with its siding connections to
the piers, does away with all lighter
age
The nmety-mile added rail haul to
New York Is also pointed TO AS being
an unwarranted waste of time ana
money, as well as of labor employed
In doing it.
The delay in transit between Phila-
delphiu and New York under present
conditions Is five days or more. All of
this could he saved by unloading the
ears as they pass through Philadelphia
instead OF giving them the added trip
to New York The time of the freight
I'm transit is not the only loss. Empty
ears are held up on their way back.
This is entirely illogical at this time
when manufacturers and miners are
crying out for more cars.
All have agreed that the only logical
solution for the whole eastern shipping
problem is to let the port Of Philadelphia
do its bit" In winning the war for the
United states. This can be done by
letting II handle all the freight from
its tributary territory. II has the equip
ment for doing this. All that Is nee es'
: sary now Is an order from the proper
, Government officials