The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-11-20
n .iUaaI!. Ieuo!s.;o.It.IIoJ
Representative of Marine News
Says Pensacola's Progress Is
Retarded by Rail Companies.
OTHER PORTS
SUFFER ALSO
Policy of Companies Has Been
To Nurse Land Routes at Ex-
pense of Seaboard Cities.
D Il 'uol3uIgsgM

Pensacola has wonderful natural
advantages, one of the chief of which
is it's back country. Few ports in this
country have such agricultural or live
stock possibilities as this section en-
joys, and with the fine harbor here
and the possibilities which the back
country affords, it would be incredible
that Pensacola has not made even
greater improvement than I have
noted, were it not for the fact that
railroad interests have htrottled it, to
great extent.
Henry H. Read, of Read, Westcott
Company, marine merchants, of
nightNew York, who is in Pensacola
in the interest of the Marine News,
of which he is an owner, made this
statement in an interview last night
He believes in the future develop
ment of this section, but declares
ties here. Mr.. Read declared:
Il am frank to say that the devel-
opment of many Gulf and Atlantic
ports has been retarded as direct re-
suit of the attitude of the railroads,
against whose policy it was to develop
property for coastwise service, in op-
position to their lines, and the over
seas commerce has been neglected as
a consequence.
Railroads should be free feeders to
our shipping, for overseas commerce,
at all ports, without making a circuit.
GUS route, just as the roads feed the
docks in England.
"Pensacola's development, which
has been held back by short sighted
railroad policy, should rapidly i'm
prove, now that the railroads have
been taken over by the government.
'Your well paved streets and beau
what would be accomplished if Pensa-
cola enjoyed the advantages which
will accrue to her when railroad IA
cilities have been increased, as they
doubtless will be-" Mr.. Read, when
said: 81 am making
tour of the coast from New York to
Seattle, with view to getting closely
in touch with the ports of the country,
which we shall feature in an edition of
the Marine News.
"In this publication we shall tell the
story of the last epoch in shipbuilding,
as contrasted with two other eras-
that prior to 1860 and just following
the war between the states. In 1860
IIIS oAlCSO CLJOySQ on per Co1b
of the commerce of the world and
during the period that followed the
war this dripped to 16 per cent.
"In order to insure this country it's |
present percentage of commerce and
the further expansion of shipping, it |
will be necessary to enact important |
legislation.
1'The probability is, that for the
next we years or more, shipbuilding |
will be continued in the United States |
On large scale, but there is a strong |
that our maritime trade |
will have a retrograde movement un-
ess we work to prevent a control by |
European companies and American
combines.
81 shall visit the Pensacola ship
Yards today. I understand that the
Pensacola shipbuilding plant is one of
he finest in the country, modern in
every way, and thoroughly equipped"
Mr.. Read spoke in high praise of
he San Carlos hotel, which is, in his
opinion, one of the finest in the coun-
ry.