The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-07-19

LCoSS, VI lAc SCildIc lOl SloE icldL LlpilS
committee was understood TO be one
Of the fifteen Republican senator's
with ahom the president desired es-
pecially to confer.
ly broken down during the war from
J the load that was imposed upon it.
New York, he said, had been choked
up like a funnel with goods bound in
and out, while at the same time the
South Atlantic and Gulf ports, with
every facility for handling foreign
| trade, had borne the appearance Of
being on holiday"
This anomalous situation was due
only to one thing" he declared,
namely, the ability of the powerful
Eastern trunk lines to secure and
maintain railroad rates from the West
! to New York which were lower than
the rates to the Gulf and South Allan
tic ports. We do not ask for favor
itism; all we ask is that these ports
be allowed to compete with New
York on an equal basis.
Look at the preposterous condi-
ton in the South now. The South
has goods to ship North, but no cars
TO ship them in. And why has it no
Iscars? Solely because the bull. OF the
countrys traffic to the seacoast now
goes to the North Atlantic ports. in
stead OF being distributed equitably
through the South Atlantic and Gulf
ports
Luther NJ. Walter of Chicago de-
clared that tn. three sections repre-
sented-the Nj, lie West, the Gulf
ports and the South Atlantic ports
had sunk all their differences and
were absolutely q unit. The Middle
West, he asserted. needed more gate
ways, especially to the Panama Ca
nal and to Latin America, and the
port cities were entitled to fair
chance with New York for this for
eign trade.
Give the shipper from, Ohio. IN
diana and Illinois his choice Of the
most economical route to foreign
markets ne declared. Remember
ne has got to compete in the worlds
markets with other countries. Don't
| load him. at the start, with need
less and UNJUST burCen.
Remember, TOO, that the cost Of
moving freight through the South is
less than through the North. Remem-
ber, too, that it costs far less 10 han
die freight at Southern port than
i, does in New York"
Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia re-
minded Directors Chambers and The
Ian, who were hearing the argument,
! that the roads to the South Atlantic
ports had earned better dividends
than other properties enjoying more
; favorable rates and argued that the
rates could we'll be lowered to meet
those Of New York.
Another factor for your consider
alton" he continued, lis the fact
that these Southern ports are open all
the year around and the railroad lines
to them are never winter-bound. They
have cheaper terminal facilities to
offer you and docks which, unlike
i-those oc New York. are free from
congestion
Senator Simmons Of North Carolina
told the directors that the country's
troubles during the war grew out of
the artificial conditions growing out
of the unfair advantage enjoyed by
the eastern trunk lines.
"In the days before the war" he
said, 'they had immense influence ard
they shaped things to suit themselves.
But today the railroads are paid for
by the people and are run by the peo-
pie and in the interests Of the peo
pie.
He asserted that former Director
General McAdoo had told him that
tho only reason the administration
did not divert more traffic to the
Southern ports was that all the avail
able shipping was tied up with the
Nofth Atlantic ports, condition
which. the senator pointed out. no
longer obtains.
Senator Gore told the directors
that the old system of figuring rail
road rates was all wrong.
There is TO economic reason" he
said why a single bushe Of grain
from Oklahoma or Kansas or South
err Nebraska should pass through
New York. The natural and economic
channel for that grain is through the
Gulf or the South Atlantic ports.
Senator Ransdell gave it as his
opinion that the relative isolation of
the Southern ports WAS due, not to-
natural economic causes for there
were none, but solely to the unfortu
nate cleavage produced by the Civil
War.
Produce ought to be moving north
and south instead of east and west,
he asserted. Prior to the Civil War
that is the way it did move. New
Orleans was one of the greatest ports
N the caI1ntrY-S Savannah and Char