Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-11-28
Noe to DeUelob the SOuth5
Great Export Obb0rtnntt e!


freight rates from the Middle West to
South Atlantic and Gulf States should
mean q vast deal to the commercial and In
dustrial future OF those regions and much
to the interests OF the common country The
rates to be changed have had the effect OF
forcing into overcrowded ports like Ne"
York an immense amount Of tonnage WRch
naturally should move by way OF Southern
outlets such as Wilmington, Charleston, Sa-
vannah, Jacksonville, Mobile and New Or
leans. Thus shippers in the great central
manufacturing zone around points like To
ledo and Indianapolis might prefer to route
cargoes bound for Latin American markets
through South Atlantic or Gulf ports, that
being the shorter way. But they have been
discouraged from doing so by the TACT thai
heretofore railway rates have been liked with
a view to holding the flow OF traffic 10 hnes
running from the Middle West to the North
east so that Southern lines and consequently
Southern ports have been excluded from Dusl-
ness which under a less arbitrary order OF
things would have come to them. Some time
ago the railroad administration. after thor
ough survey OF the matter, decided that these
ineuuities should be set right, 1t is in &c
cordance with that decision that revised
freight tariffs are to be inaugurated, to the
end that Southern ports no longer may sur
fer this unjust discrimination and that ship
pers In the Middle West may choose, IL they
will, the shorter and more advantageous
route.
That this will work for the good OF the
common country is obvious when we notice
the undesirable results of attempting 10
crowd the greater part or the continent
ocean bound commerce through one or Two
| congested ports OF the North Atlantic. 4he
upshot OF that unnatural and lneIllclehI
course grew particularly distressful IN the
war period, when the glut OF export tra1nc
at New York frequently became unmaha3ca'
Bile and railway tracks for hundred miles
or more into the interior were filled with
cars which could not be moved, SO great was
the crush. The obvious remedy tor thla
wasteful and sometimes truly dangerous
condition OF affairs was wider utlllzatloh
of the Southern ports with their ice-tree mar
bors and their convenient rail connections
| with centers Of production not only in their
| own region but also in the Middle West. IL
was foregone that soon or late this sensible
! policy would be adopted, but not until the
| opposition OF those special interests which
profited by keeping export traffic tied arbi-
trarily to certain routes could be circumVent-
ed or broken down. The emergencies OF the
war; together with the substitution OF gen
| eral for individal control OF the railroad sys-
| tenn fastened the day of rectification. When
| the question OF getting supplies to Europe
| involved the lives Of American soldier boys
more hestancy in taking advantage Of the
aid which Southern ports afforded. And
| when the Federal Railroad Administration,
| with an eye single to efficient service, saw
| that certain rates were forcing along congest-
| ed Northern lines and through cOngeSted
Northern ports tonnage whose natural route
| lay through South Atlantic or Gulf outlets
there was no more hesitancy as to what
should be done. Mr.. Edward Chambers, d.
rector Of railway traffic under Government
| control, stated the reason and justice in the
case when he declared: eve have deter
! mined to treat the ports OF the country as a
whole instead OF as sectional affairs. We
want to eQualize port rates and charges as far
as we can, so that the great producing
sections Of the country can get to the sea
| ports at the lowest possible COST
Under the application of this wise and equi-
table policy Georgia and her neighbor States
| will have many golden opportunities. Not
only their ports but their interior country as
| we'll will benefit from being in main chan
mel OF world commerce. They will profit,
moreover, from the closer economic relation
ships which are certain to develop between
| them and the great Central Western section
| Of America. Most important Of all, their
own foreign trade interests, and the Indus
| trial and commercial growth dependent
thereon will be promoted-incalculably pro-
moted-as the ports wax In service and in
| fluence. These we say are the opportuni-
ties. But they will not yield the full OF their
| inherent richness unless the business energy
and foresight Of this region fall to cutivat1ng
them. Some profit, it is true, will come as
volunteer growth; but IL the harvest is
to be proportionate to the splendid possibill-
ties, there must be we'll organized we'll
directed effort The business leadership Of
| other regions, notably the Northwest and the
Mississippi Valley. already has perfected
strong organizations with a view to conserv-
ing and developing their foreign trade OPP
portunities. 1t Is highly behooveful to Geor-
| gia and her Immediate neighbors that they
support their own organizations for this pur-
pose-the South Atlantic Maritime Corpora
ton and the South Atlantic Export Com.
pany. For unless they have alert and de-
pendable agencies Of this character to look
out for their common interests in the matter
Of ships and rates and to develor the sources
OF export business, the larger fruitage of
the new opportunities will be lost. fertile
| beginning has been made. Let the strokes
continue steady and vigorous.