The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-11-26
PORTS ARE RUNNING


Recent developments at Pensacola and other south
in every phase of maritime business and the follow
ing editorial comment from the Southern Marine
Journal, makes excellent reading:
The development of the inland waterways systems
neglected during the war, is being pushed tc
completion by dredging out every link which had
not been already finished. Deepening of channels
now in to permit of bigger steamer traffic.
is being planned for the Savannah and Altamaha
Rivers in Georgia and for the Warrior, Tombigbee
and Coosa systems in Alabama. A survey of the
river system has just been made in Alabama and is
in progress in Florida, while in Georgia the boards
of and traffic committees interesting them
selves in deepening waterways The network Of Ia
goons. bayous and small streams in Texas and
Louisiana almost connected up and those who
first sponsored the project since the close of the
war, again agtatng the completion of canals con-
Meeting these natural water courses
With the gradual withdrawal OF the Emergency
Fleet Corporation in progress hundreds of privately
owned shpyards, Communicated measure
for supplying quick transportation vessels, are
emerging from their wartime obscurity. New ship
building companies are being formed. Dry docks are
being aoated for the immense amount of repair work
to be done in all active ports.
Southern yards already equipped for such work
are being. oyerhaued by their owners and prepare
tions being made for period OF unparalleled
activity in shipbulding.
The peace time demand is enormous. It is not
even outweighed by the war time necessity.
Then the cry was for speed; the clamor is
for tonnage.
Storage facilities, warehousing accommodations,
wharfage and towage are among the requirements
for harbor business which the South has to face.
Every week finds companies organized to take
of just such situations From Baltimore to
Brownsville, there is not a port which has not,
within the past three weeks taken forward step in
the way of harbor development, either by deepening
channels, at Mobile; completing dry docks, at
Galveston; or building warehouses, as at Beaumont.
Back Of all the companies being formed,
usually found older institutions, well able to
stem the financial stress OF launching venture.
The men at the heads of the companies are either
veterans who have weathered the storms of port
development from its very inception; they are
young bloods filled with enthusiasm and, realizing
the possibilities at hand, eager to get in on the
ground floor of what is to be- in the opinion Of
wiseacres, a of prosperity the like of which
was never seen in shipping circles of the South.
They surveying the situation, inaugurating
trade excursions to South America, Central America
and Mexico; they are giving Cuba the once over and
sizing up the Pacific Coast situation; they sent
their representatives to Washington to look after
the needed legislation and free port claims and they
have schemed for vessels from the Shipping Board.
They found that propaganda was needed and have
launched publicity campaigns which in few in
stances were found to be premature because of a
lack Of storage and wharfage space. Correcting
these oversights they have started all again,
telling the world about their ports.
Their persistence has had its effect Trade is
pouring in from foreign countries and coastwise
shipping is enormous.
Forever bobbing up was the rate question. The
activity of the who put vim into the shipping
business of the South since the war was really an
education to the men themselves. They had been
working for years to get the right kind of rate
cessions for their ports but when they sister
harbor churning with the cream of the trade, some
thing had to be done-and at once.
Result: Better and satisfactory rates !;
Southern ports in fair competition with other ship
ping centers
Under various names, specially formed trade
porations being formed and the best business
men in the ports behind Them With agricul-
tura products and the output Of the factories pour
ing into these concentration points, and with for
egn countries clamorng for these cargoes Southern
ports facing transportation problems which
the ingenuity and business ability Of the
Souths best brains. This has brought about a re-
adjustment of the shipbuding business and with
the South's proximity to ship material, tonnage
should be supplied in the near future
In the meantime the ports are humming.