Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-07-22
Justice for Southern Ports.

fair and unreasonable inequalities I'M
der which the ports of the South as COM
pared with those of the North Atlantic lave
labored, means vast deal to the commercial
and industrial future OF this region and also to
the larger interests of the common country.
These inequalities have to do in the first in
stance with freight rates from the interior
to the seaboard, and next with ocean rates
from the seaboard to Latin American destina-
tions.
The freight tariffs in question have been
such as to force into the overcrOwded termi-
nails of port like New York an immense
amount of tonnage which naturally should
move by way of Southern outlets like Will
mington, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville,
and New Orleans. For example shippers in
the great central manufacturing territory Of
which points like Toledo, o. and indianapolis,
Ind, are pivots might wish to route their car
goes to Latin American through South Allan
tic or Gulf ports, that being the shorter way.
This they have been unable to do, however,
because the railroads of that territory, being
interested in holding the flow OF traffic to
theif own lines to the Northeast, established
rates which had the effect virtually excluding
Southern lines and consequently Southern
ports from business to which the latter were
entitled. The Railroad Administration now
agree that this inequity should be and shall
be made right. Accordingly, rates from the
interior to the coast will be equaliZed, or re-
adjusted, to the end that Southern ports may
have at least a fair chance and that shippers
may choose, if they will the shorter and more
advantageous route.
Likewise there is to be a readjUstment of
ocean rates so that cargoes originating in the
South and destined for Latin America will
mo- through Southern ports instead of, as
is now so frequently the case, taking the far
longer and quite unnatural route of the North
Atlantic. 1t seems passing strange that con-
signment of goods for, say the West Indies
or Panama, should start from Georgia fac
tory go the long rail haul to New York and
thence be shipped by water down the sea-
board past Savannah and Brunswick, when
it could have gone directly through one of
thos} last mentioned ports at great saving
of distance and time. Yet the ocean transport
tation rates have been so arranged as to null
lily the advantage which Southern ports have
by virtue of their proximity to Latin Ameri-
can markets and to favor the North Atlantic
outlets at the expense of common justice and
common sense. Protests against this order
of things have been met in the past by the
assertion that Southern ports lacked ships;
and then, when these ports would ask for the
ships, they would be told that they had not
signed them-as if it ever would be possible
business enough to warrant ships being as
to develop the business without the ships. But
this vicious circle of reasoning has no appeal
for the United States Shipping Board. On the
contrary, Chairman Hurley gives definite as
surance that the unreasonable ocean rates
shall be rectified and that enough ships shall
be allocated to the Southern ports to handle
all their commerce.
His view and that Of the Railroad Admin
istration as we'll was succinctly stated
by Mr.. Edward Chambers, director of railway
traffic under Government control, when he
said to delegation of Southern business
men, Senators and Congressman in Washing
ton last week: I'VE have determined to
treat the ports of the country as whole in
stead 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 seaport at the low
est possible cost. We have had this matter
under consideration for some time and while
there are some minor difficulties in the way,
we believe that you are substantially right in
your contention that inequalities as between
sections OF the coast should be elimlnat-
ed" .
The readjustments thus promised mean a
vast deal to the larger interests of the COM
mon country as we'll as to the SOUTH we say,
because the old practice of trying to cram the
greater part of the entire country's ocean
bound commerce through one or two con-
gested North Atlantic ports has been truly a
national menace The commodious, we'll
equipped, ice-free ports of the South Allan
tic and the Gulf should be utilized for the
good of all America as we'll as in justice to
the interests Immediately concerned.