The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-14
HINES PROMISES TO
ASSIST WATERWAYS
Railroad Chief Sets Forth His
Views Fully for Senator
Fletcher.
WOULD ADJUST RATES
Tells of Work Accomplished;
Sees Best Chance With
Federal Control.
WOULD ADJUST RATES
Special DespotcA 10 TEE sux.


WASHINGTON. April 10. - Director
General Hines is in favor OF development
Of traffic on the waterways of the coun-
try as an integral part OF the national
transportation system. He has promised
TO make Joint rates between recognised
transportation companies on the New
YORK state Barge Canal and the rail-
roads at all common points
His position with respect to develop
ment OF the waterways IL fully set forth
In communication answering questions
put to him by Senator Fletcher of the
Senate Interstate Commerce Committee
Rnd other Senators and Representatives
interested In the waterways. This COM
munication was in part as follows:
cd. You ask as to the policy OF the
Railway Administration in the utiliza-
ton OF interior waterways for water
transportation and as TO the promotion
OF Interchange OF traffic between the
rail lines and the water lines, including
the matters of division Of through rates
and the issuance OF through bills Of
ladng.
at is my conviction that water trans
portatton lines. at least such as are
financially and physically equipped to
discharge the dutfes Of common car
riers and to effect transfers OF traffic on
an economically sound basis. should be
coordinated and correlated with the
whole transportation system Of the
country
This necessarily implies that there
should he no distractions to an inter-
change of traffic between rail and water
on terms substantially equal to those be-
tween rail carriers and that through
billing and through bills Of ladng should
be adopted under such conditions be-
tween the rail carriers and responsible
water carriers, but this Of course would
require that on such traffic the water
carriers would be subject to the act to
regulate commerce. I have reference OF
course 10 waterways with permanent
channels.
Many Problems Presented.
Each waterway and the service
thereon presents different problem: on
some waterways there 10 no responsible
organized transportation with which
traffic could be interchanged by the rail
carriers with any degree of regularity:
on others the absence of transfa" facN-
tiles would make the transfer OF traffic
between rail and water involve such
heavy labor cost as to render the rail
and water traffic hopeless from an eco
nomic standpoint.
ION others. including the present
Government projects. joint through rates
and billing have been or are In the
process of being arranged to and from
points which are reasonably tributary 10
the water lines. with the necessary di-
visions OF the revenue applicab TO each
party carrier. I attach great importance
TO making a success of the experiments
because I believe success there will
point the way to further developments
OF other vAterwayS. Hls'
"(2). You wieh to know the policy of
the Railroad Administration with refer
ence to increasing competitive rates and
the extent to which they will be- or
should be, increasedd In order to effect
Justice 70 water lines as well as to in
terror points.
THE attitude OF the Railroad Admin
is.ra ton with respect to the relation be-
tween water and rail competitive rates
II that the rates should bear relation
to each other proportionate to the cost
and desirability of the service by the
respective routes and methods OF trans
portation. There Is no doubt that in
the past the relations between the rail
and water rates have not always been
determined on this basis and that appli-
cation Of this principle VIII necessitate
modification of some existing rate ad-
Justment.
we have, however, to deal with an
existing rate structure which In most
cases Is many years old as to the gen.
eral relationship between rates and TO
which irrespective OF whether the rate
structure is altogether sound or not the
commercial and manufacturing interests
have largely adjusted themselves no that
any general radical and quick remodel
ling of rate relationships would be ex-
ceedingly disturbing to business interests
and 10 many communities,
Rate Changes Dangerous.
Furthermore a change in the rela ton
ship between any two rates necessarily
chnages the relation of one or both of
them to all of the other rates OF the
country and the business of the country
transacted at each business centre is so
interviewer with that transacted at
others that the effect OF change in rate
relationship may be widespread and
seriously affect the interests of COM
munities not at all directly Interested
IN the situation on account OF which the
81. -IA To-, rnIo D t<y,u I.l. ts,