The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-02-04
PORT DISCRIMINATION.

The annual report of the export control com
mittee, recently made public, and list of diver
sions of tonnage from eastern to South Atlantic
and Gulf ports denotes discrimination against
Pensacola
''The results accomplished have been crafty
ing particularly the willingness of the allied gov
ernments to utilize southern ports, this permit
ting the department to concentrate or
northern ports in connection with troop move
ments'
The partial list of diversions included:
Cotton, tobacco and dunnage lumber for New
England also northern ports for exports
through South Atlantic and gulf ports and coast
wise steamers.
Flour for account of the food administration
December ALLEGATION of this commodity was for
ty thousand tons to South Atlantic and fifty
thousand tons to gulf ports.
"Steel and pig iron to Savannah and New Or
leans, also to other ports"
"Steel and pig iron to Savannah and New Or
leans, also to other ports"
The increased sailings included two British
liners per month from Mobile five French YES
sells from Savannah, and eight from New Orleans
to French ports and numerous British sailings
from Brunswick, Jacksonville, Galveston and
Port Arthur
The report noted that in September the British
government cleared through South Atlantic and
gulf ports approximately 1873 per cent of their
total listings of 088, 459 tons AIT, 347 tons.
Movement of cotton by coastwise steamers
would have approximated 100000 bales in the
current season had the restrictions against all
rail movement to North Atlantic ports not been
removed following the signing of the armistice.
Provisions for storing 100000 tons of bunker
coal has been made at Charleston by the navy
department to relieve congestion at Hampton
Roads.
If this report, sent broadcast throughout the
country through the Associated Press, is
rect-and only official and substantiated state
ments disseminated through the A. P.-why
is it that the port of Pensacola was Disseminated
against. And if this port not Disseminated
against, why is it not included in the report sent
out from Washington?
Again and again The Journal has called atten-
ton to the fact that the government should be
urged to use this port, and that some means
should be used to bring to this harbor it just
proportion of tonnage.
On the occasion of the visit of the Secretary
Director of Railroads, William Gibbs McAdoo to
Pensacola, his assistant, Oscar A. Price said eff
Pensacola does not get its just share of tonnage
it is not the fault of the railroads the govern
ment BUT 1T IS THE FAULT OF THE MEN OF
YOUR CITY"
Mr.. Price said that the way to get tonnage
was to advertise the resources and advantages of
this port, NOT TO THE GOVERNMENT; NOT
TO THE RAILROADS; NOT TO THE SHIP
BUILDERS, BUT THE SHIP WNERS
1T is the man who owns the ships, who is the
one to say through what port the cargo is to be
TAKEN" said Mr. Price.
This is true of some cases, but not of govern
ment tonnage. But the thing to do now is not
to bewail the fact that we have not had our share
of tonnage in the past, but to go out and get our
share for the future.
Something should be done, and at once
Pensacola needs more docking facilities. Pen
sacola needs more railroads. But, most of ALL
Pensacola needs fewer politicians and more pub
lic-spirited men. Men who will go out after bus
mess and get it and keep it after it is secured.
Pensacolians remember the day when ships
of every nationality in the world rode at anchor
in this harbor When this ports business was
ten times what it is today. And the facilities
then were less than they are So it would
seem, in the final analysis, and it is men more
than means that needed
Let us get on the job and stay on the job I'M
til Pensacola has come into its own again.
a rOnOIith in the shane of a DVranid cll+