The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-03
Sen. FLETCHER
URGES REVISION
RAILWAY RATES
FLORIDA SENATOR WANTS LONG
STANDING DETERMINATIONS IN
FAVOR OF NORTH ATLANTIC
PORTS REMEDIED.
eY GEORGE 4. MANNING.

Washington, July 2.-The necessity
for establishment by the United
States Railroad Administration of the
same rates on export traffic from the
central west, including Western Penn
syIvania, Ohio, Indiana. Michigan, llli-
nois, Iowa and Minnesota, to The gulf
and South Atlantic ports Us arc
charged from the same points to The
North Atlantic ports, was fully and
forcefully presented to Walker D..
Hines, director general of railroads,
n few days ago by Senator Fletcher,
OF Florida.
The gulf and South Atlantic ports
cannot expect to e:eive their share of
export tonnage, Senauor Fletcher urg
ed, so long as the railroads, by self
ishIy refusing to- join :he southern
lines in the fixing of advantageous
rates 20 southern and gulf ports, COM
pei all exporters to use the North
Atlantic ports. even on shipments TO
Central and South America.
Senator Fletcher considers il very
important to have these rates fixed
before the railroads are turned back
TO their owners. because then several
months, and perhaps years, he thinks
may be required to secure favorable
action through the interstate COM
merce commission.
Senator Fletcher's argument, synop-
sis of which was printed in the jour
nal, was as follows, in detail:
For many years the eastern trunk
lines, operating from and to North
Atlantic ports and the states OF ONO
Michigan, Indiana and that territory
reached by their rails north of the.
Ohio river, steadfastly refused as a
whole to establish rates of freight
on export traffic from the territory
in question to South Atlantic and
gulf ports. This policy of the east
eru trunk lines was obviously self
ish one, designed to force the great
movement of export traffic over their
long haul to the North Atlantic ports
and in this way avoid sharing the
earnings with the carriers operating
south of the Ohio river. In these de-
signs the eastern trunk lines nave
been very successful. as is substan-
tiated by the records of the various
ports, which show the bulk OF the ex-
ports from the central west has moveo
through North Atlantic ports and has
thus DETECTED from it's natural chan
neIs which in very large measure
lie through the gulf and South At
lantic ports, particularly when the
The concentration of freight ship
ments for export at North Atlantic
ports and which. as above explained.
is primarily due TO the selfish poll
cies ,f the eastern trunk lines in re-
fusing to join the southern lines in
the establishment and operation or
freight rates to gulf and South At
Iantic ports in line with those pre-
vsiling TO North Atlantic ports, has
In turn forced the ALLEGATION at North
Atlantic ports. by the United states
shipping board, of hundreds of steam
ships, a large proportion of which
would have been allocated to South
Atlantic and gulf ports were 1T not
for the discrimination of rates in favor
OF North Atlantic ports as is refer
red to.
Therefore, these determinations in
inland rates have made it impossible
TO first-establish steamship lines
from gulf to South Atlantic ports
to various countries of the world, par
rIcularly to Latin America; second
have retarded the upbuilding of the
gulf and South Atlantic ports facili-
ties as a whole, in that the volume
of traffic moving through these ports
in many instances requires but a part
OF their present facilities to handle
same, that is to say that the port ia
cilities of the South Atlantic and gulf
ports. as a whole. are used to but
fraction of their present capacity;
third-have made ii necessary to route
southern products to various ports
throughout the world to North At
lantic ports, by reason of the made
Quate sailing and service from south
ern ports, which sailings and serv-
ice, as above explained. could be au-
Dramatically established were the in