The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-03


ports from central western territory
on a parity with rates from the same
territory to North Atlantic pots
1t is obvious fom this brief outline.
that the failure to establish rail rates
to gulf and South Atlantic ports from
the central western section OF the
country in line with those rates exist
ing in North Atlantic ports, has not
only retarded the development of
southern ports, but has deprived the
southern states Of the steamship trade
routes which would naturally follow
the flow of a heavy volume of export
freight from the central western sec
ton through those ports If the trans
portation charges thereon were on
parity with those applying to the
North Atlantic ports.
In consequence of the absence of
this flow of import and export traf-
fic through the South Atlantic and
gulf ports. these ports have not only
been deprived of the services of reg
ular steamship lines, which would
tend to induce manufacturers and
merchants to locate in the port cities
and in the interior immediate tribu-
tary to the ports. but it has deprived
the south of the revenue that comes
to them from the employment of lab
or in handling ships at the ports and
the large sums that are expended in
supplying and provisioning the ships
for their voyages, which, of course,
include the vast tonnage of coal which
is used in fueling the merchant ships.
Not only has the south suffered
economically from the discrimination
against it's ports in rail rates, but it
has also suffered economically from
the system of rates operated by the
United States shipping board from
North Atlantic ports versus gulf and
South Atlantic ports. the injustice IL
this respect being illustrated by the
following example: The rates rom
South Atlantic and gulf ports to Ha-
vana, Cuba, are the same they are
from New York and Boston, notwith-
standing that the distance from the
South Atlantic and gulf ports is many
hundreds of miles less than from New
York and Boston, and it can be proven
that the actual cost OF operating a
vessel in one case is about half what
it is in the other.
On the other hand, the rates from
South Atlantic ports to European
ports, when the distance is a small
percentage greater than the distance
ured by the total distance involved.
are very much higher than the rates
from the North Atlantic ports to the
same destinations. The shipping board
has partly recognized the injustice OF
this basis by establishing on coal, from
Charleston, s. c., to European ports.
the same rates as apply from HamD-
ton Roads and New York, and tn.
would seem to be more reason why
they should not, in the same manner,
accord the South Atlantic and gulf
ports a fair difference under the North
Atlantic ports when 1t can be shown
that the operating costs justify a diff
ference.
Therefore, from this description of
the existent situation, it is apparent
that the United States Railroad Adj
ministration should establish rates
from the central west including
Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota.
etc, on export traffic identical with
the rates applying from the same
points to North Atlantic ports, and
should require the lines north of the
Ohio river to divide said rates on an
equitable basis with the lines south of
the Ohio river. The United States
Railroad Administration have already
set a precedent for the equalization of
the North Atlantic port rates via the
South Atlantic and gulf ports by their
action in requiring the lines serving
Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsyl-
vania, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, ETC.,
to publish export rates to Pacific
Coast ports, which, in effect, on the
Oriental business and Australian bus
mess, equaliZe the through rates to
these countries via North Atlantic
ports: therefore, no question of new
policies on the part of the railroad
administration is involved in this de-
mand. The railroad administration
is not called upon to reduce their
revenues because the same rates will
apply to gulf and South Atlantic ports
as apply to North Atlantic ports, and
the earnings to the railroad admins
tration on the whole will be precisely
the same. The proposition merely calls
for the establishment of rates which
will permit the shipments to flow
through all our ports, instead of con-
tinuing to foster an artificial means
of directing the traffic through North
Atlantic ports and which practice has
been so disastrous during the war.
There is another great problem il
which the south is vitality interested