Evening star., 1919-02-23
by WILL T.. KENNEDY.

bA W Il. NEsN Ephs
TINE railroad administration val
be called upon, it is declared
to answer to Congress FOL
driving coastwise shipping out
OF business.
Members OF the legislative body are
unable to make the administration
action III this regard square with the
policy outlined to Congress by Presi-
dent Wilson on December :. 1917
when he said:
What the country chiefly needs is
that all possible means of transpor-
tation should be developed--its rail-
ways. its waterways. its highways
and its countryside roads.
In the war crisis, " hen the railroads
virtually broke down because they
were una bile to handle the unprece-
dented burden OF traffic TO the coast
including the heavy haulage Of fueI
and lumber-coastwise and inland
waterways were called into Increased
service and made possible shipmeni
overseas of men. munitions and sup.
plies sufficient to win the war.
Traffic Monopoly Charged.
The United States government fol
the first time in history is building q
great merchant marine, intended foi
coastwise as we'll as trausoceanic
trade routes. and yet the railroad ad-
n To-
couraging the operations Of such q
service by monopolizing the traffic
business and making il improbable
to operate coastwise ships.
The railroad administration has hat
a 100000, 900 working fund, and now
has asked an additional special ap.
preparation of s75o,ooo. 600. which was
passed by the House on Thursday
1t has asked that the term of govern
ment control and operation should bt
extended for five years.
Before Congress decides what il
will order done about the railroads
there are many and influential mem
bers who propose to find out why the
railroad administration is driving the
coastwise steamship lines out OF
business. Trade organizations, cham
bers of commerce, producers and
commission houses, entire industries
governors, United States senators and
House members, representing the en-
tire Atlantic seaboard. have held con
ferenees and protested vigorously hui
without avail. Members OF Congress
now propose to have "showdown..
Not Sectional Issue.
1t is not a sectional issue. The
senators from Industrial New Eng
1and-frem New Hampshire, Massa-
chusetts and Rhode Island-are Just
as much wrought up over the matter
in the interests of their constituents
as are the senators from the raw
materials producing south-fron
Florida, Georgia. Alabama, Virginia
Every port on the Atlantic and gulf
coasts. from Boston to Mobile. is af
fected and stands to suffer heavy
loss Traffic experts representing
boards of trade and chambers of
commerce have come from these ports
TO Washington and through commit
tees of their senators have presented
to the railroad administration statis-
tics showing that with the boat lines
put out of business the cost of goods
in all lines will promptly and inevi-
tably be increased from 6 to 90 per
cent.
Senator Duncan Z. Fletcher Of Flor
ida, chairman Of the Senate commerce
committee. is one of the leaders who
cannot understand, the policy or prac-
railroad administration which has
brought about the present shipping
situation Senator Fletcher. not only
because he is chairman of the com
1nerce cimmittee. but because his
home state is suffering from the
threatened loss of big boat lines and
because he has personally partici-
pated in conferences with the rail-
road administration an dthe shipping
board in an attempt to patch up the
matter, is thoroughly familiar with
the facts and eager to help remedy
the situation.
Two Lines as Illustration.
Two boat lines which face being
forced to go out of business, and for
whose continued trade building serv-
ice Senator Fletcher has been fight