The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-06-18
BIG REDUCTION IN
FREIGHT RATES
JOINT RIVER AND RAIL
RATES BRING REDUCTION
OF 20 PER CENT.
MUST USE RIVER
New Rates Mean Much for CO.
lumber as JObbing and Dis
tributing Center-Will Help
TOmbigbee's Chances.

Columbus, along with the other
towns and cities of the upper Tombig-
bee river basin, have been allowed a
new joint river and rail rate on
freight, and the new rates are a re-
duction Of 20 per cent from the pres
ent rail rates.
The operation of the new rates will
mean the saving of hundreds of thou
sands of dollars annually to the peo-
pie Of Columbus territory.
They will give Columbus an added
prestige as commercial and jobbing
center.
The new rates mean that there will
be material reduction in the dis
tribution costs of some of the neces-
sites of life such as sugar, coffee and
rice.
1t was through the efforts of Col.
John P. Mayo, who holds an executive
position with the Mississippi Warrior
River section of the United States
Railway Administration with head
quarters at New Orleans, that the
rates were secured for the Columbus
territory.
When the new schedules were being
compiled he interceded in behalf of
Columbus and was successful in bring
ing the Columbus territory into the
affected area. The entire First Con-
gressional District of Mississippi,
which comprises the eastern half of
the upper Tombigbee river basin, is
included in the new rate area.
The differential between the rates
now paid and the reduced tariff on
rice, sugar, coffee and other commodi-
tics from Mobile and New Orleans
win run up into the thousands of
dollars annually and will put Colum-
bus on the map as jobbing and dis
tributing center.
All Of the tonnage which will come
under the new rate will be credited
to the Tombigbee river project, and
ultimately will mean that this stream
will be improved, and the fine steel
barges of the Mississippi Warrior sys-
TEN will navigate on the Tombigbee
up as far as Columbus the year
round. The writer, while recently in
the office of the Mississippi Warrior
System in New Orleans, was shown
an official map issued by the United
States Railway Administration, Divi-
sion of Inland Waterways, which
showed Columbus as the head of navi-
cation on the Tombigbee. While this
is only theoretically true it means
that this city is potentially the head
of the commercial navigation on the
river, and that the ultimate object
of the Inland Waters Division is the
improvement of the Tombigbee to
Columbus.
The new rates are long step for
ward in the Tombigbee project, and
the next logical move of the Inland
Waterways Division will be toward
the Tombigbee, it is believed.
A differential sheet of the new rates
on commodities from New Orleans to
Columbus and vice versa follows:
Rates in Cents Per 100 Pounds.
From Columbus to New Orleans
Hay, present rail rate, 10; new joint
river and rail rate 1876, differential
3.5; cotton; present rail rate SO, new
rate 81, differential IL; cotton seed,
present rail rate 21.5, new rate 1s,
differential 3.5.
From New Orleans to Columbus
Sugar, present rail rate 80, new rate
25.5, differential 6.5; rice, present rail
rate 80 cents, new rate 23.5, differen-
tial 6.5; coffee, present rail rate 51.5,
new rate 80. differential 12.5.
Following is the saving effected un-
der the new rates on estimated ton
mage from the First Congressional
District: On 100000 bales of cotton
at so cents per bale $4,000; 750,-
een Ans Of hay at cents bale
$450.000; $4,000 tons of seed at 81 a
ton ss50,OOO.