The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-07
GULF PORTS ASSOCIATION.

The meetings of the Gulf Coast Ports
Association. held in this city yester-
day, Is bound to be productive of
much good. I The awakening of the
business men of the gulf coast to the
fact that they have been too slow in
siezing upon the opportunities which
the gulf ports offer, will mean not
only an increased publicity which will
direct attention to these ports. but a
stronger organized force for port I'M
provement working for great recogni-
ton for this section of the South.
Commenting on this, the Tampa
Tribune says:
THE Gulf Coast Ports Association is
due to be formed and organized at
Pensacola Friday of this. week, Au-
gust 6. Its objects win be to organ
ize effort which will result in waking
the ports to their own needs If they
expect to become termini for roads
bringing to them and taking from
them, ship cargoess It will, also work
out plan whereby the territory nat
uraIly tributary to these ports will
grow into the habit of shipping
through these ports, and will induce
the rail transportation companies to
cease ali discrimination in rates
against these ports.
"A big program? 1t is; but none
larger than is needed. and not less
than the association will have to start
work on Immediately il 1t expects to
secure great results within a decade.
TN a recent address before the
North Florida Chamber of Commerce,
Commissioner of Agriculture w. A.
McRae, of Tallahassee, spoke on the
subject of port cooperation, and the
need Of Gulf port cities for modern
cargo. handling facilities. 1t was a
sound-sense talk; and from IL we take
a fragment which we deem the most
essential thing he told the meeting. He
said:
The most important consideration
before US is improving the facilities
of our ports for handling freight. Our
competitive position in foreign trade
has been strengthened by the construc-
ton of the Panama canal and by the
creation of a merchant marine. As
normal conditions of production and
trade throughout the world are re-
stored, our foreign cmmerce can be
held or extended only by meeting COM
petition and outstripping them in the
game of trade. To this end the elm
ination of unnecessary expense in dis
tributing the commodities is essential
When Tampa, or Pensacola, or Mo-
bile, or any other gulf port, can cut
the time that a steamship has to
spend at it's docks in loading and un-
loading, to material point under the
time required for similar labors at any
other port within a radius of several
hundred miles, that port so reducing
the time is going TO have all the traf-
fic through its gates that it can nan
die. OF course this elimination of
time in the port is dependant partly
on the speed with which the rail-
roads will be able to put cargoes on
the docks at sudden notice, or. the
quickness with which they are able to
deliver to destination, these cargoes.
$50, when we have analized Mr.. Nc
Rae's statements, we find that he has
told us to get busy with our lines of |
needed railroad, our needed docks and |
elevators. and modern loading and un-
loading appliances, and with the ware
houses that are needed to shelter car
goes going and to come.
Tampa has made a beginning in /
this line. 1t has been asleep to It's
duty along other lines touching this
port, such at watching against dis
or exclusion, but being
awake now it will take to itself with
special appropriateness. large part
of what Commissioner McRae advises.
The results will soon appear in more
ships and bigger cargoes-cargoes that
load vessel from the hole to its
decks from this port alone"
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