The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-18
OUR MARITIME TRADE.


proposed to Immediately get back Of
the movement for municipal docks for
Pensacola, has been received with
general satisfaction by all interested
in the early building of these docks.
Through the merchant marine of the
Shipping Board the South is coming
into its own, and is fast realizing the
development of which it is capable.
This is shown in increase in popula-
ton, wealth, business and industries
of the southern ports and of the ag-
ricultural sections.
With the revival of the merchant
marine has come increased facility in
handling commerce, and the develop
ment of New Orleans. which has fol-
lowed it's increased port facilities
suggests the value of modern machin-
cry as applied to southern ports.
New Orleans is getting most of the
new merchant marine.
Nine months ago there were not IS
Shipping Board vessels sailing into The
Gulf of Mexico. Now there are 1874
Gulf ports, will be put into the Gulf
trade as soon as completed. They
range from 5000 to 5000 tons.
Only the North Atlantic division has
more Shipping Board ALLEGATIONS than
the Gulf division. The North Allan
tic division, including New York,
Norfolk, Baltimore. Philadelphia. Bos-
ton and Portland, has 615 vessels. The
Gulf division. including New Orleans.
Pensacola, Mobile and Galveston and
other Texas ports, has 184. Half OF
it is allocated to New Orleans.
The increase in tonnage has been
in greater proportion in the Gulf di-
vision than in the North Atlantic, il
Illustrating how rapidly this region is
forging to the front.
The total seagoing merchant marine
of the United States on June 80 con-
sisted of S404 vessels of 11,278,741
gross tons Of this the Shipping Board
owns 1902 vessels OF 6,232,246 gross
tons. OF the total owned by the Ship
ping Board, 675 of 2,521,712 dead
weight tons are vessels of less than 500
tons each.
The tonnage at present controlled
by the Shipping Board. exclusive of
vessels operated by the army, are dis
tributed in various trades as follows:
Thirty per cent in Northern Europe,
cent in Africa, 1 u per cent in trans
Pacific, IL per cent in South America,
8 per cent in West Indies and Carib-
bean, per cent in domestic service,
per cent in operating between for
eign ports.
In the report made by Admiral Ben
son, Chairman of the Shipping board,
in which the statement was made that
the board proposes to break up the
monopoly held by the Atlantic sea-
ports, we find the following paragraph:
Services will be maintained at
American ports with the view to re-
lieving the congestion of rail-
roads and of bringing goods to the
seaports nearest the point of consump-
ton. Monopoly of shipping hereto
fore held by large seaports has re-
tarded the development of the mer-
chant marine THE BAD FACILI-
TIES FOR THE LOADING AND DIS
CHARGING OF VESSELS AND THE
SPIRIT OF INDIFFERENCE OF
MANY COMMERCIAL INTERESTS
IN THIS COUNTRY. BY logically
spreading shipping, the spirit of COM
petition will be aroused among the
various sea-ports of this land, to the
advantage of ALL"
That is, all which have the proper
facilities. No other conclusion car
be drawn from this report, after q
careful reading.
At the close of the fiscal year June
80, 1920, IL direct service lines of car
go vessels, employing 1874 Shipping
Board vessels of S60,180 deadweight
tons. had been establishing in trading
between United States ports and Gen.
trail and South American ports. The
principal linesEare operating from At
lantic and Gulf ports to the East Coast
of South America. In this service the
| Shipping Board has established q
lines, operating "a vessels of 64S, 500
lightweight tons. During the month
| of May, 1920, 10 vessels of 104,974
! lightweight tons carried 54,907 long
tons of cargo to ports on the East
Coast of South America from Allan.
| tic and Gulf ports.
| From Atlantic and Gulf ports to the
| West Coast of South America 10 di-
rect service lines are operating q
vessels of 1885 lightweight tons o.
! Shipping Board vessels.
| From the Pacific Coast four direc
service lines are operating to ports
on the West Coast of South America
four vessels of 21.S0o lightweight tons
of Shipping Board vessels.
/ To the East Coast of South America
from. the Pacific Coast ports one line
/, is operating two vessels of $4,000 dead
/ weight tons.
To Central American ports there are
three lines established operating IS
| vessels of 1880 lightweight tons.
This goes to show that business /.
| rapidly being diverted to Gulf ports
But is is going to those ports. which
have the proper and necessary facili
| ties, 1t would be ridiculous indeed Il
| divert traffic from New York and 9th.
| er Atlantic ports, because those port.
| could not adequately handle such traf
| fic. to Gulf port which had no pub.
lie wharves, and where shipments mus
| wait on the within of individuals OF
| corporations.