The evening world., 1920-07-21
WAKE UP, NEW YORK;

nouncement
It should stir New York into activity both to de-
feat the plaV and to prove it unenable
At the opening of the School Of Pan-American and
Foreign Shipping, Chairman Benson said:
In planning steamship service under the
new Transportation Act the Board proposes
TO break up the monopoly heretofore held by
a few Atlantic seapCCts. Services will be
maintained at American ports with view
to relieving congestion OF railroads and bring
ing goods to the seaports nearest the point
OF consumption.
Monopoly OF shipping heretofore held by
large seaports has retarded the development
OF the merchant marine. The bad facilities
for the loading and dscharging OF vessels
and the spirit OF indifference Of many COM
mercial interests has done much to curb
proper growth Of the shipping interests in
this country"
Such statement from such source should wake
up New York. II should put life into the City Hall
and the Legislative Chamber
Admiral Benson's statement is undeniabe as a
diagnosis of present ills. But his proposed remedy
is no less than astounding.
The Port of New York is not congested because
of lack of capacity It's congested because of failure
to develop the natural capacity 1t is congested be-
cause OF local political and commercial jealousies
and shortsightedness.
If the port were properly developed and mechan-
lied it could handle ALL the freight of the Atlantic
seaboard in an efficient expeditions and economical
manner instead of the half it now handles in an
inefficient, hating ard expensive way.
But suppose Admiral Bensons plans were carried
out. Suppose the monopoly were broken and the
freight divided among fifty minor ports, What
would be the RESULT
If such thing should come to pass no one of
the minor ports would have business to warrant
installation of the expensive mechanical aids to
efficiency. In place of half dozen inefficient big
ports in which the efficiency may be improved we
should have fifty portS-permanently and hopelessy
inefficient
II is only by the utmost in efficiency that Ameri-
can shipping with its high wage scale can hope to
compete with foreign nations.
If Admiral Benson'S vision should materalize, it
would necessitate rearrangement of railroad trunk
lines and feeders The expense would be enormous.
Railroad congestion in the New Jersey yards is not
caused by inability to transport goods to and from
this port The congestion is caused by inability to
unload and load the ears that come and are held in
the yard waiting for dock or storage space
Admiral Benson has not learned the lesson of
American business. When the Steel Corporation
undertook TO make steel from the iron ores of Mime
sofa and the coal of Pennsylvania, did it establish
a dozen different plants? 1t did not.
Engineers calculated the point at which freight
charges on coal plus freight charges on ore would
amount to the smallest sum per ton of finished steel
That point happened TO be waste stretch at the
south point of Lake Michigan There the Steel Cor
| poration located the town of Gary. Efficiency was
the first and only consideration
At Duluth the Steel Corporation concentrates all
the output of the Minnesota Iron Ranges, When ar
ore train arrives giant cranes pick up the cars and
dump them into specially constructed ships, Hant
labor is eliminated as far as poSSible-al with al
eye to efficiency.
In similar development lies Americas hope on tn,
] seas.
If any other single port could be developed to pro
vide greater final efficiency than the best develop
ment Of the Port of New York, then Admiral Benson
would have a good case. But when he talks o
dividing the shipping he ventures on buSnes
hereSy
Yet his scheme will be popular with proyincia
Congressmen. OF that we may be sure With shir
ping divided sufficiently, every Salt Creek ana Sco
land Neck will need development to accommodat
the ships that call Admiral Bensons scheme wi
appeal 10 every pork barrel deyotee in Washington
But Boston, New York AMI Philadelphia shoul
and must wake up ana teach Admiral Benson wher
he is wrong. His monopoly seaports must pro,
that they have a right to monopoly privilege on Ii