The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-27
nfEErING An EMERGENCY.


The people of the United States can
point with pride to the fact that no
difficulties too great to overcome ever
have arisen in this country. When it
has become necessary to meet an
embarrassing situation, we have met it
successfully. Action may be a little
slow at times but in the end we ar
rive. In accordance with this past
record the transportation problem is
being met.
It is pointed out by the Iron Trade
Review, for instance, that secondary
means Of transportation have come to
the front with surprising rapidity in
the iron and steel industry in Recent
months due to the extraordinary diff
culties of the railroads Use OF motor
trucks to convey rolled steel from the
mills to points where cars are obtain
able or thru the consumers plants.
has become so extensive that 1t may be
said this is one of the main factors
standing between a, large fraction of
industry and complete cessation.
Thousands of trucks are in service
turnout the country at a per1ton mile
cost, It is said, that is far in excess Of
ordinary transportation charges, all of
which is carried thru to the finished
product and, has upset production costs
accordingly. However manufacturers
are setting against this increase, the
advantages of keeping organizations
intact and of maintaining production
in view OF burdensome overheads.
~ lon,
which Is undergoing a decided stimu-
lation under prevailing conditions is
the use of inland streams. Many large
steel plants, particularly those in the
Pittsburgh and Wheeling districts, it is
reported, are finding their location on
large navigable rivers to be a source of
good fortune. Barge shipments are be-
ing employed effectively not only for
incoming coal and other raw mater
ials but for outgoing finished product.
While these various plants always
have taken some advantage Of their
river location in this regard, the slow
movement of river freight has caused
such carriage to be less seriously re-
garded in the past and main depend
ence to be placed on the steam lines
Now under force of circumstances and
with the prospect of inadequate rail
service for many months to come.
plans are being advanced by various
companies to develop the possibilities
OF river transportation such as never
! before.
Barge fleets are being materially en-
larged with the idea Of carrying out a
complete co-ordinated river service,
applying both to raw and finished ma
terials. One leading Monongahela
river works in the Pittsburgh district
now is constructing extensive dock IA
cilities for carrying on this program
Important plans for broadening the
use Of the Mississippi and its tribu-
taries, for connecting the Birmingham
district in the south with the gulf and
for similar developments elsewhere
bespeak an awakened national inter-
est in inland waterways.
A recent shipment of trucks from
Cleveland is cited to illustrate the COM
bined use of river and overland trans
portation. These trucks were sent un-
der their own power to Pittsburgh.
There they were loaded on barges and
sent down the Ohio river and up to st.
Louis, which was their final destina-
ton. It is apparent that Industrial
transportation now is going thru q
period OF readjustment out of which
some permanent changes of unusual
Importance are to emerge.