Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1921-12-15
NATIONAL RIVER
AND HARB0RS
CONGRESS

morrow morning Cne Interstate COu-
merce Commission will began a gen.
eral investigation into freight rates
and the financial situation of the rail-
roads. The increase in rates ordered
under Elk Parte IA was expected and
intended to give the roads the 6 per
cent return authorized by the Trans
portation Act of 1920, but nothing
of the kind resulted, the net revenues
of the roads during the year that these
increased rates have been in effect
having been only trifle more than
half the amount named.
The present rates are, in general,
twice as much as those in force in
1914, and the claim has been made by
shippers in all parts of the country
that these rates are the cause of the
decrease in railway revenues because
they are so high that they have pre-
vented tn emovement of traffic. For
a time this was strenuously denied
by spokesman for the railway but ofo
late their position has been somewhat
modified, as is indicated by the pend
ing application for ten per cent
reduction in rates on agricultural pro-
ducts.
Taking the wording of the order
for the hearing and the list of ques-
tions constituting the program, it is
evident that the Commission has open
ed the way for the consideration of
anything and everything relating to
freight rates and their effect not only
upon the revenues of the RAILROADS
but upon the business of the country.
A bulletin just issued by the National
Rivers and Harbors Congress contains
an interesting and instructive general
5zation which gives a good indication
of the effect of freight rates upon bust
ness. A quotation from this bulletin
follows:
IAN English writer said, 1t is not
mileage, but cost of transportation,
that constitutes the true commercial
measure of distance The statement
of rhe English writer is true, and it
therefore becomes of interest to COM
pare the cost of transportation by diff
fereut methods. 1t must be under
astoo dthat the figures which follow
relate to the period before the Great
War.
Comparative Transportation Costs.
1.-The experts of the Agricultural
Department estimate the cost of trans
porting ton of freight distance
of ! mile by horse and wagon, on the
average road in the United States,
at % cents. In England, where the
roads are much better than most of
those in this country and where much
attention has been given to the>dev
opment Of what the English call
steam lorry and we would call steam
truck, it is said that goods can be
carried for cents per ton per mile.
s'The average rate on all the rail-
roads in the United States for num-
her of years was about 1-2 mills
Ser ton per mile, but special group
of roads can be selected upon which
the average wa sabout 5 mills.
ssOn the Erie Canal in recent years
the ton-mile rate ha sheen about $
mills, while on certain canals in Eu-
rope (notably the Teltow Canal, near
Berlin), which are deeper and wider
and on which electric or other mecha-
nical systems of haulage are used'
Ahe rate is two mills.
4..The official records kept at the
$500 show that the average rate on
freight carried into and out of Lake
Superior in 1918 was two-thirds Of a
mill per ton-mile, while coal was habi-
fually carried from Buffalo to Duluth
and was often carried from Pitts
sooreh to New Orleans, for one-third
of a mill per ton per mile.
"These are microscopic figures; il
will be well, therefore, to translate
them into something with which the
average business man is more familiar
Suppose you have ton of freight tc
ship and i dollar to spend in shipping
it. How far will the dollar carry tne
ton by these different methods and q
xhese different rates Of transporta
Eion?
"By horse and wagon, little Owe
a miles; by English steam truck, z
miles; by rail, at the average rat
Cor the United States railways, III
miles; at the rate on the group OF &c
lected railways, 200 miles; on the Err
Canal, 1888 miles; on the European
canals, 500 miles; BY lake, at the av
seraee rate through the 500 Canal =
1918, $500 miles; while at the rat
1t which coal is carried both On "a
Ns~nr< olroo md An the Ohio and MIS-