The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-10

EDITION @ i EST
ablg 10 sen ID AT least All RI the
nations included IA Id d st. hey
will BE more inclined to pnrcfiase
from us. i b few of the fact that
we haFeSPurcflased from hem
rr,ansportati on Question
Another factor to he conside
lin this question OF comm erctEas IA
fextensfon is that of transportat1on:
I'M the first place. the question OF p
hauling to the shipping POT oa q q
| ing. and & transportation from the
ports of entry require careful cou-
isideration. OF these problems that
of railroad transportation to the
portHof export or from the port OF
imp OFT, is one that most concerns
Uncle Sam.
our transportation system
though the best of any nation IN
i the world. is insufficient to handle
the amount Of traffic demanded OF
Fit When a company can not snip;
.'the things it produces. oni one
course remains, that is, IT mus
shut down This has happened 70
many of our industries In dl1ter-f
| ent sections of our country ne
consequence has always peen y
loss OF much money not only To-
1.-THE company directly cohcsrnsso
but also to commerce as Whole I.
It certainly is self evident that
| it prevents extension. me GOV
eminent has been severely CRU
cized for mot purchasing more
-. n; la u
under its control The railroads
when returned to their owners
were terribly rundown dilapidat-
ed and impaired.
1t has been estimated that t
would require billion dollars, an
nually for several years to place
our inland transportation system
Ion an efficient basis. This being
the case, the people are SLOW IN
supplying the money for an m
iyest1nent from which profits are
so doubtful.
For the good of commerce, the.
ra ilroads should formulate some
plan for consolidating the various
roads into larger units, or have
common system of organization
| in all the departments.
Terminals should be subject tc
common use Railroad managers
| should perfect plans to keep c1Ts
lin motion and at the same time
have them loaded<to full capacity,
X At the port terminal OF the ra1i-
road. better facilities for Loading
should be provided SO that the ships
would need to spend less tina ~
port. The freight for shipmc'.t
should be classified and the more
valuable shipments should be rated
higher than the shipments 1nciNs'-
ing cheaper products
Like Mail Classification.
This classifying should be done
in much the same manner as Onci'
sam lists and classifies his mail.
Alls this would make for unificatloa
and unification would reduce costs,
wa ste. losses, loss of time. mlsur
derstandings, and failures II
would induce coo-pertion, arouse
public interest, and stimulate JOINT
operation and concurrent lator-
The results could be none othef
I than positive, and consequently, i
would mean better and greater
commerce.
Now that plans have been pre-,
sented whereby more efficient
and better system OF conveyln fls
goods to shipping ports can be
worked out, how shall the goods be
taken care of at the port? Shall
Uncle Sam have a definite Mer.
chant Marine policy? If so, what
shall it be? Should he own The
ships himself or should he permit
them to be owned by private init
yiduals? Or should be enter ints'
competition with privately owned
| ships?
The last Of these plans has al.
ready been tried and has not prov
en- very satisfactory. Most of
Uncle Sans ships are now lyirS
| idle in the harbors. The first OF
these plans does not seem to De
feasible for Uncle Sans methocs OF
work in times of peace are too SLOW
and inflexible.
Neither do I favor ship subsidy
such as is being discussed at the
present session of Congress. we
do not desire a foreign trade sup
ported by taxes or protected by
threats OF war. Without these
aids we may not be able to get
| trade as fast as do other nations
but we will be able to get it with
less expense and it will be more
!! permanent because it will have
frmer foundation.
Both of these factors. economy
| and permanence, are important IN
the matter of commercial founda-
| ton. Public opinion would not
maintain government ownership
even If we should begin it.
That we need a merchant mar
inc is just as certain as that
government ownership or charity
is not the way to get it. Hence,
but one method is left, that OF
private ownership. Private owners
will discontinue steamship lines
when they cease to be prof1tab bic.
Exports to countries from which
we import goods would be more
profitable to US for then our ships
would be laden both ways. =
Exchange Cost Less
Cost of exchange would be less
a1eo foy- !, ai n a ton would have