The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-09
IMPEDING THE WATERWAYS

With his usual acumen Senator Under wood has placed his finger on the trouble spme factor impeding the prosperity of the waterways. It has been said often that the waterways are in competition with the rail- roads. In way that is true, but in another and more practical sense the waterways do not actually compete with the railways under normal conditions, but under abnor- nal conditions. In no sense does the War rior barge service, for example, compete with the railways at their prevailing rates. On the contrary, the barge service, in order to bid for business, must compete with a special low competitive rail rate. With the consent, and sometimes by express order, of the 1n- terstate Commerce Commission the railways are allowed to publish unusually low rate schedules wherever there is waterway com petition, and thus the waterways are sub jected to practice that operates to their own and the public disadvantage.
 Senator Underwood recommends some action by congress looking to the curbing of the Interstate Commerce Commissions au- thority in this direction. Certainly it is an indefensible policy which impels or allows one government agency to counteract the efforts of another agency, as in this case the federal railroad commission appears to counteract the efforts of the waterways ad- ministration. If the Interstate Commerce Commission will not abandon the practice of allowing the roads to reduce their rates below a profitable return merely for the purpose of smothering the waterways, then it devolves upon congress to enact the leg islation necessary to define the responsi- bility of the federal commission in this re- gard The Interstate Commerce Commis- sion is public body whose function is pri- mariy to conserve the public and not the private welfare. The public welfare de- mands that not only the railroads but also the waterways shall prosper The Interstate Commerce Commission has measure of re- sponsibilty as regards the welfare of the waterways; otherwise, the commission cannot properly serve the public it represents.
 Although the railroads may put their rates so low as to lose money on the sections of their lines in competition with the water ways, there Is reason to believe that on the non-competitive divisions the rates are high enough to enable them to recoup the loss on the competitive divisions. Thus the ship pers pay the freight, and the consumers pay the shippers, so that infthe end the American people bear the burden of cost of these un- just competitive tactics. Senator Under wood is right in asking that congress take cognizance of this situation, and that the waterways be given such appropriation as will enable them to better render the service for which they have been built and equipped.
 As further indication of the Interstate Commerce Commissions policy with regard to the waterways, it is recalled that for some time the commission has been urged to arrive at decision regarding fair division of joint rail and water rates At present it is contended by the friends of the water ways that the railroads have received most of the revenue and the waterways performed most of the service in connection with joint hauls. This is a condition that the best in- terests of the people demand should be cor rected at the earliest possible date. There is reason to believe that that earliest possi- ble date has for some time been overpassed. If Senator Underwood succeeds in bringing justice into this situation he will have per formed another of his signal services to his state and his nation.