The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-23
CURING TRANsPoRTATIoN ILLS

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 While there seems no general public sup port of those measures designed to alter rail. road legislation in an extreme and perhaps punitive manner, yet there is wide demand for such legislation as will correct the man ifest abuses of the public welfare that are existent in certain rate artifices. For ex- ample, the railroads have long followed the practice of greatly reducing rates in compet- itive territory, which might be defended; and of recouping themselves by increasing rates in non-competitive territory. which is counter to the general welfare. If the railroads ab sorbed the pecuniary deficiencies that arise from the practice of lowering rates to win business in competitive fields, the practice would not be so severely condemned but when localities less fortunately served by competing roads are called upon to help meet the deficits incurred in competitive territory, the public injustice is manifest. Already the government has called a halt on the railroad practice of absorbing in their line hauls the sums remitted in the form of terminal charges at seaports. The government takes the view that this practice is an unjust dis crimination against competitive seaports.
 In regard to the question of lower charges for long bsuls than for short hauls to inter vening points on the same route, the Inter- state Commerce Commission has apparently taken the side of the roads against the ship ping public. This is exemplified in what is known as the Meridian rate case,'' in which there are lower rates between certain Ala bama points and Meridian, Mississippi, than there is between these same Alabama points and other intervening points in Alabama. or between Meridian and said intervening points. The Interstate Commerce Commis- sion, after long consideration, upheld the that territory must pay considerably more for shipments over a short distance on the lines concerned than they are required to pay for the same shipments for the greater dis tance. It has even resulted in the anoma- ous situation in which it is cheaper to i'm port certain farm products from Mississippi into Alabama communities than to obtain them from nearer localities in Alabama.
 It appears that the Meridian schedules are by no means unique. Indeed, many other cases of similar unfairness are of record, for there have been vigorous efforts recently in congress by Northern and Western states men to have congress approve resolution stating that "it is the policy of congress that the Interstate Commerce Commission should discontinue the practice, except in emergen- cies, of permitting rail carriers to charge a less tariff for freight on long haul than on short haul over the same line or travelling in the came directien,r To be sure, it is recognized that the charge per mile for short haul may properly be more than the charge per mile for long haul, but the to- tai charge for short haul should certainly not be more than the total charge for long haul.
 The purpose of the government in the reg ulation of the railroads is not to confirm but to correct longstanding abuses. The purpose is not in effect to penalize the railroads as some railroad spokesmen have alleged, but to protect the public against discriminations that arise out of railroad rivalry. The gov ernment is also formally committed to the principle of routing exports goods over the shortest lines to seaboard. But this principle has not yet been applied to the practical sit uation as thoroughly as the commercial and industrial welfare of the nation demands. Adherence to this principle would relieve the nation from any future fear of congestion at favored ports, for it would cause the dis tribution of tonnage equitably among all the ports. The principle would also add to the nations railroad capacity, inasmuch as it would reduce the average number of miles per ton of freight carried, and doubtless also. increase the number of tons per mile Tn a few years the establishments would materially lessen the operation, maintenance and replace ment expense per unit of tonnage hauled. This would react to the advantage of the car riers as well as to the saving of the public cost of transportation.
 Thus there is a way of reducing the na- tion's freight bill without materially altering rate levels, by hauling goods more efficiently. If congress can be induced to study this question impartially and then to act in the light-of its information, it is believed that many of our Transportation ills can be cured at a stroke