Evening star., 1924-05-15
WATER COMPETITION
HITS THE RAILROADS
Diversion of Freights Seen in Rec.
ord of Decreases in Car
Loadings.
3 --------
PROBLEM FOR TRAFFIC MEN
Possibility of Greater Volume of
Water Shipments Forecast.
PROBLEM FOR TRAFFIC MEN
BY j. c. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
3, NEW YORK, May 15.-Water COM
petition is what is causing railroad
freight traffic men to sit up nights
and pore over the record of dimin-
ished car loadings. The slight slump
IN certain lines of industry which
has become apparent recently is by
no means entirely responsible for the
falling off in railroad freight move
nientS- Great shippers are using wa
ter transit even in cases where 1t is
only possible to utilize it part way to
destination.
A survey now is being made by
representatives of the big iudepend-
ent steel mills of the Youngstown
section as to the advisa bility of using
Pittsburgh as shipping point for
river traffic to points south and west
This should have an appreciable ef-
fect on business in western territory.
Tentative offers already have been
made for Pittsburgh wharfage for
such purpose. This is the more i'm
pressive since it comes just as the
Carnegie Steel Company has planned
to use the new docks at Mulhall for
loading and unloading the products
of the Ohio mills of the company.
Youngstown Mills Program.
1t is known that some months ago
ed using two electric interurban lines
from Youngstown To Toronto, thio.
and from the latter point to East
Liverpool, to move steel products
from Youngstown TO a river port.
This, ii is believed, was found to be
less advantageous than sending
Youngstown products by local rail
freight 10 Pittsburgh and loading
them for water shipments al that
point.
The new Mulhall docks OF the Car
negie Company are practically com
pleted and ready for use. The COM
pany plans not only TO use these
docks for down-river freight loading but
in the interchange of traffic between
the various mill units Of the con-
Germs. thus obviatiug a considerable
volume of railroad freight.
As a result of the smaller rate of
production OF automobiles in the De
troit district. the freight car supply
j., that section is plentiful 1 Wo hoat
lines have reduced their rates on
automobiles and there il every pros
Iect of larger movement of new cars
by boat this season than ever before.
Automobile manufacturers claim that
the boats allow easier loading, while
the danger Of damage and theft en-
route is minimiZed.
Radius of Great Lakes Delivery.
The radius of delivery by great
lakes boats. in addition to a short
drive away from ports of debarkation,
manufactures say, covers circle 300
to 1000 miles from Detroit. Several
ing on a combined boat and drive
away delivery within that territory,
thus relieving factory space for cars
which must be handled by the rail-
roads on long haulS to distant destl-
nations.
The reduction in output of motor
cars undoubtedly has slowed railroad
traffic on Michigan roads. In the last
week the traffic on the Pere Mar
uuette. for example, fell off IL per
cent in outbound and Is per cent In
inbound shipments. compared with
the corresponding period of 1923. The
majority of automobile shipments are
easthound. since New England and
the eastern states Stlll reEutlh lhe
best selling areas
Controversy With Canada
In view of the increase in water
freight shipments, the controversy in
prosress between the Canadian gov
ernnent and states bordering the
great lakes as against the city or
Chicago, over the diversion of water
through the Chicago drainage canal,
has taken on added Importance.
Those opposed to the Chicago water
diversion charge that the Levers OF
the lakes have been lowered at least
six inches, neceSSitAting e harbor dredS-
s12,0oO.00o and involving lighter
loading of lake freighters handling
over 10o,00o.000 tons Of freight each
season.
The British government has ex-
pressed "unalterable opposition to
the proposed diversion of waters
from the great lakes watershed to
that of the Mississippi, to the de-
triment of navigation from Sault Ste.
Marie to tidewater." The lakeS-to-
the gulf deep waterway, of extreme
interest to inhabitants of the whole
country. is dependent upon some
diversion of water from Lake Mich
igan to complete the link between
the Illinois and Mississippi rivers
and the great lakes.