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SSS SSW Ss Y (Fy YD A ( | i A 44ii HE whole country has been read- ; ing about freight embargoes. We. are told that our prominent eastern ports have been piled high with freight that could not be moved on schedule time. The freight congestion, at this writing, chokes New York City’s commerce. The railroads find them- selves swamped by shipments sent to New York for local delivery, and for export to foreign countries, and it is estimated that 50,000 loaded freight cars have been stalled at New York railroad terminals at one time. Merchants’ and manufacturers’ associations and chambers of commerce are busy compiling and _ submitting statistics, holding meetings, form- ing committees and protesting te the railroads, and then writing letters to their constituents, telling them all about it. The railroads, on the other hand, seem to be do- ing everything possible to meet the situation. They are granting special free time allowance on cars stalled at terminals, organizing special freight traffic bureaus, and straining every possible point to help both the consignor and the consignee. But nevertheless the freight movement is only about 50 per cent complete and how can it be otherwise until we have ships “to carry it away? This condition does not stand alone. We must take into consideration the fact that only non-embargo shipments are coming with any despatch. What are we going to do about this condition and will it ulti- mately mean the slacking down of our industries? Even though we did have the ships, is the harbor of New York keeping pace with the business of ship- ping, regardless of whether the present inrush of freight is temporary or for all time to come? Within the boundaries of our coun- try, embracing more than 3,000,000 square miles, dwell over 100,000,000 peo- ple. They live in cities, towns, villages, hamlets and remote farms. They are separated by broad rivers, rugged moun- tains and deserts. The whole concerted (4) Q i CLEMCY im ft e_ncc A n the Manag A Review of the Month on Coasts and Lakes—Useful Pointers for the Men Who Get the Business ttMi.—CFHiIFVUTUtVttTTIGC,VOIVTCC(IIiIZNTNt(I( [00 iii tntwvtvtt: i nTSTTMMTVAKiNNG 7 a4 APIDOr J By Edward F. Cullen action of this far flung population is dependent upon the movement of our commerce. To this end we have shames fully neglected the rehabilitation of our merchant marine, owing primarily to the apathy of our people. Such, fortunately, is not the case with our means of inter-communication rail and waterway, whereby our commerce and industries are united by a marvelous system which is the result ot keen foresight and persistent effort on the part of our shipping specialists. SSS SSSSS SSS EDWARD F. CULLEN, President, Cullen Barge Corporation, New York They have endeavored from the first to provide a means of communication embracing our whole country, connect- state and community, ing every every to its last individual shipping zone. By this great chain our entire population of shippers has been organized for united action in the matter of national and international shipping movements. In this respect we stand unsurpassed by any nation of the world. It seems a pity that at this crucial time in the commercial history of our 207 » AY DO A Oyuvg tt sportation great nation, whose payroll is far in excess of the combined payrolls of the whole world, we should be placed in a position where we are unable to take advantage of international commercial opportunities, owing to a lack of suff- cient vessels with which we could move our commerce, once the products of in- dustry reach the principal intercommu- nication terminals to which our rail- roads are capable of quickly effecting dispatch. We are facing more than the lack of a merchant marine. I often ask myself the question whether or not we have sufficient harbor equipment to cause prompt dis- patch between railroad terminals and steamships and in answer thereto I believe that I am con- servative in making the state- ment that we are insufficiently equipped in the port of New York by at least several thousand barges and lighters. I also have asked myself the question many times, whether or not the same business efficiency is behind the barge and lighter business as we find behind our big railroads, and I refer more particularly to independent operators. The history of the barge busi- ness particularly in New York, is extremely ‘interesting, and dates back to 1807 when Robert Fulton first placed into service barges whose maximum capacity was about 500 pounds. This type of boat could navigate with safety only in such waters where a pole would reach bottom. Since then, this particular mode of navigation has gradually developed and today it is com- mon to see barges capable of carrying 1,200 tons. With the increase of business, a situation has developed with the lighter- age businessin New Yorkharbor where independent operators, such concerns as the Cullen Barge Corporation, exclusive of the railroads, say to themselves: “TI will build barges enough to take care of my own business, and let the rest do the same.” The consequence is much business has developed with no organized service to