The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

64 terior. It is interesting to consider therefore, on what basis this coast- wise steamship company can compete with the railroads in the movement of freight between interior points. Meets Rail Competition Since a large volume of freight is moved in the company’s ships at a profit it is evident that it is possi- ble to compete with the rail lines not only directly between the ports of call but also between many widely separated communities in the interior by part rail and part water trans- portation instead of an all rail move- ment. The reason for this is that the ships are able to quote equal and in most instances better rates and at MARINE REVIEW or to interior points transshipped from rail to steamer and again from steamer to rail, or business originat- ing in the interior transshipped from rail to steamer and_ terminating at its port of destination. Many shippers within a considerable radius of large cities which are also sea- ports, truck their goods to or from the steamship terminals and _ con- sequently business originating and terminating in cities like Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore has grown to large proportions. Where shipments can go all the way by water it would hardly seem necessary to urge shippers or re- ceivers to use this method as _ the advantages are evident. If a ship- STATEROOM—S. S. HOWARD, ONE OF THE OLDER VESSELS—TYPICAL ALSO OF THE GLOUCESTER AND JUNIATA the same time give dependable serv- ice. Time of delivery is reduced be- cause of frequent regular sailings. There is a greater certainty of de- livery within the specified time and greater security against loss and damage. It seems strange but it is true that a firm in Chicago buying f.o.b. cars in some town in the extreme western end of Massachusetts, or in central and northern New Hampshire or in Maine may find it more ad- vantageous to ship by rail to Bos- ton thence to Norfolk or Baltimore by ship and thence by rail to Chi- cago, than all the way by rail. The freight business of the com- pany may be divided into business which originates and terminates in the ports between which regular sailing are maintained, business from ment is delivered to the pier before the time for closing out freight that shipment whether a single package or a carload lot is placed on board the particular ship for which it is intended and it arrives at its destina- tion with uniform regularity prac- tically at the hour scheduled. There is therefore, a definiteness and cer- tainty about shipments by steamer which cannot be so in regard to shipments by rail. Rates by water also generally include marine insur- ance. Some examples may be given show- ing the advantages of direct by water transportation. A steamer leaving Boston let us say at 5:00 p. m. on Tuesday is due in Philadelphia on Thursday at 7:00 am. an _ elapsed time of thirty-eight hours’ which means that the products of a fac- January, 1927 tory outside of Boston, perhaps a shipment of shoes or rubbers, may be moved from the shipping room of that factory to the receiving room of a department store in Philadelphia within a period of two days. The rates from terminal in Boston to terminal in Philadelpria is 61% cents per 100 pounds including marine in- surance. By rail the charges are 66% cents per 100 pounds. The time by rail at best will not be less than the time by steamer which within close limits is always the same ex- cept under’ extraordinary circum- stances. The time between Boston and Nor- folk by steamer is also thirty-eight hours. Delivery can therefore be made from factory near Boston to store in Norfolk within two days The rate per hundred pounds is 81% cents. By rail the rate is 86% cents per 100 pounds while the time by rail under ordinary conditions is four days. The sailing time between Boston and Baltimore is fifty hours so that delivery can be made of a shipment from factory near Boston to store in Baltimore within three days at a charge of 73 cents per 100 pounds. The rail charge is 78 cents per 100 pounds and the time would not be less and is likely to be a little longer. Similar advantages apply to ship- ments from Philadelphia or Balti- more to Southern ports such as Savannah, Jacksonville and Miami. The charges on clothing for instance from Baltimore to Savannah by steam- er is 99 cents per 100 pounds, and to Jacksonville $1.16 per 100 pounds without marine insurance, while the corresponding rates by rail are $1.65%2 to Savannah or Jacksonville. The time by steamer would be within three days to Savannah and within four days to Jacksonville while the time by rail ordinarily is four and five days respectively. South is Growing Rapidly Florida has become an important factor in the shipment of freight as well as in passenger travel and the Merchant and Miners company rec- ognizing this condition sometime ago extended their service to include Miami and West Palm Beach. The company handles considerable freight from points in the central west, north of the Ohio river and east of the Mississippi river from Illinois, In- diana, Ohio, Michigan, and other sec- tions into Georgia and Florida, par- ticularly Savannah, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach and Miami. The rates are lower than the all rail rates and merchants in this territory have found