privileges for handling traffic to and from them being granted to all lines alike. The four rail lines serving the port and the port commission have evolved a plan whereby the period of time, and the management and operation of the joint facilities at the port commission wharves, will be fixed and determined on the basis of the relative number of cars handled in and out of the joint facilities for each railway company during the preceding 12 months. All changes in management and operation begin on the first of the month. At the present time the Santa Fe Railroad performs the greater part of this switching service, taking cars from the tracks of the various railroads and transferring them to the Santa Fe yards where they are classified and then moved to the wharves over tracks owned by the port commission.

The Santa Fe Railroad has an industrial spur connection which serves the Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., the C. A. McKinley & Sons wharf, and other industries in that vicinity. The Southern Pacific Lines have spurs branching from its main line and extending along the water front but do not connect with any dock. The Kansas City Southern Railway and the Southern Pacific Lines connect with the private tracks of the Magnolia Petroleum Co., which serves the South Beaumont plant only and does not reach the wharf.

SWITCHING

The Kansas City Southern Railway.-This company names charges of $6.05 per car on line-haul interstate and intrastate traffic between its connections with the Beaumont Sour Lake and Western Railway (Missouri Pacific Lines); Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway; and Texas & New Orleans Railroad, and points within its switching limits. On non-line-haul Texas intrastate traffic for intracity movements in carloads or less-carloads between industries or other points in the city, or within its suburbs not more than 5 miles distant from the city's geographical center, or from one suburb to another, this company's charges range from $7.15 to $16.50 per car, with additional charges based on mileage rates of $2.48, $3.30, or $4.13 per car, depending on the distance traveled, for some movements involving one other or more lines. The minimum for intraplant switching is $3.47 per car and for interterminal service $6.93 per car. The latter charge applies to the total charges when combinations of rates are assessed in jointline movements.

For secondary switching in connection with a road haul the charges are $1.98 per car for movements 1 mile or less, $2.48 per car to and including 2 miles, and $3.47 per car for over 2 miles. Intrayard or interyard secondary service is assessed $6.44 per car, except intraplant movements of 2 miles or less which are charged $3.47 per car

and over 2 miles $3.96 per car. Complete details are contained in Kansas City Southern Railway, I. C. C. 4866.

The Missouri Pacific Lines.-Switching charges of this company are similar to the above on interstate carload traffic. On intrastate traffic the charges are $1.98 per car on movements of distances 1 mile or less, $2.48 per car up to and including 2 miles, and $3.47 per car for distances over 2 miles.

On less-carload freight in cars of 6,000 pounds or more from industries on its tracks or moving via its line, this company assesses no charge for switching to its freight houses, warehouses, or train yards when the net earnings are $13.20 per car for local shipments and $20.35 on connecting-line business. Tariff authority, Gulf Coast Lines (Beaumont Sour Lake & Western Ry.), I. C. C. 30.

The Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway.-This company's charges on interstate carload traffic are the same as shown in paragraph 1 hereof. For intrastate traffic the charges are the same as shown for the Missouri Pacific Lines and include less-carload shipments of 6,000 pounds or more. Intraplant switching movements to partially load or unload are assessed $1.98 per car when in connection with a line haul. Other intraplant switching is charged $3.47 per car on private or leased equipment and $3.85 per car for other than private or leased cars. Secondary switching is subject to the charges in Agent Ira D. Dodge's Circular 1-F, R. C. T. 172, not filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission.

On traffic interchanged with connecting lines a charge of $3.47 per car is assessed by the Beaumont Wharf & Terminal Co. for terminal switching service performed by it over its own and the tracks of the municipal wharf. Complete information is published in Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Co., I. C. C. 13037.

The Texas & New Orleans Railroad (Southern Pacific Lines) charges are the same as or similar to those shown for Port Arthur for the character of services performed and the various traffic. Tariff authority, Texas & New Orleans Railroad, I. C. C. Tex. 328.

The charge is $8.91 per car on interstate traffic, loaded by and at the expense of the shipper and unloaded by and at the expense of the consignee, moving between the wharves and docks on municipally owned tracks serving water-front locations at Beaumont and industries or team tracks within the established switching limits thereof on the lines of the Beaumont, Sour Lake & Western Railway (Missouri Pacific Lines); Beaumont Wharf & Terminal Co.; Kansas City Southern Railway; Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway; and New Orleans Railroad (Southern Pacific Lines); published in Agent Ira D. Dodge's tariff, I. C. C. 464. Texas Lines Circular 1-F, R. C. T. 172, not filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission, applies on this traffic for intrastate movements.

Absorption of switching charges.-Switching charges are usually included in joint through rates on through traffic interchanged between the carriers at Beaumont. The road-haul carriers generally absorb switching charges of connecting lines on competitive interstate carload traffic subject, in some instances, to a maximum of $6.05 per car, when net revenue earnings are $13.20 per car on movements via individual lines and $20.35 per car on connecting-line movements. On intrastate traffic the absorptions apply to carload and less-carload shipments of 6,000 pounds or more when earnings are $9.90 per car or more. The tariff authorities are the same as those shown in the foregoing for switching by the individual lines.

On export traffic, when deliveries to more than one dock or wharf or dock or wharf location are authorized in the tariffs, or are required in the application of shipside rates, the line-haul carriers absorb the cost of one additional delivery, not to exceed $2.25, for service after the first placement whether the car is switched by one or more lines. The maximum is waived on shipments of carbon black or flour. Tariff authority, Agent Ira D. Dodge's I. C. C. 498.

CARTAGE AND DRAYING

Joint through rates usually include charges for drayage of freight interchanged at Beaumont. On shipments not covered by through rates the Kansas City Southern Railway charges 5%1⁄2 cents per 100 pounds, minimum 55 cents. Tariff authority, Kansas City Southern Railway, I. C. C. 4866.

Rules, charges, and allowances on less-carload pick-up and delivery service are contained in Agent Ira D. Dodge's tariff, I. C. C. 481, and Agent J. R. Peel's tariff, I. C. C. 3165.

CAR DEMURRAGE, DIVERSION, RECONSIGNMENT, AND TRANSIT PRIVILEGES For provisions and charges on these subjects, see Port Arthur.

MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES

See first paragraph on this subject at Port Arthur in connection with charge for marking import shipments forwarded in bond or for consumption at the port. The tariff authority for this charge at Beaumont is Agent Ira D. Dodge's I. C. C. 498.

RAILROAD RATES

See Port Arthur, page 39.

During the 10-year period, 1929-38, the water-borne commerce of Beaumont averaged 15,336,883 tons, approximately 97 percent of which was petroleum and petroleum products. The lowest tonnage year of the period was in 1930 with 11,527,893 tons and the highest in 1937 with 20,467,642 tons. The 1938 tonnages fell about 2 million tons below those of 1937, most of the loss being in tonnages of crude oil. Coastwise shipments comprised 80.8 percent of the tonnage handled at the port, internal traffic 7.1 percent, exports 6.9 percent, coastwise receipts 4.3 percent, and imports 0.9 percent.

The annual average of all import traffic during the period under discussion was 132,909 tons, of which petroleum products averaged 127,817 tons or 96.3 percent. Newsprint paper with an annual average of 2,086 tons accounted for 1.5 percent; corn, with 1,344

tons, made up 1.0 percent; while the remainder of the imports averaged 1,662 tons and accounted for 1.2 percent.

EXPORTS

During the last 6 years of the 10-year period export tonnages greatly exceeded those of previous years. The annual average of this class of traffic was 1,061,264 tons. Again petroleum and products were the leading commodities in tonnage, having an annual average of 881,327 tons or 83 percent of all exports. Asphalt averaged 60,435 tons per annum and accounted for 5.7 percent. Forest products, principally lumber, averaged 54,954 tons per annum, or 5.2 percent. Other outstanding commodities in the export trade were scrap iron and steel with an average annual movement of 28,200 tons or 2.7 percent of the total and coal and coke with a yearly average of 16,039 tons or 1.5 percent. All other items of export had a combined annual average of 20,309 tons and made up the remaining 1.9 percent.

COASTWISE RECEIPTS

Tonnages of in-bound coastwise traffic also consisted largely of petroleum products, which averaged 627,130 tons annually and comprised 95.6 percent of all tonnages of this class. Other items of note were iron and steel manufactures, which averaged 11,473 tons and comprised 1.7 percent of the total, and asphalt with 6,076 tons or 0.9 percent.

COASTWISE SHIPMENTS

The greater part of the port's water-borne commerce consisted of coastwise shipments, the annual average of which was 12,389,813 tons. As in the case of the other classes of traffic, petroleum products were the outstanding commodities with an annual average movement of 12,230,827 tons or 98.7 percent of all coastwise shipments. Asphalt averaged 100,454 tons per year and accounted for 0.8 percent and the remaining 58,532 tons or 0.5 percent included several other commodities in varying amounts.

INTERNAL TRAFFIC

Internal receipts and shipments at the port averaged 1,096,164 tons per annum during the 10-year period. Petroleum products were again the outstanding item, averaging 1,032,893 tons or 94.2 percent. The only other commodities which moved in any considerable quantity were sand and gravel, which together averaged 43,820 tons and accounted for 4.0 percent of the total. Numerous other items, such as mud shell, metal manufactures, beverages, etc., contributed the remaining 19,451 tons or 1.8 percent.