Land transportation (bus lines)

Title

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXV (No. 4) April 1949

Year

1949

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

able in order to protect it from various elements, and this prohibits orderly piling. Whatever roofing there was on Pier 13 is being removed preparatory to start ing rebuilding, and, while this is a temporary handi cap, it is expected that one berth at Pier 13, two berths at Pier 9, and two berths at Pier 5 will have covered sheds before the rainy season begins. Piers 7 and 11 will be operated as they are. The other three berths at Pier 13 and the two berths at Pier 9 will not be available until, at least, the end of the year due to this reconstruction program. Ocean Shipping By F. M. Gispert Secretary, Associated Steamship Lines EXPORTS continued to show a favorable increase for the current year over last year. During February of this year 85 vessels lifted 199,143 tons, as compared to 79 vessels lifting 143,414 tons during February, 1948. Principal exports carried during the month under review, compared with exports during Feb ruary, 1948, are as follows : February l!)i9 February 1!>48 Alcohol.................... 28 tons — Buntal fibre .... 21 ” — Coconut, dfesiccated 8,545 ” 6,245 tons Coconut oil............. 2,598 ” 2,259 ” Concentrates, copper 2,127 ” 177 ” ” gold . 297 ” 14 ” Copra....................... 38,655 ” 84,950 ” Copra cake, meal . . 5,310 ” 5,453 ” Embroideries .... 367 ” 43 ” Fruits, fresh ...... 70 ” — Furniture, rattan . . 709 ” 424 ” Gums, copal........... 50 ” 37 ” Hemp....................... 66,735 bales 62,678 bales Household goods . . 231 tons 85 tons Junk, metal............ 20,211 ” 4,374 ” Logs......................... 988,350 board feet 632,704 board feet Lumber.................... 2,918,245 ” ” 200,239 ” ” Molasses... 1,332 tons — Ores, chrome .... 28,150 ” 26,600 tons ” iron. 5,657 ” — ” manganese . . 1,400 ” — Pineapples, canned . 2,634 ” — Rattan, palasan ... 54 ” 120 tons Rope........................ 82 ” 18.9 ” Rubber..................... 129 ” 18 ” Shells........ 62 ” — Skins, hides............ 154 ” 29 ” Sugar, raw............. 59,373 ” 13,385 ” Tobacco................... 778 ” 199 ” Vegetable oil pro ducts .................... . 27 ” 307 ” Wines....................... 125 ” 13 ” Transit cargo .... 1,410 ” — General cargo .... 1,982 ” 4,320 ” Inter-Island Shipping By G. F. Vander Hoogt Manager, Everett Steamship Corporation HEARINGS are being held by the Public Service Commission concerning a general increase of inter-island freight rates, which increase is con sidered vitally necessary by the inter-island operators. The Philippine shipowners have submitted financial statements in support of their position, and the state ments show that the companies operating these ser vices are unable to earn sufficient to provide reserves for necessary repairs, dry-docking, etc., to say nothing of building up reserves for fleet replacement. Indi vidually, a number of operators have suffered actual operating losses and, without an authorized increase in the rates, some operators will without doubt be forced to cease operations entirely. Naturally, such increases will be opposed by shippers, but it appears that if such relief is not granted to the operators soon, the services will no doubt be curtailed to such an extent that serious inconvenience will result to all shippers and the public in general. It is hoped that the Public Service Commission and other authorities will have sufficient incentive to maintain and improve the inter-island transportation service. Land Transportation (Bus Lines) By L. G: James Vice-President and Manager, A. L. Ammen Transportation Co., Inc. OF primary interest, both to pre-war and post war operators of bus services are current hear ings in the Public Service Commission on ap plications for the conversion of temporary operating rights under which all so called post-war bus trans portation facilities are operating, to regular status with Certificates of Public Convenience giving speci fic rights for a specified period of time. Thousands of holders of temporary certificates have applied for regular certificates. In most cases, operators holding pre-war rights on the lines concerned are strenuously opposing these applications. Several recent decisions of the Commission may serve to establish a general policy which seems to provide a solution more or less satisfactory to the contesting parties and which may be used as a broad basis for the granting of regular operating rights to “temporary” operators. In these decisions, which have been based upon compromise agreements be tween applicants and oppositors, temporary certifi cates have been converted to regular certificates with the following limitations: 1. That the operating rights shall be granted for a 5-year period, without extension. 2. That no increase of present equipment will be granted. 3. That no application for additional trips, ex tension of lines, or additional lines will be enter tained. 4. That Certificates of Public Convenience granted under this authority will be non-transferable. These provisions enable both applicant and oppositor to determine exactly where each stands and to plan accordingly. The operator now under tem porary status has a five-year period within which to recover his investment and to make plans for ulti mate liquidation. The pre-war operator holding per manent operating rights can look forward to not more than five years of a gradual disappearance of his competition and build up his fleet of buses during that period to meet the actual need of the public on the lines that his operations cover. 156

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