Congested Florida

Migrations of individuals and capital to Florida this season are surpassing anything previously known. The southern state can be reached by automobile, by rail, by boat.Yet this does not seem to mitigate the traffic jam on the southern railroads. Waiting two weeks for Pullman accommodations to Florida is said to be the normal experience. Freight conditions are even worse. All summer most of the Florida lines have been running on full winter schedule, and now, with the advent of the real season for visiting Florida, freight piles up despite every effort of the railroads.

According to officials of the Southern Railway, the Seaboard Air Line and the Atlantic Coast Line, freight congestion at Jacksonville--rightly known as the gateway to Florida--has backed up traffic as far north as Savannah and Atlanta. Indeed ever since Oct. 29 the Seaboard has found it necessary to declare an embargo on all carload freight except food for human and animal consumption, railway supplies, tank cars and petroleum products. After elaborate precautions, householders can get less than carload lots of household effects through in about three weeks. An especial dearth of automobiles in Florida is reported, owing to the practical impossibility of shipping them into the state at the present time.

It is well known that large amounts of builders' supplies are headed for Florida to substantiate the dreams of local realtors and their customers. Apparently, however, the freight congestion is going to slow up construction activities in Florida for this winter.