New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-06
DISTINCTIONS 10 COMMERCE..

INSECURE CONDITION AND BAD MANAGEMENT
OF OUR DOCKs-A FEW FACTS FOR THE
PRESENT CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMIs-
sIONERs.
walk along the streets fronting on the
North and East Rivers Summers day caiuot fan 10
call the attention the least interested 10 the state OF
our docks, piers and wharves; for the unsayory smell
arising the in the slips is apt to lead 10 an
inquiry as to s cause and consequent inspection OF
the docks themselves. The principal evils of these docks
are the total inadcquacy Of tie piers for loading
and unloading the vast commerce Of the city, the
rotten and deCayed state Of the piles ana floor
ing. the narrowucss and inconvenience Of the
bulheads ana the constant filling UP of the slips with
the deposits from the sewers The piers mostly 90
feet in width and four berths allotted to each pier
either side. smart steyedOre, with an
active gang of men, will unload of goods in 10
hours This has TO be done in space % feet wide and
extending the length Of the vessel But it often
in the case steamers having regular sailing days that
they are detained at day or two over their
time 10y bad weather. Hshipments, especially of
cotton, which sent down TO the wharf
on the advert day Of sailing consequently have 10 lie
in the way tin the ship unoaded and besides causing
Inconvenience to the unloading gang, suffer from eX-
pOsure the weather and danger Of fire IN cases where
there are 10 sheds. 1t Is common practice Tor the
owners smaller vessels TO store immense piles OF lum
Der ON the mlBhcad IN the event of fire occurring
this NAV be disastrous the shipping, and where II rs
premium. Tie Dock Commissioners are, however, put
ting stop 10 this practice, where practicable
some Of the larger steamship companies. finding the
piers they used in such dlapdated condition that II
was unsafe for truck to pass along them obtained per
mission from the authorities build piers of their own,
taking at the time quasi lease Of them The cree
tou Of these piers many cost from 100000 to
$4,000 and the rental is from 5000 70 $1,000 year.
But the authorities hold the lessees Of the
piers which puts them entirely at their mercy. The
Commissioners. IN granting lease, reserve 10 them
selves ght berthing" any vessel they choose al
the pier If IL Is not al the moment occup led
by one Of the lessee's vessels This is
done hy order of the Master of the Port, and
when the essee vessel ar yes u has 10 he berthed III
another dock. For this reason shpOwners seldom or
never make complaints. are dident about pressing
them when they do. and fearful Of opposing any
action Of me Comuissoner for fear Of benz punished
by having their docks filled with strange vessels They
hav no remedy. They can, certainly MAKE Wharage
safes them for thu Inconvenience to which they are put
is the same with owners OF vessels who DO not lease
pier but in the habit Of always using the same
dock They are under the thumb OF me commissioners
VINO can direct the Port Master 10 Order vessel INTO
dock al some inconyenent part of the rver 30 strong
l. TINS Undue influence that some OF tIr anu
stevcdOres lately refused 10 AFFORD THE 1RBtNEs re
many grievances one stevcdOre SAID plainly II pays
er 10 keep yOuI mouth smut than open in hi, city
"a he P5 on ~ NE tr,ck of The street railroad
that whenever dry goods lumber however small III
bulk. LAID out them, wagon or truck has room
10 stand while thev are being loaded without stopping
the car traffic. This a serious Inconvenience to small
COastng vessels which often mOored two or three
deep for unloading 10 the bulkhead Like the piers
their piles and plauking are rOed with the foul water
OF the slips; spikes starting In all directions, ana IN
many places their framework thoroughly loOsened In
thl slips the like than anything
ee. IN fact il l. largely mixed with the Outpourngs othe
owners and pier Iessees The sewer opens the slip
from under the bukhead aud deposit. all its sitings at
the bottom thus gradually decreasing the depth OF
water IN the dock unless dredging Il constantly carried
on. one large firm Of ,hp-9wners who lease a per per
assert mat the water IN their dock was 40 feet deep WheI
they hist occupied II some years ago put o tlal
now there Is only feet % water ,Othi el
bills for dredging which they are constantly
edy from TO the DOCK coms Me fhey say that ali
this would be obvated II the sewers instead of opening
open ye where hey Would MD dsharee Directly into
the current BY this means the would be at once
cienty strong 10 sweep the material deposit with the
fund, and the ilng IN Of the slips and the expense OF
shpOwners have Que advantage in bringing their yes
sells 10 the port Of New York compared with European
ports ike Liverpool London, and Hayre, where theN
have magnificent docks and every accommodation,
expense is less The PRINCIPAL charge in Liverpool is for
dOckage. II regulated by the tunnage Of the vessel
and the number Of working days consequently allotted
her 10 unload ard reload. II she exceeds this allotted
time, she has " 10 make second entry for berth ana
items Of bill paid at Liverpool by a shipping firm in
from that port The vessel is 800 tuns burden, aud
..''.'.''...'aao Outward ggl, dae....a96ss
IassTd ishi due. @55 49,
Iusari plOfagt ~ lIJ Z
In the port OF New York The vessel pays tunnage
dues the rate Of 50 cent? per tun per annum to the
General Government. The wharfage and dock dues are
two cents per per diem on the first 200 uns Of her
registered uunage and Onehaf cent per un per diem
for the balance This would make the charges $40 50 per
dem The pilOtage IN s Sls2 49, the pilOtago out Is
$40 a. Thus while the dock charges are lower than III
Liverpool the potage Is nearly four times much IN.
ward and more than five times a. much outward
the charges Of the Liverpool pilots But with TINS
Increased charge for dOckagc IN Liverpool, the accom-
mediation r. vastly superior shippers can unload ana
their vessels in lees Time and 10 them time Is worth
much more than the extra charge There u no dOubt
that merchants here would Willingly submit To IN
creased charges the consideration hhd tat III
crease would long way IN paying the interest on
the bonds issued for building fine broad and convenient
docks Ia place OF the present hail filled slips dnd tumble
pics WHICH at Urcscut disgrace the Port VI New
VA