New-York tribune., 1897-07-11
their availing OF the extreme draught of water
IN going down the Bay

P''PVScu improvements In the cEannei, anu IT'S
agent said that by having a greater depth of
water than at present. fixed hours of sailing
could be maintained. To illustrate the Difficult
ties under which ships labor the agent wrote
to Colonel Gillespie;
The Normanna which came up to-day at
nearly high water. was several times compelled
to run at greatly reduced speed in the channels
IN consequence OF not having enough steerage
way. and was obliged to steer with the help OF
her engines. In my opinion believe 1t neces-
sary to deepen the channels. they evidently
have been gradually filling up.
In his Endorsement of the scheme to deepen
the channel c. a. Grscomb. jr. manager of the
international Navigation Company said:
l respectfully submit that the entrance to
New-York Harbor should be Of such character
as to enable every class Of vessel frequenting
this port to go in and out Of the port at any
time Of tide. l DO not think this proposition re-
Qures any justification, nor do l think that 1t
would be practicable to state the maximum
sum which 1t would be very veil worth while
to spend to attain this reasonable condition.
Certainly. the expenditure Of many millions OF
dollars should not be considered excessive when
1t is offset by the magnitude Of the steamship
interests which are affected
At the present time there Is hardly a month
that passes when some one or another OF the
great ocean passenger and freight carriers does
not report touching the ground at some point
between the Narrows and the sea. and these
reports by no means come from ships which at
tempt to pass up and down at dead low water.
But the character OF the harbor has less to do
with the decline Of business. according 20 the
theories Of many people who have given the
matter attention than imperfect terminal facili-
ties and exorbitant lghterage charges.
VIEWS OF ERASTUs WIMAN.
Erastus Wiman. who has long been known as
q close student Of conditions In New-York Har-
Dor and who believes In the need Of reform In
transportation in order to preserve the com
mercs of this port, was asked by Tribune rep
resentative for his views. He said
II is indeed a comparison Of profound signih-
canoe to almost every interest in New-York that
the figures in relation TO the cereal year now end
ing make possible Take for instance. corn. now the
king of crops; its growth In export is at length at
tanning colossal proportions. The increase in ship
ments from the whole country In the last eleven
months foots up less than 72."ooooo bushels
This remember. Is an increase. and all within
year Out OF that export, in accordance with pro-
portions Of previous years New-fork should nave
had an increased shipment OF corn up 10 T per
cent, 80 per cent. and enjoyed gain OF AT
least 35 100000 bushels. Yet 1t is a startling ract
that the increased shipments Of corn for the year
are only trine over 25O.oO bushels. No wonder
tha. the disnterested devotion Of men ike my
friend Bolton Hall is needed among the longshore-
men of the city If all our commerce suiers III ike
Again. another striking comparison + that in re-
nb reoep 10 al love- lake ports last year
million barrels Yet put OF tnat GhqrnoIis bi
reached New-York by canal. In 1895 the quantity
carried by canal was less than thousand par
rolls, This is a calamity of the first magnitude
not only because it implies that all the -four CON
sumed by the 100000 bread IN d New cns
if carried by canal and had avoided the high rae rare
of rail freight but because arriving mere ~ which
every barrel has to pay for ms service IN - the
70
ports for shipment At six cents parre r msa th ,he
looT b,1e bateeS wouId have been 100000 which is
nearly as much as the farmer made on the wnest es
cents cent M barrel is a good profit to the miers IN
these days of big outputs out hgnoe,aSe e,n, III
1t is not Tor moment to be imagined 1nai in1rsd nd
ers shippers will pay three cents ,nn op SIS ON
ihrty-ton graincar Of 1000 bushels-for the priyi-
ese of passing through New % Montreal Mne and
other ports this heavy tax can be avoided.
WHY THE LgGHTERAGE is NECESSARY
"you then consider" the reporter said. that
I, &c the lighterage tax and not the railroad di1-
ferertials that is the chiaf cause of the decline
Of New-York commerce? Why is TINS charse
necessary. AMI what steps can be taken 10 elm"
nato or lessen it?" Mr.. Wimao replsd:
r, shane of Ncw-York Harbor makes the cos'
-, ,ronsfer or ughterage serious disability. Az
AL rival ports there is complete urlo" pe".''I
oors and steamers In New-York Harbcr thus lax
that has not been consummatel. There Is az COM
r,o,s q senaraton between the poin; OF receipt 'he
o,n. of s,orape and the point of shipment as II is
nossille 10 conceive. Thus every road approaching
New-York from the Wes, and South terminates III
Jersey City, where there Is no room ioi e''"''
storage or shipmert. One ROAD only ana lha'
from the North enters New-York proper ana by
no possibility does steamship ever MAKE conhec-
,,on with its cars on the other hand. the great
storage reservoir of the harbor is Brooklyn which
IS as completely isolated from direct receipt oy
rail as II II were d thousand miles at sea 10 make
a connection between receipt and shipment or PC
tween storage and receipt. or shipment ard stor-
age the element of ligte-age or transfer by floats
on water is an absolute necessity This car ohI;
be done as shown by long experience. at cost
Of GO cents a ton, and amounts probably to an
aggregate tax of 100000 annually. agans. which
the commerce of the por. has TO conte"d
At no other port the Atlantic Coast doe. this
tribute preva. Its excessive proportion TO freight
charges is shown In the fac; that at times at two
cent rate on wheat per bushe. yielding $2J per car
from Buffalo to New-York. SIS out OF the -, Is
paid for ligherage the railroal receiving 81 freight
for a five-hundred mile haul and the ishteiase
company SIS for five-mi.e haul
THE COST or DRAYAGE.
But a ighterage tax of sl00c1,Oo0 is not the only
disability from which New-Yoix suffers The cost
of drayage on import traffic amounts TO perhaps
$50 UoVDJ annually. and is nowhere else cxacted.
Our entire commerce Is all on wheels at some
perc1 This is caused by the terrible, nay, the
criminal. policy of the city in past days regarding
its water front. the most magnificent stretch OF
the wide WOr.d. IO-uay IL Is nned
with saloons, cigar stores. meat stalls and second
hand snops. magnificent warehouses
containing storage the products OF every cline
Instead of being dedicated TO commerce, as the
shore should maiuly be- the streets along the water
front New-York are mainly dedicated 10 beer;
Recall a spot II You can where there can be stored
ten thousand barrels Of hour-less than one-haf oe
one days output OF my friend, Mr.. Pillsbury. OF
Minneapolis Recall II you can one corner Oh
which there is beer saloon! An ownership
by the city Of riparian rights. or land under water
covered with docks and wharves on the one hand
and of the upland by the individual on the other,
is fatal 10 any harmony Of purpose In the develop
mont of a common interest. But. In addition 10
this wretched and mistaken policy Of separation
of Interests "A physical separation in the shape OF
an exterior street bids fair TO make complete the