New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-05-14
FOR A BIG DOCK IN LONDON
PRESIDENT BAKER OF ATLANTIC
TRANSPORT COMPANY HERE
WITH PLAN.
TION DENIED, BUT SHIPPING MANS
TALK POINTS To 1T.

Bernard y. Baker. president of the Atlantic
Transport Company. arrived here last night on
the Minneapolis, of his line. Mr. Baker talked
frankly with the newspaper men who boarded
the steamer she came up the bay AS a holder
of the majority of the stock. he said nothing
in which the Atlantic Transport Line was
concerned could be done without his knowledge.
and that he could not discuss the business af-
fairs Of the line for publication, as to do so
might defeat any project which the line might
have in view He would say. however. that the
Atlantic Transport and Leyland lines had not
been amalgamated- He had seen Mr.. Morgan
several times while In England. He knew that
Mr. Morgan had bought the Leyland Line for
certain interests.
CUNARD AND WHITE STAR
Mr. Baker would not say anything about the
possibility OF n combination including the In
ternational Navigation Company. Regarding
the talk of u possible pooling of the interests
OF the Cunard and White Star lines to meet
competition he said that those lines had al
ways been friendly. but that he did not believe
there was any pooling of their interests. The
Leyland and Atlantic Transport lines he as
serted never had been rivals. II was un-
derstood between them that should take
Boston London business and the other New
York-London trade These two lines. he de-
clared transacted all the American-London
tween them upward of one hundred thousand
tons OF freight a week. The combined tonnage
OF these two lines. including that which each is
building would be between seven hundred thou
sand and eight hundred thousand tons. ton
mage exceeding that of the largest mercantile
fleet in eXistence-that of the Hamburg
American Line-by about two hundred thousand
tons The Leyland Line now controlled 35O,OOO
tons and was building hundred thousand
tons The Atlantic Transport Line was build
ing eight steamships four passenger and freight
steamers of IA 300 tons each. and four freight
steamers of ten thousand tons each TWO other
ten thousand ton boats had been ordered OF
those building two were being constructed at
Sparrow's Point. Md, four at Camden. N j.,
and two at Belfast Six would be delivered be-
fore the end of 1907
Mr.. Baker had with him the plans for a dock
which the Atlantic Transport Line hopes TO
build in London. He said that the site for II
had already been picked out by his engineers,
and that bin had been passed by Parliament
permitting its construction. The use or this
dock by the Leyland and Atlantic Transport
lines together he said. would be a great saving.
ANTIQUATED BRITISH WAYS.
THE British have very antiquated ways OF
doing things" continued Mr.. Baker. 'and 1t
costs three shillirgs ton to handle freights in
London where It costs one shilling here. They
load into a barge, take the barge to place where
the freight Is TO be weighed. unload IT. weigh it
and then load II upon another barge for delivery.
The WharVeS poorly arranged for the Stor-
age Of mechandise The warehouses are eighty
feet from the edge of the wharf. The amount
which could be saved in handling the freight of
the Leyland and Atlantic Transport lines-1O0.-
600 tons a week, 5000 900 tons year-would pay
at least II or Is percent on S1OOOO,OO0 put into
modern dock The building of docks in London
is expensive, as the old docks cannot be remod-
eed. They practically have to be rebuilt.
was surprised TO how seriously the English
take this situation They being hard pressed
by the Americans and the Germans, particularly
the Germans. Their capital is tied up, and the
English labor unions will not permit the of
labor saving machinery.
Mr.. Baker has returned to this country to be
present at the marriage of his daughter Mar
guerlte to Thomas b. Harrison. of Baltimore. who
is connected with the line at Baltimore. on June
3. He will then return to London,