New-York tribune., 1901-06-03
CHANGING STEAMBOAT TERMINALS.

The action of the Dock Board in forcing GER
tain steamboat lines 10 transfer their terminals
from the North River. where they have heen
for many years TO the East River has attracted
much attention and aroused many vehement
protests The lines in question are some OF those
which ply the Long Island Sound and their
places ON the North River are 10 be given 10
ocean lines. There is. of course something TO
be said in favor of such a change. OR perhaps
We should say il would have been we'll If at the
outset the Sound lines had made their terminals
Oh the East River. For thus they would have
saved themselves an extra mile or two through
the particularly crowded waters of the East
River and off the Battery, while the North River
piers are obviously the better for the ocean
steamers which come up through the Narrows
Such a distribution OF commerce would have
had some decided advantages over that at pres
ent existing
To make the change at the present time is.
however. a very different thing. and II seems
certain 10 work great hardships and TO cause a
vast disturbance of business such may seri
ously injure the interests of New-York For
many years the Sound steamers have ranked
among the chief carriers of goods 10 the New
York market In all that time they have been
landing their freight a certain part of the
nous congeries of warehouses and wholesale
stores has grown up In close proximity 10 those
terminals. In th.t way the business geography
of Manhattan Island has largely been deter
mined. The "drygoods district" long noted as
the most important business quarter of New
York, is where it is chiefly because the terminals
of the Sound steamer lines are and have been
where they are. Upon that district and the
stupendous business which it represents the
enforced removal OF those terminals will have
an effect which can be regarded only with grave
forebodings II is manifestly out of the ques-
ton 10 move or 10 rebuild the drygoods district
over on the East Side near the new terminals
Yet the only other thing 10 be done is 10 cart
some s3oO,00o,oo0 worth of freight yearly across
the most crowded part OF Manhattan Island. A
look at the pandemonium Of traffic which daily
RACES al the crossing of Broadway and Cham
bers-st. is enough 10 make one view with un-
utterable apprehensions attempt TO increase
that traffic by the addition of the heavy truck
age which is now carried on between the Sound
steamer piers and the drygoods district
II is the misfortune. or the fault, of the Tam
many government Of New-York that its motives
are ever open 10 suspicion. The natural and by
no means unjust impulse of thoughtful men is
10 charge il with the worst rather than 10 credit
IL with the best motives. In the present case
we are not prepared 10 say whether the Dock
Boards action is inspired by the one good
though scarcely adequate consideration which
we have mentioned. or by base desire 10 curry
thoughtless favor by making great corporations
stand around"-whenever they will not "see"
the powers that be. But certainly so great a
arrangement. or rearrangement. of the COM
merce Of this port should not be hastily ordered.
of ha nrha oil rrraril
full consideration and a full hearing of all the
interests concerned.