New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-10

student of terminal conditions, is a great econ
omy. II you can imagine the North and East
rivers and a portion of the Upper Bay hIled
in SO that Manhattan Brooklyn and New JerI
sey would be connected by solid land ana
cargoes from the waterfront as it would then
exist to the various parts OF the city much
greater difficulty would result Some people
seem to think that because a railroad car Is
taken from the terminal yard Of the trunk mn
and switched over a series or terminal I 10auS
TO g steamship pier no cost Is involved Nheh
you come to figure up the capital investment
the maintenance cost, the hagman at each
crossing and the actual charge for moving the
freight it will be that the cost OF moving
by lighter or float is not dead loss. The great
freight steamships actually handle greater
amount of cargo in New York In a given time
than at any Of the European ports and the
reason why the cost ton is greater IS NOT be
cause of harbor conditions but because the rate
of wages paid in New York is several times thar
paid ct foreign ports.
The pier arrangements in New York are a0so-
lutey different from those at Newport News anu
many Southern ports, where practically the
entire cargo Of each ship is transferred directly
from the steamship TO the railroaG Tor snip
ment to Interior points, little cargo gong 10
the port for local consumption. New York and
the surrounding territory FORM an enormous
community and liberal portion of each cargo
is distributed here for local consumption. and
the rest is not shipped out over the line Of one
or two roads, as is the case il MANY or the
Southern ports. but IS shipped by a multitude or
railroad. steamship and steamboat lines IN every
direction. It is therefore necessary that q pier
be so arranged as to permit of simultaneous De
livery Of cargo, not only 70 railroad cars blt
ment which has been made recently that nine
tenths Of the outgoing freight moves from
Manhattan in my opinion Is Incorrect Jersey
CITY and HobOken offer wharf accp1-moda tons
to the great German lines. the Holland America
Line the Phoenix Line, the Scandinavian Amer
lean Line and several Others, and the eullte
Brooklyn waterfront offers aCcomI.od9tlo ton u
great number OF steamships L VIII not attempt
an ofrhand estimate o. the percentage going trou
Manhattan, but 10 Is certainly muca less tAttll
ninc-tenths & the total
The statement, which was also made not long
ago, that Of the greater part OF New fcrhS IT.
coming rail freight which Il received on the
New Jersey shore that which il is necessary 90
store Is held In Brooklyn / also question. me
warehouses; q'Ong tue Brooklyn waterfront are
filed not vi,E incoming rail freight but almost
entirely F.i.l merchandise coming from steam
ships Gischargins ar this port. and JHi7 cargo
after being warehOused. IS distributed not -
rail lines alone, hU- also - che multitude or
steamship and Steamboat lines sailing from
this port. The method % doing titis by lighter
at 81 cost Of three cents q hundred pounds is
pYpba bIv the cheapest that can ba devised, ana,
instead Of being d'sadvoa'og" I" have this
cargo so ueld in Brooklyn y is pE"bapiy an AZ
vantage To have f. kept away from the Jersey
shore until 10 is ready for shipment, in order
TO leave that waterfront free for the enormous
demand ~ the railroads to- terminal freight
yards
New York has both lis advantages and dlsad-
yentages. one of the latter has been the public
ownership of the city piers. In order properly
To- accommodate the steamship, the shipper and
trt r;, ,ad. STEAMSHIP. terminal must "Ief
q modern steamship pier covered bY q suitable
she'd. and Immediately behind series OF ware
houses and a railroad terminal The difficulty
has boon That the city az New York has only
constructed tile rier. ami has leased IL To the
-t-:,rrl-E.u liar frr as hi-I e T-vt rs possible,
leaving 20 the steamship lin" the erection OF the