New-York tribune., 1907-10-28
STUDYING WATERFRONT
Expert Discusses Problems
Water5cay Transportation.

.~rhe first impression gets in studying port
and terminal conditions in New York IS ule ire
rnendous extent of the factors involved salu 9Si
vester Baxter secretary of 'he Massachusetts, Net
ropolitan improvements Commission, At the Holel
Astor.
The commission IF which Mr. Baxter is MEM
Der is one recently appointed by his state TO study
the question extending the commercial facilities
of tho port Of Boston and TO make recommendation
Of plans Tor Improvement The commission IS col
Ictna, data as 10 what is being done by other cities
in this direction and it is in this connection that
Nr Baxter has been spending several days IN New
York looking over the cty's facilities for handling
domestic and foreign commerce
-'One Of the serious problems that you have 10
deal with in New York" said Mr.. Baxter is the
congestion in The streets along the waterfront due
10 handling all goods between the piers and points
in Manhattan hy trucks Since have been here 1
have heard various suggestions for obviatng this
difficulty One OF them IS for a marginal railway
on elevated tracks which could handle goods be-
tween piers and freight stations II seems to me
that little practical relief could come from such
plan, inasmuch il would be necessary to have
extensive storage yards in order to effect
any considerable saving Of time cost, and there
seems 10 be no room the island OF Manhattan for
such yards.
Another idea that I have heard advanced is that
the congestion along the waterfront might be de-
creased by trolley freight lines connecting with the
piers and passing under the marginal street at
placed as to serve the convenience of the greatest
number Of shippers. While this undoubtedly would
lessen the targle of trucks that results in
much delay along West street, il would involve
additional handling of practically all goods, and it
is the Of handling rather than the cost OF
TRANSFORMATION that affects most seriously the
pense of transacting the business OF port city.
IN the field of handling low cost and bulk car
goes and frcights I found that, in one case at
least you have developed freight handling facili-
Il, do. r.~s F~aV-
afford lessons Of value TO other port cities.
fer TO the equipment of your great Bush Terminal
in which the various functions Of a terminal in
its proper sense are brought into such close con-
nection that the expenditure Of time and the cost
Of handling goods are both reduced 10 the econom-
teal minimum.
There may be said to be three stages in the
development of a terminal it has progressed in
the various commercial centres. The first is the
provision Of piers at which ships may dock, with
out regard TO what disposition IS to be made Of a
cargo after it is discharged. That is the stage
represented by many of your piers in New York
The second is reached with the addition Of ware
houses in close proximity TO piers. where goods
may be stored while awaiting shipment or con-
sumption. That is represented by the older de-
velopnent on the Brooklyn shore The third stage
Is the uniting Of piers with warehouses or land
transportation agencies by railway lines, which
enables goods 10 be shipped from the YES
sells side in without rehandIinE.
To these. however a fourth stage has been added
in the case of the Bush plant by the provision Of
factory buildings IN connection with the piers and
warehouses. which has the effect of placing the
manufacturer and wholesaler in direct connection
with both his product and the market for his
finished goods no matter how widely separated
the two may be. and eliminates the tedious and
costly process Of trucking.
Nowhere else in the world. so Ear as nv ex-
perience goes. and that includes the leading for
eign ports well those OF this country. has
this concentration Of related functions been worked
out to this extent. The result Is that for such
volume of business this terminal can handle
New York has facilities such as are equaIled by
10 other port in the world for handling the kind
% business carried by lines of freighters and
fr:.ups."