The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-18
MUST IMPROVE
 HER WATER FRONT New York Falling Behind in the Commercial
 Race. NEEDS NEW FACILITIES The Big City Sought By Commerce That Cannot
 Be Handled.
NEEDS NEW FACILITIES

Something of a paradox is presented by the commercial position of the port of New York at the present time. On the one hand, the city's commerce, as indicated by the investigation of the commission appointed by the Mayor more than year age, Is growing more rapidly than the facilities for taking care of this business. The time is rapid ly approaching, if not already immi- nent, when it will be impossible to handle the increasing commerce of the port unless vigorous measures for the improvement of its water front are adopted
 On the other hand. the reports of the Bureau of Statistics in Washington show that the metropolis Is falling be- hind in the race for commercial su- premacy; that Is to say, the port of New York. while showing steady gain in the volume of traffic, is in- creasing its business much more slow ly than some of the other Atlantic coast cities, and is far behind the rate of growth recorded by the Gulf ports.
 The bureaus figures for the year end- ing June 30 last show that since 1890 New York's share of the nations for elgn commerce has fallen from 52 1-2 per cent to A 1-2 per cent. Both ex- port and import trade figure in this retrograde movement, according to the bureaus report, the percentage of the nations exporting business having dropped from fl per cent in 1890 to 3S 1-2 per cent. in 1907, and that for irn- ports from 65 1-2 to 59 1-2 per cent
 Lack of foresight in years past in the matter of providing facilities for hand ling goods is ascribed as the cause of the loss shown in comparative growth and New York finds herself in the un- precedented position of, being sought by commerce which cannot be handled. Thus, according to experts, is the sit- uation at present, and as though this were not sufficient motive for begin ming immediately an energtic campaign for better facilities, an additional one is brought to light by the investigations of the cty commission.
 It is automatic that where existing channels of trade are firmly establish cd there is an automatic increase. Es- timating this at an established rate, and taking account of the additional trade which it is generally estimated by conservative students of the situa- ton will arise through the opening of the new Erie Canal, the commission finds that at the lowest figure the to- tai tonnage for 1915 will approximate 1z2,454000 tons. This means an increase over the present of about 21, 455, 900 tons and takes account of only that com merce which will be thrust upon New York, so to speak.
 These conditions are just now inter- esting the Chamber of Commerce, and committees have been working for some months making thorough in. vestigation of the volume of business of the port and terminal facilities of New York, and report Is to be made shortly setting forth the result of theil observations. The subject Is also one of obvious interest to the public al large, though difficult to master with. out expert knowledge of conditions Concisely stated, the cause of New Yorks loss of potential commerce car be summed up in no fewer words noi more clearly than it has been by the New York Commerce Commission which says: "The purposes of a ter. minal are three; the first is receipt, thu second storage and the third shipment Where these are united, as in Newpor New Baltimore, and New Orleans in the South, and at Montreal, Boston ant Portland in the North, perfect ter minal exists; but in proportion as the, are separated, as they are in Nev York; that Is an imperfect terminal"
 This Is hitting the nail squarely oi the head, as little ordering of tn general knowledge possessed by tn average New Yorker must clearly dem onstrate. A brief contemplation of tn hundreds of factories that are scatter ed about over Manhattan Island whicl must receive and ship their freight a the waters edge after transporting 1 by trucks through city streets for va rying distances, of the huge volume Q