Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-01
WOULD ROB oUR Ne,cunop

OWING TO the. geographical location
CT No1o'k aud Newport News IL was
oniy natural THAI there should have
cen some rivalry between the two
towns until the fact cam. 10 bc rc.
ctci 2ed that to all interests and plr
noses they really are one ana thair
interests wth che ether towns %,
cal. 'uon''
1t has tsen shown within tho re-
cent past tha1 the Municipalities re-.
ierred to may upon occasion co.oper.
ate FOR the cool OF ouch other. This
was demonstrated completely whec,
inc jamestown Exposition was held
All the towns horeabouts having ioip
Ell effectively in the work.
There seems to he now another
occasion for the sisters of Newport
News to do what they NAV to pre-
vent that town from being desDoiled
norfolk certainly may be counted up.
on to do her share The spoilatyon Of
Newport News Is contemplated by
New York which it appears is seeking
10 take the United States transl>or.
service from her.
The stoI9' of the effort to take tho
transports from Newport News is told
By ehc Marine journal OF New York
In the following words:
An evidence that the shin repair
Yards In this harbor are feeling 1he
cnects of the mild winter in lack Of
work In their line. which Is ALWAYS
augmented by ice and severely cold
and stormy weather. Is the EFFORT bo
Ing made by she Brooklyn yard To try
10 get tVip headquarters of the army,
TRANSPORTS. of which there are nocr
only Tour or five In commission. trans.
ferrcd from Newport News. Va. to
this port. We're the Yards here full
o; repair work. as fhey usually are
ut THIS seaspn. the comparatiy,ly
small amount OF work that the trans.
1'"rts now afford would not he re.
sarded as of 50 1nluch Importance.
inc transports now in commission
are the Fitzpatrick, Meade Sumner
aud Ingalls,, and n semi.monthly ser.
VICE Ii maintained. between Newport
News and IIayad.a
One of tho arguments for trans.
tcrring their headquarters to this port
Is that nearly all .hc supplies loaded
| on those vessels have to be skipped
/ from this city to Newport News by
rail-. 1lhis expense II is argued might
| Ire saved. On tho other hand. il is
maintained that the saving in distance
from me latter Fort to Havana over
the distance from New York more
taan compensatcs for this railroad
freight outlay. The Brooklyn ship.
ward representatives. however. Will
/ put mp the strongest argument thcy
arc capable of hnforc Secretary OF
War TAFT in tho near future. and Il
Will be mp 10 him TO decide what will
la done in the matter"
There is not a single valid reason
for making New York instead of New.
Fort News the terminus OF ,hc trans.
port line but upon the contrary thsre
are many reasons why the port should
not be shifted further north Newport
News is nearer Cuba than New York
Is and tine schedule between Wa sh-
1 ington and Cuba via Newport News rs
much fas.er aud better tfian it wcild
be vim New York.
| II Is hardly possible that other than
political influence should bring about
such change and Secretary Taft, 10
he Is the SORT of man which he Is
generally believed 10 be. Will hardly
be moved TO do an unfair and imr,oli.
tic thing leading TO the dctrlment OF
the sesrvtce at the bidding OF New
Yo.'ll politicians.
The argument that supplies shipped
on HE transports must be sent from
New York to Newpor: News by rail
Is an illuminating one. Why are the
supplies not bought in Norfolk? WIZ
not in other nearer; cities from which
point they may well be shipped ly
rail- TO Newport New.?
What sort of supplies are these and
whence come tioy 10 New York Do
they go from the Sonth and West to
New York and are, shey linen reshp.
ned South? What sort of supplies
does New York raise? These seem TO
be interesting Questions.
Norfolk supplies several Thousand
ocean steamers each year With all
they require for cross sea voyages.
The Norfolk navy yard supplies MANY
OF our warships with whatever they
require Why not then supply the
transports drom the Hampton Roads
Norfolk Ledger-D!spatch.