The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1909-06-19
The Port of New Orleans.

RAILROAD TRACKS ON THE LEYEE.
Before the port Of New Orleans can
grow much more or develop N aterially
some provision must be made for ad-
tlitiopal trackage on the levee front
4 issllg large part e. this font the
Illinois Geatral Rsisroet c. mpany
aaV hiss The right TO Two tracks. The
Public Belt has two tracks more.
.fnis does not begin TO be enough.
Tie mos csntral must q neees-
SEtg VS. Is t1aeas fer 1rs;as geing and
coming. Not more han che Of these
cracks can ever be used 10 load and
4nioad cars, aad as business Increases
that use will become more ard more
interrupted, and so, unsatisfactory,
arnoy ing and expensive.
The same hing is true OF the Public
Bolt road. 70 serve Its purpose the
Public Belt must have one up track
and one down treek free for constant
use. It's switch tracks must he ad-
ditiona], aad afevision must be made
not Only Tor loading ana unloading,
out for car storage at convenient
| poiats.
The belt road ought to have an alb
solute monopoly of the intercourse be
tween ships ana railroads, bur to jus
| tifY the monopoly it must be made more
efficient than any one railroadcould be.
That its service must be absolutely
even, prompt AID equal TO all, with
our favoritism TO any, goes without
saying. To De tficient it must have
room and tracFage SO that there can
never be any delay. To be pecuniarily
profitable it must have plant enough
to do business on a large scale. II is
utterly iuade q0ate Now. It is doubt
fui II the present plant can be made to
earn interest on the investment,
The testimony recently taken before
the Interstate Commerce Commission
SHOWS that evea now the track age on
The river front IS eonsested. The free
time for unloading cars was cut from
twenty 10 leu dagsJo prevent this con.
gestion IS far as possible. It cannot
be enlarged again until there is track.
age. to bolu the cars, and this track.
age must be convenient to the ship
ping.
Inc money recently raised for the
belt roau If all spent on the leYee front
would hardly be adequate for the
needs OF the immediate future.
Tie belt road has other functions to
perform in connecting mercantile and
manufacturing concerns with The river
front and with the various railroads.
Tt ought to have ard must have ample
money Tor both purposes. 1t must
have room even if private property
b IS to be xpropriated, It must have
the room at once if growth is to be
prompt and healthful Tchoupitoulas
street and the property back of it for
a large part OF lbs length, and the
property in trout Of it for much of the
residue must be occupied. The sooner
this is realized the sooner that part Of
the port above Canal street will be
put on footing TO handle the BUSH
ness that belongs there. The Illinois
Central ought TO be given another
route to reach its downtown yards
aud the levee tracks be given to the
belt road.
A ike condition obtains below
Canal street, though worse corgested.
From Canal street to Montegut street
greater use of the available surface is
hardly possible. Yet the hundreds OF
thousands invested by the dock board
DO not earn the returns that should be-
earned largely because Of delay in
handling freight owing to present in
convenience and inadequacy Of track
age and the establishment of a public
street next the wharf.
II seagoing commerce, whether coast
wise or foreign, is desired, II must be
cultivated and attracted by increased
facilities SO that it can be handled
q quickly and cheaply.
A small profit en- large business is
the only mt tbcd that can survive now
adays.