The Washington herald., 1909-02-07
CANAL NEEDS PORTS
Barge Terminals Wanted in
New York and Buffalo.
STEVENS TELLS LEGISLATURE
of Public Works
Points ous LeEi1IafiOn Required 20
Regulate Elevator and Carrying
CbarEes-Erie Waterway No Longer
an Institution OF Pioneer Days.

Frederick c. Stevens. president Of the
Commercial National Bank, and State
Superintendent Of Public Works OF New
York. mas made a careful study Of trans
portation on the Erie Canal. When In
Washington recently he said there Is
need OF new port facilities at Brooklyn
and New York 10 accommodate the large
traffic and provide for its prompt and
economic handling
Mr.. stevens ideas are amplihed quite
fully IN his anual report which viii &c
sent 10 the New York legislature To-
morrow. In this report Nj Stevens says
thar II the barge canal. when completed.
shall serve its fuT purpose. not only V'l'
nroper terminals IN New York, buIalo
and other places need TO be provided
bur also that there VIII need 70 be some
zpecihc regulation OF elevator and carry
4 ing charges.
should study Terminals.
A n terminals. Superintendent stevens
saws that the time is none too soon foT 8
careful study by the legislature OF the
( question.
( Any consideration Of the question as
n the demonstrated utility Of the water
wavs- he SAYS. must necessarily lead
Ito the conclusion that terminal facili-
ties contribute most materially to actual
success
For a consideration OF this subject th'
irsport divides canals into three classes. a
follows. First. those Ike the 500 Canal
where no traffic originates, and which
connect great bodies Of deep and fre'
vzs+erwavs- second, those whose size
make the thznsshipment Of carsoes IN
necessary; and third, those whose cha-ac
ter and location are such as 70 necessf
tate trsnsship-nsnt The Barge Canal.
saws the superintendent. falls under thi
1 -bf-i class. and any waterway whicl
falls within this division and which doe
! not nossess terminal facilities Is alTnos
\ certainly doomed 10 failure When
canal OF this latter class IS found TO D
paralleIed by a railroad, Il win be foun'
that the canal has been largely super
zeded BY the railroad; and II the reasol
is 10 be inquired into. IL viii Be foun'
that while the railroads have PAID prope
attention 10 terminals, the canals nav
not"
Breaks Bulk at Buffalo.
Superintendent Stevens calls attentio'
. TO the fact that all through freight mus
break bulk at Buffalo. and that the ter
uinaI charges at Buffalo are on the aver
axe about a. follows: Elevation OF srair
= sent per bushel; storage, 4 cent Pc
, busheI for ten days or less. making
] total Of = cent per busheL There is
t further charge in the case Of loadin
? from elevators as follows: Loading car
Il cent per bushei: running to side bin
with teams. L cent per bushel; BLOWN
grain. = cent Per bushel, and ST
D further charge. called trimming,
? $50 per 100 bushels
E Attention Is called 20 the fact that b
? yond the passage of chapter 81 of n
: laws Of 1885. which fixed the m2ximul
charge which may be made for eleva
3 ing there has been no regulation OF =
< elevator service. For years" says n
e s1perintendent "at Buffalo the handlin
OF grain. including the elevation, stOTag
5 and reioading. has been under the col
l trol Of a combination which thus far hs
: been able to escape all Interference 9th
: than the fixing by statute OF the max
mum rate for elevator storage Pract
cauv the same abuses exist in New YoE
s as IN Buffalo"
The suggestion has been made that II
abuse can be overcome only by the e
ttablishment OF State elevators. but Supe
; fntendent Stevens believes that the
: is another course to be pursued, ar
= recomrnends that such legislation be ht
q as viii give the public service commi
e sion the same authority 10 fix and d
+ ltermine ali elevator storage charges. era
blowing and trimming charges. ss
% now has to regulate railway carrryil
u charges; and also that the public servi
= commission be given power 70 reguls
,e through carrying rates.