The Detroit times., 1910-09-27
WAN It's De TR0|T TO
OWN BELT LINES
Commissioner of Corporations Smith
Says There Is Too Much Privately
Owned River Frontage Here.

transportation III tue hANSN Ss'
SAYS there is too much privately-own'
ed river frontage in Detroit. He de-
clares that the competitive dement's
OF water transportation have been al
most lest TO American cities because
they have allowed the terminals TO
fall under the control OF railroads.
There has been little benefit OBJ
tanned by the people OF the various
cities despite the expenditure OF hun
dreds Of millions OF dollars for the I'M
provement OF channels and In river
and barber work because rates nave
not been lowered, the report says. MI
Smith maintains that In such a situa-
| ton as that at Detroit the city
should own and operate the belt line
railroads and connect them with ade-
quate wharf facilities and warehouses
equipped with the best modern load
! ing and unloading machinery.
IL this change Is Effected MI.
Smith says. the great manufacturing
districts would have direct and IN
| dependent competitor 10 the railroads,
accessible 10 all the commercial ana
| Industrial interests of the municipal
| ity. Independent lines OF vessels
would follow and rates 10 all the trio-
utary territory would be governed by
| competition.
The report holds that the throttling
OF water competition In this country
has been accomplished largely by the
| control OF water terminals by the rail-
roads and by the absence OF terminal
facilities by which the shipper might
use water transportation. In Detroit,
| for instance, a concern desiring 10
ship by water must pay for wharfage
and loading and unloading at prohioi'
| tive prices because there Is not ade-
Quate machinery. and II also must pay
| for terminal charges for the use OF
the belt lines out Of proportion to the
service received.
"Out OF so OF our foremost ports,
says the report, only two, New Or
leans and San Francisco, have prac-
tically complete public ownership and
control of their active water frontage.
| Out OF the so there are FL in which
railroad ownership and occupancy COW
ers over so per cent OF the active
frontage, and IL more between 20 and
so per cent II Is the theory OF the
American government, established
from the first, that waterways are
public highways. And yet their ter
minals are largely under private con
troll
Two ports only, New Orleans and
San Francisco, are noteworthy for
their high degree of public ownership,
control. efficiency and equipment. AT
New Orleans the active water front
Is admirably equipped and controlled
by a state board: most Of the wharves
and sheds are open for general traf-
| fic, and a municipal board operates
ten miles of belt line railroad. giving
coordination between the waterway
local industries and trunk line rail
roads"
The direct effect of this policy is
shown by the fact that during the
past ten years New Orleans, as a
place of export, has jumped from com
parative obscurity to a position ahead
OF Boston and Philadelphia, while In
imports she rivals both, and promises
soon to leave them far in the rear.
Her gain In imports for eight years
was nearly 200 per cent. The stats
tics relative TO San Francisco are too
much broken by the earthquake dis
aster to be conclusive, although that
city has also made great gains in
ocean shipping.
AT many lake ports" continues the
report, much OF the lake front Is
protected by government breakwaters
but almost no use is made OF II. In
spite Of the serious congestion OF the
inner harbors. At four OF the most
important lake ports there Is total
frontage of about IL miles protected
| by breakwater. On this II miles
there are only 10 active wharves
nearly all under railroad control. The
striking lack of terminal use OF such
protected front seems TO be largely
due TO adverse control, mainly by
railroads. We constantly see close
physical proximity OF rail and water
lines with no commercial interconnec
ton Except at the through terminals
of the railroads themsefves1 with a
consequent high transfer cost. Often
] indeed, rail lines are a positive OBJ
stacle to the handling OF water traf-
fic, instead Of benefit.
High landing charges, together
with the absence of adequate termi'
nails, show forcibly the lack Of CO
operation between the localities and
the federal government. The govern
|
channels are in many cases largely
neutralized by the action or non-ac
| ton OF the local authorities on termi
nails. Localities should. as rule, be
required 10 furnish and keep open
adequate terminals as a condition
precedent TO channel improvement by
the federal government. II Is their
fair share Of the work, and they alone
can do 1t effectively.
Probably the greatest single deter
rent to water terminal advance Ia the
present adverse attitude OF rail lines
towards independent water traffic. In
their exclusive control OF frontage. In
refusal or neglect to coordinate with
general water trafic. and in refusal to
prorate generally with water lines In
through movement OF traffic"
Regarding Cleveland the report says
that IL is primarily a river harbor
| largely Industrial In general the
wharf equipment is only moderate
with not much warehouse space
Trans-shipping machinery is mainly
I confined TO grain, coal and iron ore
A belt line railroad Ia being construct
ed, but only a small section Is now in
operation. The total river dock front
age is about IA IL miles. The river
| Is narrow, very winding, and obstruct
ed by about 20 bridges, making the
passage OF large vessels slow and ex
| psnsive.