The Cairo bulletin., 1910-09-27

lpayei city landing, with two wharf
beats owned by packet lines, and some
40 or ~ coal and sand landing
floats" OF this front about $50 feet
are maintained by the city as an open
wharf There are some coal elevators
but practically no other trans-shipping
machinery While railroads run along
!! "a considerable amount OF the front
age, there Is no coordination between
the railroads and the active front.
Much of the frontage owned by the
city Is under long lease. In the case
| of about 20 lessees the average term,
with renewals, lis about fifteen years !;
the average rental is about $500 rcr
year.
| Cairo is at the junction of the Mis-.
sissippi and Ohio rivers. The active
/, frontage here belongs almost wholly
to the Cairo Trust property, private
interest, administered by two trustees
who appear to be connected with the
New York Central Railroad. The city
owns no frontage. There are about
iGh miles Of frontage in the city and a
paved wharf of about four blocks.
There are three wharves, two owned
: by railroads. Railroad tfacks adjoin
or occupy practically the whole 'front.'
age and encircle the city. There is,
however, no coordination between rail
and water lines. There is a little
crude trans-shipping machinery
! St. Louis.
! This Is one of the most important
river ports. The total frontage with.
in the city is about 10 miles. The
chief landing is the so.called Cen
trail Wharf owlkd by the city, one
and one third miles paved. There are
! wharf boats here, owned by water
lines, which appear to be closely as
sociated. There is some warehouse
space, about elevators and a little
trans-shipping machinery
Ownership.-The city owns about s
miles of the total frontage, of which
about two and one-half miles arc
available for landing. Much of it is
leased by the city, some by "ordl.
nance leases" for long terms, but
most by monthly leases Out of 10
so-called Ordinance leases" the aver,
age term is sixteen years; the average
rental about 1876. The highest or
dinance rental is to a railroad, $S1G0
per year. There are also about spe-
cial grants of rights to lay track on
the water front or them for over
two miles each, for which no COM
pensation is provided. Nest of tie
unimprnred city frontage is unden
monthly leases, usually at about So
per foot per month, the lessees being
mainly industrial companies. Out of
about As of such monthly leases, the
average monthly rental is about $95
The city also charges $3.50 per foot
per year for the privilege of mooring
wharf boats at paved city landings.
The total city receipts from the river
frontage for lS0S-9 were s7G.519.91. OF
this the largest single item was $780,
CG4.0S, from railroads. The expendi-
lures were $52,179.54.
Two or more railroad tracks run
along the top of the river bank for
about five miles, partly on city land.
Despite the close proximity between
railroads and the river lines, especial.
ly at the Central Wharf, there is no
rail water coordination Of any gen.
eral character. This is especially re-
markable in view of the importance
of st. Louis both as a river port and
as commercial center.
Memphis.
Memphis has about 3Ih miles of
frontage, with a paved city wharf of
about 2o0O feet and two wharf boats
Jung, 1910. About five miles below
Memphis the Illinois Central Railroad
has Just installed a modern power
transfer plant for. trafs-shipping
freight batween ran aud water. This
plant is remarkable, both in its adap.
tation to river conditions and in the
fact that so far as known to- the bu-
reau 1t is the only one Of its Kind on
the river 1t is expected that this
plant will handle all cotton coming to
Memphis by water, and considerable
quantities of logs. The city wharfage
fees, not including rentals, for 1903
were $3.50; excnditires. $3fSo. Rail.
roal tracks are close to the public
wharf, but there is no coordination
Other River Ports.
Obstruction of access to water ter
jminals by railroad tracks is quite
common at the ports along the Mis-
sissippi and Ohio rivers. At the small
er ports very little attention has been
paid to landing facilities. In general
II seems the policy OF the municipal
titles along the Mississippi river S.
tern 70 regard the water front. not as
a means of net revenue, but merely
to make such charges as are necessary
for its proper maintenance. 1t can
hardly be said. however, that the ex'
lpenditures of the cities on their water
front have been In any way COM
mensurate with the expenditures that