The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-15
KILLS RIVER TRADE
Dock Board Faces Problem
in New York.
LACK OF WHARVEs SERIOUS
Cheap transportation by Local and
COastwise Vessels Threatened by
comes a Municipal Question Diff
cult 10 Handle satisfactorily.

The dock department OF New York
City is struggling with the problem Of
aFordIng facilities for handling the
freight and passenger traffic OF river
boats
BY the testimony of men who have
passed the greater part Of their lives IN
the trade OF river steamers plying on the
inland waters within 100 miles Of New
York il has been brought forcibly home
20 the dock commissioners that better
facilities must be provided for this class
OF traffic or it must die natural death.
Cheap transportation by river steamers
and barges has been the dream Of pub
.licists since the days Of George Wash
.iugton. II has always been argued that
the transportation Of products contgu-
GUS 10 rivers should he relatively cheap,
and specially since the great develop
Iment Of the railroad IL has been con-
stantly advanced theory that this mode
or transportation should be fostered. 10
the advantage Of the producer as well as
Ithe consumer.
Terminal Problem Important.
But the chief problem has always been
the handling Of this traffic, first on the
river landings and then at the port ter
minaIs or big cities, where II naturally
concentrates. II generally happens that
the cost OF transferring coastvise and
river traffic at the ocean ports is much
greater than the charges for getting il
from the point Of shipment 10 these ter
minals. The fact is. the growth Of facili-
ties for taking care Of water traffic, from
the local standpoint, has been largely
neglected in the big cities.
River steamers are shUHted here and
there and left to haphazard sort Of fate
for discharging their cargoes. The result
is that much perishable freight is lost NJ
the terminals because Of the cost Of haul
ing IL long distances or from the total
lack Of arrangements for getting prod
ucts quickly and cheapIy 10 warehouses
or other points Of distribution. Railroad
companies have spent millions Of dollars
at the great ports for the economical and
speedy transfer of freight either 70 dis
tributing markets or 10 the wharves Of
locean-going ships so as TO avoid delay
and cost I'm transshipment
Il is at this point of transfer from the
water transportation fails.
Dock Board Acts.
The New York dock board Will probably
stop the leasing Of much Of the wharf
property to large companies and will con-
trol II themselves and give river steamers
and barges a chance TO discharge car
goes on something like an even footing
with other transportation agencies. Any
how, something Of this kind must be
done or the local water traffic going into
New York is doomed.
Conditions at New York are repeated
az the principal ports of the country, and
the biggest problem confronting the ex-
pansion OF cheap water transportation is
this question Of terminal facilities at the
mouths Of big rivers or at points where
the smaller river craft must discharge
their cargoes. When this problem IS fully
solved new era in the carrying Of prod
ucts 70 market from territory adjacent
TO rivers will have dawned. and not until
then
The problem is fast assuming the phase
OF a municipal public work. and Il would
seem that il can only be definitely set
tied when the municipalities take posses
sion Of the harbor and wharf franchises
and portion them out so as to serve all
/ classes Of traffic, instead Of giving the
/ right or way principally TO the big rail-
roads and the ocean steamship lines
Late advices from Europe indicate a
fairly good crop Of prunes in France and
good average crop in Bosnia and
Servia, which is held to mean that
I Europe Will produce more pruRes thar
last year,