The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-11-17
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED 81
WATERWAYS CONVENTION

lied, in many cases. by local inaction
or adverse action on the termina,
question. There has been some Co
operation by localities, in channel
building. The same local effort and
money, applied to terminals. would
have been many times as effective.
Natures Public Highways.
highways. Artificial waterways also
should be public. For any waterway
to be of maximum usefulness and full
both free and equally open to all
users. Terminal facilities, whether
free or not. must be open to all COM
merce On exactly the same terms.
The degree to which this equality
exists or Is lacking depends upon the
extent to which private control OF ter
minal space and facilities is exercised
in favor Of individuals and aggrega-
tons, and this In turn is commonly
determined by the percentage Of the
active water front controlled by pri.
vate ownership or franchise rights.
Unthinking apathy and well-inten-
toned but prodigal endowment OF new
enterprises by communities have been
too much the hand-maids of seH-seek-
ing acumen. and the far.sightedness,
in purely selfish way. OF q relative
few has created at most American
ports the almost hopeless problem of
how to re-equalize the naturally public
advantages of the water front without
the alternative Of either invading
vested rights or else buying them up
at prohibitive figures. while delay
would appear only to add to the
financial difficulty of solution.
There are today only two American
ports, New Orleans and San Francis
co, that can be compared with innum.
cradle foreign ports In their public
control and equipment. New Orleans
Is especially worthy Of consideration
and imitation. Until ten years ago,
though public ownership obtained on
most Of her river front, a wharf lease
placed commerce virtually at the
mercy OF private vested rights. The
lease yielded no great fortune to the
along with the least facilities that 1t
could wrest from private privilege.
Today, with the public ownership
water front is admirably equipped.
and franchise holders in rivalry for
the best equipment The state how.
ever, owns most Of the wharves and
steel sheds thereon, and these are
open to general commerce without
discrimination of any sort. Finally,
belt line OF railroad, owned and op-
Grated by the city, through a COM
mission. gives connection between the
water. the local industries and the
trunk lines Of railroad without the
determinations Of the recent past.
Conclusions Summarized.
To summarize our conclusions for
Recommendation to the ports and the
people at large:
Resolved, that water front facilities
are an essential factor In adequate
water transportation, and that all
state and local authorities should de-
wise ways and means to provide all
waterways and harbors with whatever
terminal facilities the commerce of
said waterways and harbors demands.
Wherever the state or city owns; or
where 1t can acquire. by purchase or
otherwise. enough water front to rem
der such q course practicable, the wa
terfrnnt should be administered under
some system Of public control that
would devote to further development
OF the terminal facilities any profits
accruing from the operation Of said
facilities. We further urge that
whatever state or local authorities
grant water front franchises should
exercise the greatest caution to pre-
clude the possibility OF said frontage
being SO used as to foster special or
private interests. whether personal or
corporate, at the undue expense Of
general commerce, and further to pre-
vent any water frontage from being
SO occupied or SC used as to hamper
in any way the fullest development Of
the water frontage in the interests Of
general commerce.
5. Resolved, That in the interest
Of both freight and passenger traffic,
all legislative authorities should en-.
act, and administrative authorities en-
force, strict laws to prevent the pollu-
ton Of streams; and in the interest Of
development, natural beauty Of
streams should be preserved by en-.
actment and enforcement of any
necessary laws.
s. Resolved, That the president
and secretary be and are directed to
direct the attention Of the educational
authorities Of the several southern
states to the economic, ethical and
esthetic aspects Of waterway improve.
ment, and request them to devise
methods OF placing the problem OF wa.
terway improvement intelligently be.
fore the children in the schools Of
the south.
Z. Resolved. That the county chair.
men within the Mississippi to Atlantic
Inland Waterway Association be and
are directed to report to the secretary
upon the condition. capacity and con.
troll of terminal facilities and ter.
minal space in their respective coun.
ties.
States Should Assist.
s. Resolved. That it is the sense of
this convention that the states of
Louisiana, Mississippi. Alabama. Flor.
ida and Georgia should contribute
financially to the support Of this asso.
citation for the furtherance OF its pur.
poses Of improving and developing wa.
ter transportation in said states, and
that the executive committee be and
is directed to take whatever steps are
nArSsarv IN Scf,ro o,,~h Sto -