The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-09
CITY IS URGED TO
BUILD ITS WHARF
Shippers Point Out Advantage OF
Municipal Ownership on
Water Front.
EFFECT ON FREIGHT RATES
Mr.. Freeman and MIR. Morgan
Tell How Deeper Channel
Will Stimulate Trade.

Representative of commercial or
CARNATIONS appeared before the Coun
ell Committee on Finance last night
urging the appropriation of $25,000
for the construction of municipal
Wharf extending from C;illie's Creek
to the foot of Nicholson street and the
expenditure of $4,000 for the erection
OF a wharf building at the west end
for the accommodation of freight. j.
G. Freeman. who has helped engineer
the movement for better wharf facili-
ties. and several citizens spoke on the
advantages of tho proposition, COM
pairing Richmond with other cities
along the Atlantic scaboard. Mr..
| Freeman stated that while the amount
| asked was only a small part of what
! was actually needed 1t would do a
| great deal moro in the way Of show
| ing the United States government that
| tho citizens Of Richmond We're in earn
! est in their attempt to make Richmond
| equal TO other ports, thus inducing
| the government TO spend the money
| that has been asked.
| Councilman CARRIER a member of tho
| committee. referred TO the advantage
OF building the wharf and straiyhten-
ing the harbor line. stating that at
to anchor in midstreLn1
TF. G. Carter, OF the Grain EXCHANGE.
a. w. Sharpe. of the Business MEMS
CUB: j. G. Corley. of the Retail MGR
GIANTS Association: John ID. Nrurrel1.
or the Richmond Yacht Club. ana will
nam G. Bentley. D. s. 1Iarwcod and
Thomas PondeNter OF the travellers
Protective Association, advocated tho
appropriation.
Lending shipper Talks
> II. Margon. president OF the vir-
ginia- Carolina Chemical Company, who
was introduced as the largest shipper
out of Richmond. said that it was the
biggest question that had confronted
the people here for a number or years
IF we ever expect to make the city
what 1t ought to be-" he said, eve
should take care of the river. We
cannot expect the United States gov
eminent to help us unless we show
some interest"
Mr.. Morgan went on to show that
Richmond needed public wharves at
which any ship could anchor and dis
charge or take on a cargo, saying that
1t could not compete with others until
better port facilities were provided.
| owners Of going vessels. he said.
wanted to get their craft into fresh
glad for that II for nothing else to
get cargocs bringing them to this city.
! The city tug, he declared, when not
\ engaged in pumping sand. could make
4 good money by towing ships into the
docks. 1t would also be q great ad-
vantage to the railways by making
this city a distributing point for
freight. Business Manager Dabnev, OF
the Chamber of Commerce, spoke In
the same vein.
A business man, said Mr.. Freeman,
ought to profit by the experiences
4 OF others instead of buying his own
and keep a little ahead of the game
! or get out. He thought Richmond In
a position to do one or the other. TAX
ing Baltimore as an example, he told
( of the great gains that city made In
commerce directly after the war, but
how in recent years Richmond, COM
paratively speaking. had taken the
lead except in shipping by water. He
spoke of the great water trade OF
/ that city in spite of the fact that it is
III miles from the mouth of the Chess
apeakc Bay, while Richmond is more
than forty miles less. After the fire
in 1904 Baltimore acquired a. large
amount of water front for docks and
piers, issuing bonds to the amount
of s6.OOO.ooO. which will pay for them
selves within the next fifty years
without any additional tax on the
people
Cost Really Nominal.
/ Mr. Freeman read letters from every
large port from Portland. Me-, to Gal
weston, showing that Richmond was
the only city on the list dredging
for private corporations and IN
dividuals. none of the others maintain
-. t;,, a I n
used here Quoting United States en-
gineers. he said that tho cost o
deepening the rivers channel so a:
: to admit the largest ocean going YES
sells would be nominal. but that th'
largest boats would be unable to reacf
here on account OF sharp curves nca
!, City Point.
1t is proposed that a straight cut d.
made with government money throuEi
these curves, making the channel aue
: quate for an-going ships and snort
enng the distance to the sea ~ ioas
, Twenty-Five miles.
/ Alderman Grundy asked the differ
cncc in freight rates by water bctwee'
Baltimore and Richmond MT. Nor
gan replied that the rates, as 1ar d
4 his COMPANY was concerned, were TN
o same. but that only boats drawlhl
! fourteen feet or less were able 10 reac
a Richmond.
a the absence of Mr.. Boiling, cXplainc
C the proposed docks, which arc designed
to begin at the old stone wharf on tn
: loft side of GulieS Creek and extern
rs tho foot of Nicholson Street, thu
covering $50 feet--al the frontag
owned by the city 1t Is estimator
that II will cost s25,0)o The whal
house, to be located on tho west END