Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-30
WATER TERMINALS NEEDED
Colonel Vance Says Cities or States
Must Secure Control.
HERBERT KNOX SMITH AGREES
COmmissiOner of Corporations, AFTER
Exhaustive study. says Termi-
s 4RaIsSAre aS inReStaAt NJ
Channels.

WASHINGTON. d. c., Jan. 2s.-(Special)
For years IT has been apparent to the
friends of improved waterways that un-
less terminals were secured by either mu-
nicipality or state that the improvements
Of our rivers and harbors would proceed
in anything but an expeditions and salts
factory manner" said Colonel John L..
provement association, who is in Washing
ton carefully looking after the river and
harbor bill to the end that nothing shall
go into the bill that might ieopardize its
passage and it's approval by the president
80 important has this subject become
that Herbert Knox Smith, commissioner Of
corporations. has made an exhaustive study
OF the subject and in a statement of the
question gave 1t as his opinion that ter
minals were as important as channels; that
localities should, as a rule, be required to
furnish and maintain adequate terminals
Equally as pronounced on this subject
are the views Of President Taft who in
his address before the last c~..vention Of
the National Rivers and Harbors congress
maintained that the improvement of our
great watercourses depends in the final
analysis on what the people do toward Sc
curing free and untrammelled terminals
He was equally pronounced in an eXhaus-
tive address made In Cincinnati last Sep
tember. No less emphatic on this subject
have been the utterances of Colonel Alex
ander, chairman of the rivers and har-
bors committee of the house, and Senator
Burton, for many years chairman of the
same committee and now a member of the
Of congress.
Agitation Attaining Results.
The agitation which as been going on
FOR free terminals for q decade or more
am pleased to say is bearing fruit, and
look for greater benefits along these
lines In the future New Orleans practically
owns its entire water front St Louis has
seven miles of public whaFves. Louisville
has ample wharfage for all demands that
may arise, while many other cities and
towns along the Ohio are the owners Of
extensive wharves and other municipalities
are acquiring them Trenton, n j., has
just obtained considerable space in order
TO add its river In the solution Of the
great problems Of transportation Now
comes Cincinnati which has taken great
step forward through the recent decision
OF Judge a. NJ Warner Of the court of
insolvency. in the case of the Louisville &
Nashville railroad company against the
city of Cincinnati, in which the railroad
sought to build an elevated track across
the only public landing in that city, there
fore cutting off free access to and from
the Ohio. The decision, which was against
the railroad, has attracted widespread and
favorable comment in congress and
throughout the country
In the exclusive brief filed by Albert
Betunger OF counsel for the city as well
as river interests the whole range Of NUM-
cipal terminals was discussed.
Would BIOck Terminal.
Judge Warmers decision went to the
cruN Of the situation. lie held that to
permit the railroad to build the viaduct
desired would result in practically blocking
the terminal to river traffic. And he
further said that the dams now completed
and those being constructed in the river
to make it continuously navigable the year
round will doubtless largely increase the
traffic theron and make the public land
ing at It's best barely adequate to meet the
demands that may be put upon IT, To Grip
pie It's use even IN small degree under.
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