Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-06-13
OWNERSHIP OF
WATER FRONT
New Orleans and San Fran
cisco Are Examples,

mel, the easiest navigable imaginable,
is worthless to water craft If they
have no place to load and unload"
said Commissioner Herbert Knox
Smith of the Bureau of Corporations,
Department of Commerce and La
Dor. The statement marks the i'm
portance with which water termin-
ais are regarded by that branch of
the government which has made the
most thorough investigation of the
commercial aspects of water trans
~portation in the United States. The
commissioner confirms the view OF
National Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress that the very vital Importance
of the subject of adequate terminals
is but poorly appreciated ever by
many ardent advocates Of waterway
improvements.
Mr.. Smith said, every one knows
that something Is wrong with our
waterway system. 1t does not do its
full share of transportation. The
Bureau of Corporations has been try
Ing to find where the trouble lay
and its two years study Of water
terminals has convinced me that one
of the chief defects was the terminal
question. Terminals are exactly as
important as channels. You might
as well build a railway without sta
lions or yards as a waterway without
terminals. And, if the waterways is
to be a public high way, Its terminals
must, to a reasonable degree, be un-
der public control"
Notwithstanding the vast stretches
of navigable water area in the Unit
ed States this country Is seriously
remiss in attention to it's own inter
ests in the failure Of the great COM
mercial and industrial centers hav-
ing excellent %harbors, to acquire full
control and ownership of their water
front.
Private Interests Control.
"Private interests" said Commits
sioner Smith, control nearly all of
our active water frontage. Public
control exists in considerable de-
gree only at New Orleans, San Fran
cisco, Baltimore and New York, and
is greatly modified in New York by
exclusively private bases for long
terms. Out Of so of our foremost
ports, only 2, New Orleans and San
Francisco, have practically complete
public ownership and control OF
their active water frontage; 8 have
a small degree of control and 40
none at all. Out of 81 ports for
which data is available exclusive Of
New Orleans and San Francisco, only
IA have any publicly owned wharyes.
Out of rs ports with available data,
excluding New Orleans and San
Eraneiaeo, only 10-have--wharu@a
open to general traffic, with a total
of only 40, the majority being 1nsig-
nifCant and antiquated. Out of 46
of these ports the majority of the
active frontage is privately owned
in 40 and In 6 but a small amount Is
so owned. Out of so Of the fore
most ports mentioned, there are 81
in which railroad ownership and oc-
cupancy cover over so per cent of
the active frontage, and IL more be-
tween 25 and so per cent.
Public Ownership.
1.-TWO ports only, New Orleans and
San Francisco, are noteworthy for
their high degree of public owner
ship, control, efficiency and equip
ment. At New Orleans the active
water front is admirably equipped and
CO0ITOlIGu ny ~ SIdJS I'VE ~
the wharves and sheds are open for
general traffic, and a municipal
board operates 10 miles Of belt-l1ne
railway giving coordination between
the waterway, local industries and
trunk line railroads. At San Fran
cisco there is an excellent system of
Wharves under state control, kept
omen for general traffic. The water
terminal situation In these two cities
is by far the best in the country"
1t is we'll known that the localities
are largely at fault for not awaiting
themselves of what Of natural right
belongs to them. Terminal charges,
such as excessive "dockage" and
wharfage rates have been so ex-
cessive, especially In the great Mis-
sissippi River system as seriously to
have hindered traffic.
Such high landing charges" Com
missioner Smith remarks, together
with the absence of adequate term1n-
ais, show forcibly the extreme lack
of cooperation between the localities
and the government, the govern
ment's enormous expenditures on
| channels being In many cases large
" neutralized by the action or non
action of local authorities on ter
minals."
German Port Cities.
How the great German port cities
have helped themselves In respect OF
water frontage, as we'll as with re-
gard to the ownership and operation
| of other public utilities, is splendid
ly Illustrated In their great increase
in commerce and population. DIS
eliminating American writer's and
travellers have recently been giving
testimony to this fact in a way
which promises to bring about 9
widespread waking up to self-reli-
ant action on the part Of American
cities.
Mr.. Frederic Howe. who has re
Gently made a study Of German ports
speaking in a comparative way OF
the lack of public spirit In our owr
cities and the bold activities of the
German municipalities, says: Amer
lean cities are In chains. The Ger
nan cities are complete autonom-
les" He remarks that they do not
fear to go into debt In any produc'
tive enterprise that will reduce the
cost of living to consumers, and the
public freedom of water frontage Is
regarded by them OF paramount I'M
p~ortance. Particularly distinguished
- IL,