The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-04
CEMENT INDUSTRY
WILL HELP PORT
Development i'll Eastern Coun-
tics to Add Value TO
City Dock.
HEARING is POSTPONED
Aitcr Short Session. Continu-
ancc Is Had Until Feb
r,lary IS

According to a witness who tost-
fed yesterday before the State Cor
poration Commission in the hearini:
on tho. petition to close the Iichmonl
dock, this city is about to enter upon
n period OF greater Importance az u
port as n result Of the development
OF the cement Industry in the coun-
ties between tho capital and 'rldewat6r
Tho promoters OF this development.
said stephen a. Ellison. the witness.
would not think OF shipping By rail-
This evidence was. OF course IN
tended 10 show the Importance OF
water transportation In the growth OF
Richmond. On tho other hand. Mr.. FL
lison said. OH cross cNaminntion. that
this cement could perhaps be handled
outside of the dock.
Small progrcsa Made
Little progress was made In tho
hearing yesterday. Judge George l..
Christian suspended FOR tho time his
rrcsentaiion Of witnesses for the
Chamber Of Commerce. and Judge Boy
crly T. Crmmp began tho examination
of witnesses In behalf OF the business
houses abutting on tho dock.
The commission was in session only
two hours. After some discussion OF
tho date for resumption Of the hear
inE in which it appeared that scvcral
Of the attorneys had cnSa Eemcnts. ana
also that tho commission had other
matters on hand. II was determined 10
havo D continuance 10 Thursday, Feb
ruary 16. at II O'Clock. This date le-
Ponds on whether or not the hearing
on tho stove matter which Is set Tor
February II. is concluded by February
IL.
Corrects Impression.
+ 4 n no n
Der OF Commerce. resumed tho stand
ut the opening yesterday morning He
corrected statement made b. him on
the preceding day as % the position OF
former president of the chamber. say
Ing he had learned that the man In
question though tho bondhoiders should
be allowed to use The property, since
the city would not buy It,
Mr.. Dunlop read some letters re-
crivcd by him from T., L. Bcmiss. OF
the bondholders committee, in 1905,
When the proposition for municipal
ownership OF the dool. was being con
sidered III which the value OF the
property to the city was commented
upon.
In addition to privately owned river
front outside of tho dock. the witness
said he understood about 1000 feet
was available for Wharfage lie
thought, the figures submitted by the
bondholders as to the business of the
dock was hardly a fair statement as
II was the smallest exhibit he had
heard of.
HM~inesn Here Is Good.
Mr.. Dunlop said he knew of no other
city In Virginia which has private
dock affected with public use. lie
did not believe any city with regard 10
It's future would release sucn an oh
legation. Ilicnmond's general business
L.
concluded.
First Vice President T. n. Caring
ton, OF the Chamber OF Commerce, next
went on the stand He said that
bodyfs attitude was to keep the dock
open. The work of the chamber. he
said, is done largely through commit
tees which make careful investigation
and decide each case on It's merits.
In cross cxa mination Mr.. Hunton
seemed TO indicate that it was meet
ing when counsel We're employed In
this case which was composed OF only
fifteen persons. Mr.. Bradley said on
the stand Tuesday that this, number
was present when the resolution was
adopted purporting to come from the
chamber. protesting against the clos
ing Of the dock
Five BnrEcs ut Time.
This ended for the present the tcsti
mony Of the chamber. and Judge
Crump for tho adjacent property own
ers, called S. A. Ellison. The witness
is In the coal business at Seventeenth
and Dock Streets on the south side
Of the dock. He said that many as
five bargcs loaded with coal hau come
UP the river at one time.
Mr.. Ellison explained the difference
in rates by the means OF transporta-
ton The freight rate by rail- fran
the Iehigh fields on anthracite coal o
Baltimore Is SLID a ton. loaded on
barges. Tho charge by water from
Baltimore to Richmond TO As cents
freight 2 IL cents insurance and l6.S
cents docl<age per gross ton. The total
cost by water TO the ELLISON ware
house is sl.sS or s1.79 in the barge
ri the dock side. BY rail the rate is
s2.15 for the whole trip. Presenting
that dealers in the West End Of the
city are prepared as some Of them
arc. to unload from cars without cost
there is saving Of so cents Il ton in
favor of he water haul.
Mnch Comes by Winter.
Probably 100000 tons Of anthracite
is consumed in Richmond in year
estimated Mr.. Ellison, about e-fourth
OF this coming in the dock and a good
deal more to n firm outside the dock
on the river. He believed water trans
nortation keeps down rail rates, and
thal IL would ne disastrous TO Rich
mond 10 close the dock. lie referred
at length 10 the cement development
near Smithhcld saying that II the plan
succeeds the dock Will earn $4,000
year from dockage from this source.
The rate on this commodity would be
81 BY rail and so cents by water. MIR.
Ellison contcmplates a lnrger future
for the dock.
The commission adjourned to Febru-
airy i6. after Mr. Ellison concluded his
testimony.
Police Court Cases.
avid la OK cnlnred .churQnd with sell