The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-06-28
PENNSYLVANIA COMING STATE
The Improved Harbor Facilities Will
Place IL Among the First i'm the
Nation - Considerable Credit
Due Director Norris,


Due Director Norris.
In the projects of port improve
ment now under way in virtually
every Atlantic and Pacific coast
State that has a harbor of its own,
no feature stands out with more
prominence than the general move
ment toward public ownership and
| administration of water-fronts. The
demand for port improvements is the
logical result of an industrial pros
| perity that is now approaching its
maximum under present conditions,
and which must look to material
| broadening of commercial policy If
succeeding years are to show an ad-
vance in keeping with the record
thus far established. The determin-
alton of States and municipalities
| to regain control of their harbor
| fronts is a long step in the right di-
| rection.
1t is realized now, wherever port
| problems have been studied, that
| private ownership of wharves and
! piers, existing to any great extent
| is an additional tax upon the port S
| commerce, stiles competition, en-
| Courages monopoly and impedes COM
mercial progress. Such a condition
! is antagonistic to every phase of real
| port development or commercial ex-
! pansion, and the present universal
! tendency toward public ownership
and supervision is a direct blow at
such monopolistic evils.
Roadways are free to all who care
| to use them Railroads are common
carriers bound by law to convey any
! persons commodity who can pay the
fixed transportation charges. Our
| rivers and harbors are open to all
vessels. Certainly there is no sound
argument to be advanced in favor of
private enterprise, be it railroad or
terminal company, controlling the
point where of necessity the mode
of transportation must change from
! land carrier to water carrier, and
vice versa, and where such private
enterprise may at will favor one
shipper or carrier as against another,
or refuse docking facilities to an in
dependent vessel owner while allow
ing the same privilege to some other.
Such determinations are charged
against private control of port facili-
ties wherever it exists.
A river or harbor front under the
management of individuals or cor
porations is eventually manipulated
for the dividends it can be made to
produce for those individuals or
companies. Power becomes concen-
trated in the hands of a few. and
combination is substituted for com
petition. The destiny of the port is
in their Keeping, and thrugh the ar
Dltrary liking of rates and privileges
commerce may readily be stimulated
or depressed. What from every point
of law and economic consideration
should be public property, admin.
istered in the interests of the entire
community, becomes, under such con.
ditions, special privilege in malig.
nant form.
On the other hand, port facilities
that are under the supervision and
control of a municipality are moi
operated upon the profit-bearing
basis, but solely from considerations
of sound economy. Favor and dis.
elimination are eliminated, and the
only dividends expected are in the
form OF a greater commercial inter
change through that port because ot
superior advantages offered every
shipper, carrier and consumer. Only
under such policy as this can {
port be built up to a high standard
of efficiency.
Massachusetts, California, Louis
lana and other seaboard States have
appropriated large sums to regair
control of the water-fronts of theil
respective ports. The right of emf
nent domain has been legislated t
the branch of the State or munici
, pal government having jurisdiction
over the port, and the policy o
public control of piers is being pu
into effect as rapidly as possible
New York City now owns more thar
half of the docks and wharves in it
harbor and is steadily acquiring tn,
others. In Bristol, England, thu
municipality owns the entire Dor
/ and its facilities and every foot o
its water front.
Since he was placed in charge o
the Department of Wharves anC
Docks, at Philadelphia, a little NOR,
than six months ago, Director Geo
w. Norris has conducted a vigorou!
campaign for the development o
that port, which is Pennsylvania
natural outlet to the sea. In a re
, port recently submitted to the Mayo
and Councils Director Norris mad,
five distinct recommendations as
general outline of how that de
yelopment might best be carried out
And he supplemented those recon-
mendations with this statement:
These conditions can best bt
realized by a publicly owned water
front and publicly owned Bel
Line, and it will be my aim anC
purpose to accomplish these things
as rapidly and completely as thu
available means will permit"