The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-02-14

feillion Inhabitants. It viii be too late
to do Ii. with reasonable money, after
the million people arc secured.
Terminal Facilities.
In the great and increasing demands
On the government for river and har-
Dor improvements, and the study of
the question it is gradually being con-
sioered necessary and requisite that
the Improvement of terminal facilities
must take place co-incident with the
development Of the harbors and water
ways. The government engineers,
who now have charge of the river and
harbor improvements, are more and
more making their recommendations
conditioned on the community bene-
hted providing proper terminal facili-
ties, and certainly are giving prefer
ence to those communities which vol
UNFAIRLY offer to provide terminal ia
cilities which are owned and operated
for the purpose of developing the trade
of the port, rather than for the profit
lying in unloading and storing articles
Of commerce.
Herbert Knox Smith said two years
ago there were but two cities in the
United States that had proper munich
pal terminal facilities&-New Orleans
and San Francisco.
About ten years ago, New Orleans
awakened to the fact that her cotton
export trade was fast passing to Cal
weston; that her other exports were
decreasing, or not increasing in the
proportion they should. Investigation
was instigated. 1t was discovered that
eyorbitant charges of private dock
owners and other excessive port
charges We're the reasons for the loss.
The city condemned and purchased a
large amount of river frontage and
constructed belt line, connecting the
nj irn afY sAf DC Al he v.ixT
frontage. established a maximum
charge for betting freight and for ter
minal facilities. The result has been
an enormous growth in the exports OF
New Orleans.
The city of Jacksonville, alive on all
matters pertaining to her present
growth and future development,
through her enteTprlsing Board OF
Trade, has obtained an option on prop
erty on the river front which cost
three quarters of a million dollars,
which is now being surveyed. boring
being made to ascertain the founda-
ton to carry through their plan. 1t
also eontemplates the erection of docks
and terminals to cost about one and
one half million dollars. In order to
finance this, it has bei-n round neces-
sary to secure money by private sub
scriptions, which will be refunded as
soon as proper legislative action can
be secured to issue bonds to take up
the Indebtedness.
Whether Pensacola now needs NUM-
eipal docks and terminal facilities or
not she is about to do 50. and steps
should be taken to provide for this
necessity. The fact that such ar
rengements are being made will do
much to stimulate shipning and the
building of railroads to Pensacola; and
IN this connection the city should own
and control belt railroad. running
along the water front up to or near
the mouth of the Fscamhia river,
crossing over to Perdido and down Per
dido Bay reasonable distance. then
across the peninsula TO Pensacola Bay,
completing the circuit.
I suggest that the belt be built along
Pensacola Bay and Perdido Bay as
/ far as possible, first TO connect the ex-
listing terminals; second and PRINCIPAL
Il. to provide adequate factory sites
along the navigable waters adjacent to
Pensacola in order to give manufac-
| turing enterprises the benefit of water
competition. both on the raw prod
ucts and the manufactured articles.
This plan would also remove the fac
tories from immediate contact with
i the citv. If this belt is too large. a
sirgie lire can cross from Perdido Bav
TO Pensacola Paw at some suitable
| noint To +ein with lines constructed
along Pensacola ard perdido Bays.
Prnssco,e's Future.
The ma ioritv of the large cities OF
| the worla are sea ports with inland
wa+er connection.
They a-e searorts heca~se the ~es-
coast IF the -a~ie,is notions Sc Fs-e-
/ i+eI IN co-~--avirorl With |Ne interior
/ cc-,r,+-v 49, Nacos,ee +Ha a~ro-te a~l
| inv --4e-e 49, v-o-ie--s natiou- raes
| ls--o.-v +N---t-f .te rorts
/
irIorS v-a+e- eor,eet'o- tt TIE i,te~so~.
| he ca,,se +he INLAND water ccnnecssau
I decree se% fire freight rates 10 cities
| having the aavanta ees of and receive
ling the heDeets from inland water
cemnetition with rail rates.
Certain ether facts enter into the
raking of 6ne seaport city larger than
another. such as proximity to re-
sources. agricultural products and
/ manufacturing.
These are fundamental principles,
and I believe are disputed by no one.
/ accepting the above. in the great de-
veIopment of the South which is upon
US, the changing Of the lines Of COM