Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-12-03
MAYOR Of QUINCY
OUTLINES PLANS
Speaking Before Waterway Convention
Idea of Railway and River Term
inal Explained.
TO Re OWNED BIZ MUNICIPALITY
What Is To BE First Unit in Great Sys-
tenn Is Described Clearly by
Speaker.
TO RE OWNED BIZ MUNICrPALEr

first unit OF big river aud railway
terminal system and which the city OF !
Quincy proposes to build. were de- !
scrihed yesterday before the INNER
Mississippi River Improvement Asso- /
citation convention by William K. Alb
bolt, mayor of this city. He argued /
that similar projects should be I'M
dertaken by other river municipalities.
After detailing the manner in which in
terest in revival of water traffic was
aroused here, Mayor Abbott said in
part:
"A committee, known as the Joint
River Terminals committee, composed
jointly of business men and city Of
fcials, approved plans which contem-
plate the erection of seawall $50 feet
long. elevated to point sufficiently
above water mark to be reason
ably secure from a floodstage of the
river; the filling in Of the shore side of
the wall to the height of the same. the
construction of a modern freight
house, equipped with electric trucks of
capacity adapted TO handling the vari-
Gus bulks and weights of such freight
Of this character as may be received.
by means Of which said freight can be
easily and rapidly conveyed to and
from an electrically operated freight
package elevator built in the seawaIi.
which will receive the truck with it's
load and raise or lower il to the deck
Of the vessel. This is particularly for
the handling of package freight.
Cranes Move Freight.
Bulk freight is to he taken care of
by travelling crane Of % tons ca pac-
ity, moving on its own tracks. about
FIVE hundred feet in length. with suf-
ficient length of beam to place load
wherever required in barge or vessel.
A locomotive crane with bucket Ia
cubic yards capacity for handling coal.
sand. gravel and like commodities is
also being considered as part OF the
equipment. This locomotive would be
available for switching freight cars
over the terminal tracks to the places
Abi ipd4iHS anu uulDdulNS.
THE terminals tracks will connect
with mainline tracks, thus affording di-
rect communication with other points
and also with other switching tracks,
SO that carloads of freight may be
exchanged between the terminal and
any point in the city equipped with
switching facilities.
Much thought is also being given to
the feasibility of constructing a belt
Line encircling the city and connecting
directly with the water terminals. This
would open up a large territory which
could be utilized for factory and mill
sites
Il is also being pointed out in con-
nection with this belt line that this be-
ing a part of the terminal facilities
proposition. it would he possible or
even feasible for the city to own and
Operate its own switch engines with
which to move the cars from point TO
point on the belt line and to and from
the terminal In the opinion OF the
joint committee it would be advisable
that the ownership and control Of all
these utilities be vested in the city
This river terminal is only a unit
in series along the citys entire wa
ter front, which it is hoped will be but
the first step in plan of providing
Joint terminal facilities TO meet the
new transportation problems which are
rapidly developing since the opening
of the Panama canal Quincy's man
ufaeturing interests as well as those of
every other city in this great valley are
seriously threatened by the changed
conditions resulting from this great
achievement Reduced freight rates at
these interior points to meet the low
rates prevailing al the seaboard must
be obtained or commercial stagnation
will ensue. The alternative is
utilization of the means nature has so
generously provided to meet this
emergency, the waterways.
Should Be City Owned.
1T is said by some that the persons
or companies operating the barge lines
of the future vii provide their own
loading and unloading apparatus and
cities therefore will not be compelled
TO furnish modern terminals. Before
deciding on a do-nothing policy, how
ever, two things should be consid-
cred:
First, company operating for
profit would not be sufficiently com
pensated by the revenue it might re-
ceive at reduced rates, from chance
freight picked up at the ordinary land
ing places along the river, and higher
rate would consequently prevail or
even an absolute refusal to handle such
merchandise would result.
Second, should company be per-
n,itted to erect modern terminal it
would not only monopolize the ship
ping of the town. but interest, main
tenance, depreciation and large profits
would preclude the idea of minimum
rates such as municipality owned plants
would enjoy. to say nothing Of the mis-
taken policy of permitting the owner
ship of a valuable asset such as this
would be to pass from the municipality
to a private corporation.
THE Quincy joint committee there
fore will, at the proper time. request
the legislative body OF the city to sub
nit a proposition to the people to is
c,,o hands in the amount reauired tn