The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-18
New York, With Half the Total Com
merce, Plans Many improvements
But Lacks Federal Aid

Those who drafted the national
rivers and harbors bills. however. have
been kind to the Quaker City, and had
allotted some Sl5.0O0,O0O for dredging
the harbor prior to the work on The
$50 foot channel now being located be-
tween Philadelphia and Delaware Bay.
The present operations involve an ex-
penditure of about s12 100000. which,
including an annual maintenance of
100000. also contributed by the Gov
eminent. will make a total Federal
outlay by the end of 1917 of some
s2S,000,000.
From this II would seem that, con-
trary To the general impression, New
York actually has something to learn
fro Philadelphia after all. The
State of Pennsylvania. up to the end
of 1912 had spent only 100000 on
the harbor, s3.OO0.00O of thu amount
having gone for channel making and
100000 for wharves, bulkheads and
so forth. The city in 1913 spent
nearly 100000 on its own account.
The harbor board has some amblti-
Gus plans outlined. one of which calls
for series of ten piers in South
Philadelphia, to be known as the
Moyamensing Improvement. 1t is en-
pected that the first of the piers will
be completed early next year and that
the others will follow at the rate of
about two a year. This project will
absorb between s20O00000 and $685.
100000. An extension Of the present
belt line to about fourteen miles of
trackage is also planned.
I"p,i1 1ani Do l,l
ate plan of development: the har-
Dor had 'jes' growed," like Topsy.
The great fire, however. had one of
the beneficial effects of adversely. II
reused the people and they bestlrred
themselves.
Eight municipal piers We're planned
in that year 1900 and all have been
completed. Since 1905 the city has
spent 100000 on harbor improves
ments and will spend 100000 more.
Plans under way include the con-
struction Of marginal railway to
serve all piers. the deepening # the
upper channel and the purchase and
improvement of large section of
wuter front land
Baltimore is 1i5 miles from the At
lantic Ocean by way Of Chesapeake
Bay, but despite its distance from the
uuter coast is one of the most i'm
portant harbors Of the country. hav-
ing a commerce in normal years OF
over sii0000.0O0. about half OF which
is domestic. 1t is one of the chief
canning centres of the world and its
factories turn out annually products
worth something like 1885,. 900 900.
New orleans has cotton dock and
warehouse project under way which
Is expected to prove n boon To the
small cotton grower and its belt line
II " connects with every railroad en-
tcr.nT the city. The port - 40 miles
from the Gulf of Mexico by way of
the South Pass channe,. Being at
the outlet OF a $4,000 mile river sys-
tom the largest in the country, drain
ing as ii does II per cent of the en-
tire United States), ana being the
terminus of a number of important
railroads it obviously has consider
able natural advantages.
Like san Francisco. New orleans
is noteworthy for its hiGh degree Of
public ownership. Thorr is a wide
awake board which has more than
doubled the ocean tonnage - ne
tort since the commission was
created in 1901.
San Diego, usually the first port Of
call on the Pacific coast for vessels
sailing north from the Canal has just
completed 1915 feet of bulkhoad at
cost of $1,000, 900, as the first step
Of its d.vcl pment work. The COM
plctc scheme of Improvement con-
templates a total outlay of at least
10000 ,000. And the Santa Fc Rail-
road, long established at san Diego,
is spending $500, 900 on betterments to
its property in that section.
Los Angeles proper is twenty-one
miles inland. but by annexation Will
mington and San Pedro became part
of the city, 50 that il now roioiCcs
in bcing a ScanOrt. The Erhnrnl DIV