New-York tribune., 1916-07-10

its last experience with freight tic-ups
one of which few months ago as
sumcd serious proportions.
| The new corporation, formed. ofi
cials declare. "to study problems re-
lating TO railway. steamship, ware
house and industrial terminals" il
we'll equipped TO take up the work
which has proved much Of puzzle 20
railroad experts. Organized under the
laws of Delaware, it has behind II
| the National City Company. controlled
by the National City Bank; Stone &
Webster. said to he the largest engi-
neering and construction company in
the country. and the American Inter
national Corporation. Stock is divided
up among the three companies and
officials have been appointed from
each.
The directors include George J.
Baldwin, vice president; William =
Kies. vice-presidcnt. and Richard i.
Tinsley. secretary and treasurer OF
the International Corporation; Vice
Presidents James II. Perkins and Ed
ward =. Curricr, of the National City
Bank. and Vice-Presidcnt Charles f
Mitchell. Of the National City Company,
and Edwin s. Webster, Henry Il. Hayes
and Oscar +. Stevens, of Stone &
Webster.
Transportation, both rail and water,
the world over. has reached a higher
stage of development in its travelling
equipment than in its terminal facili-
ties" said an official of the new cor
poration.
at is a we'll known fact that the
capacity of a railroad is limited TO
what its terminals can handle. Its
miles of costly tracks cannot be used
to their utmost if the terminals cannot
take care of the freight. Likewise the
greatest preventablc waste of the val
liable time Of cargo ships occurs at
docks and anchorages incident to load
ing and unloading. Transfer facilities
in general involving the discharge OF
goods from trains. their distribution
to local consumers, their storage N
warehouses, their exchange from one
railroad 20 another. their loading ont(
ships all these functions are moro
difficult. more costly and less under
stood than the straight carriage OF
goods by rail and by boat.
$50 many propositions for the i'm
provcment of terminals in all parts
of the world have come up that II
seemed advisable to form corpora
ton properly organized and equipped
to study the one broad subject OF
terminal facilities"
W. II. Lyford who for thirty years
has been connected with the largest
terminal railway system in Chicago
and has cooperated in establishing
terminals in other cities, has beer
retained by the new corporation as
consulting expert. Mr.. Lyford is also
a railroad lawyer, having been general
counsel TO the Chicago & Eastern
Illinois Railroad for twenty-five years
He was largely instrumental IN bring
ing together fourteen railroad com
panies, terminating in Chicago, 70
cooperate in forming the Belt Railway
i'm that city, and in connection with II
the largest railway clearing yard in
the world.
In discussing the situation in New
York Mr.. Lyford presented the fol
lowing facts:
Port Of New York most important in
world.
(a) Foreign Trade.
1. Imports and exports passed the
two billion mark in 1914 lhscal year
ended June 30), when London and
Hamburg showed approximately ST.
900, 100000.
.. Latest figures, S2,225, 100000 Tor
fiscal year ended June, 1915, and IN
cluding months OF paralysis at out
break of war;.
3. New York handles a per cent oi
country's foreign trade.
- .
lines maintain regular schedules.
5. Comparison with otner leau''i ;, {
limited States ports; latest figures IN
which all are included:
1913.