Evening journal., 1917-12-11

Vessels conmandeered ...... 900 5000. 900
Contracts let ............... 636 a,12i. ZOO
lnterned enemy vessels taken
vessels previously available ass 2.sSi.s50
1914 94os,sH
7 Additional expansion now
under consideration for con-
struction ....-..-..-...... 40- 3,ouo,o0o
Ditto. by purchase ......... zs1 i.2sO.OOO
2sOs ls.T7e.s4
In 1915, l,S7l,453 tons of American
| Shipping carried one-seventh, or l4.3 per
cent. of the total foreign commerce OF
this country. To enable the u. S. TO
carry G0Se of its foreign commerce and
liberal share OF the carrying trade
Of other countries it would take a fleet
tonnage OF 100000 or approximately
the total tonnage contemplated by the
Shipping Board.
After the war it is contemplated by
the u. S. Shipping Board to lease or
charter these vessels 10 operating Amer
lean Companies under government super
vision.
Here then is Wilmington's great op-
portunity. First 20 afford water front
terminals for the operation by the Gov
ernment of some OF these vessels during
the period Of war and later by the good
service rendered TO these vessels to have
made il 10 the interest of their future
charterers TO continue TO use the term-
nails when being operated by them in
the domestic coastwise and foreign trade
Of the L. $. New terminals are going
to be absolutely necessary to take care
Of this vast new tonnage, during the
war and after peace is declared
INDUSTRIAL SITES SHOULD BE IN
CLUDED IN PLAN OF DEVELOP
/ MENT.
The ideal location for manufacturing
industries will be found where the raw
materials entering into the manufac-
tHred product can be secured by water
routes, and whero rail and water fscili-
ties meet, and which is provided with all
the modern labor and cost saving appli-
ances for handling quickly and efficiently
such commodities. The most efficient
port terminal is one where all useless
motions and unnecessary transportation
is done away with
In the year 1914 the value Of all man
ufactured products in the United States
was over twenty,four billion dollars. OF
this vast amount over fourteen billion
dollars represented the value Of raw
materials, or nearly % of the finished
value. A factory located in near proxi-
nifty 10 the docks where its raw ma
| terials land can thus save a considerable
amount Of money annually in freight
charges, to say nothing of time saved.
Wilmington to-day is known all over
the world as a great manufacturing
| City, even in spite Of the fact that she
has not availed herself Of all OF the
extraordinary advantages a good Provi-
dence has provided IN the way Of fav-
orable location on a deep water channel
10 a river destined 70 be lined on both
sides from Philadelphia 10 New Castle
with manufacturing plants of all kinds.
When the time arrives for the seiec-
tion OF site for Nilmington's docks
and terminals provision should most GER
tainly be made for a suitable acreage
Of the land acquired by the City 10 be
laid out for industrial sites, TO be leased
on long terms at low ground rents TO
manufacturers. The municipal belt rail
way should connect up these sites with
the docks; with sll roads entering the
city, as well as with other industrial
plants in the City not located on City
property.
Successful as has been the business oi
shiphuilding. iron and steel plants, CA
building, leather industry. munitions
etc, in Wilmington every one of thes'
industries would be stimulated and in
creased by the provision of adequate
water front facilities and many more o
such ike Industries would be induced q
come here, If suitable sites were provided
close IN the docks and terminals.
Iron ores from Minnesota could come
through the Lakes and the New York
Barge canal, and from Cuba and Spain
and land at our ore handling piers with.
out breaking hulk. Pig iron in ocean
going barees from the Alabama districts
cotton, naval stores, lumber, and phos'
phats rock in coastwise steamers from
the south; hides for the leather fac
tories in steamers from South American
countries and from China, nitrstes and
ore from Chile through the Panama
Canal, g1ano from Venezuela for the fer
tilizer factories, etc.
At the Chamber OF Commerce banquet
held here in May last, Mr.. Eugene K
Grace. President of the Bethlehem Stec
Co, expressed the opinion that Whining
ton with modern water front facilities
would be a most ideal location for stee
cipal reason for such an opinion from
such an industrial magnate as Mr.. Grace
is the fact that from seven TO ten tons
of freight can be handled by water al
the same cost Of handling one ton b.
rail resulting in the great economic saw
] inc 10 the industries, located close &
water facilitiSs municipality owned anC
! controlled. Mr.. Grace also remarked
, that he considered IL would be crim'
10 further postpone the immediate
J starting OF work on the docks an1
/ FIREPRooF STORAGE FACULTIES
! For several years past the demand To-
storage at all Of the Atlantic Coast sea
2 ports has been greater than the supply
, At some ports transit sheds on piers de
, signed originally merely to serve fo
transfer or reshipping facilities, hay'
z been used for storage, causing delay Il
2 handling freight to and from ships lynn
alongside and adding TO the already con
gested condition of the terminals.
At the present time an investigation
! is being made in New York City on TN
important subject and a statement wa
2 recently made that there was hardly
SQUARE foot Of ireproof warehouse spac
q available and that il was becoming i'm
% cressinglv difficult TO obtain storag
l accommodations even in semi-tireproo
buildings" The same conditions prevail
. in practically all Of the Atlantic Coas
- ports Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore
% Jacksonville, New Orleans and Paciii
4 ports are all spending large sums o
10 money to remedy these conditions. Their
= are no public storage facilities existing
% in Wilmington, and storage room az th
q factories here is limited Seaport cite
I which have constructed and operate fire
i proof storage warehouses find them no
S only good sources of revenue but al
] Al s.NN . D.