Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-30
MODEL BELT LINE
NEEDED IN CITY
Sharp Contrast Between
That in New Orleans and
Philadelphia's
PUBLIC CONTROL BEST
Southern City Enjoys Railroad
Advantages Not Furnished
by System Here
PUBLIC CONTROL BEST
BY A NEW ORLEANS VISITOR

Dy "a ANC" 1oN
be published tomorrow.
Comparing the port of New orleans with |
the port of Philadelphia. to the observant |
traveller from the South there are two |
salient features here that form a strik-
ing and immediate contrast with harbor |
facilities in the Crescent City.
In the first place. lack of municipal own
ership of right frontage on the Della |
ware and Schuylkll Rivers is instantly ap-
parent The entire harbor frontage of New
orleans has been preserved by the State of
Louisiana as public heritage. Forefathers
of the present business generation there,
In order to turn that most valuable Of COM
nunty assets into maximum account for
promoting commerce, through amendment
OF the constitution enabled the Board of
Port Commissioners of New Orleans to ex-
ercise uncommon powers in developing port
facilities under it's jurisdiction. with the
exception of 4760 feet of water frontage
owned by the Illinois Central Railroad every
inch Of ground on the river front is owned
by the municipality Even the railroads
property is subject to appropriation.
Only 13 per cent of Philadelphia's water
frontage is governed by municipal owner
ship. Railroads, the Federal Government
and private interests control the rest.
Under such conditions the disadvantage to
the ports development is obvious.
BELT LINE CONTRASTS
In the second place Public Belt Rail-
road utilities here unfortunately are ham
pered. To begin with, tie Philadelphia
belt lines do not entirely skirt the river
fronts. Further, although 81 per cent Of
the stock Of the line is controlled by the
Board of Trade and the Chamber of Com
merce it is in fact a corporation legally
operating for profit, though it was created
and exists for the public interest.
However, there is a movement on foot to
eradicate this evil, a plan to extend the
belts lines in order that tracks may be
laid to each wharf and dock. AS an eco
nomic measure the benefit of this change to
the shipper is invaluable. Nine years of
adequate and efficient public belt service in
New Orleans illustrates splendidy how i'm
portant to the progress of a great port is
this particular utility.
Governed by sixteen citizen taxpayers
with the Mayor as president, all of whom
serve without remuneration the Public Belt
Railroad in New orleans was organized in
August. 1908. AS an experiment the city
appropriated 100000 to promote the en-
terprise.
Four most profitable years followed this
progressive move. and at the end of that
period 100000 more was appropriated.
As a result. the line owns it's own engines,
delivers and handles cars over its tracks
from the trunk lines to the point of des-
tination II further delivers outgoing cars
from the place of loading to the nearest
freight connections on various railroads
1t is not difficult then to see the tremen-
dous advantage of publicly owned and
controlled terminal system such as this one.
which skirts the entire river frontage on a
broad right Of way. shippers receive equal
treatment thereby and the city has COM
mand of freight transfers.
FREIGHT RATES GREATLY LOWERED
Before the Public Belt Railroad was es-
tablished the cost of handling single car
fiat rate per movement. sometimes reashed
S13. The general average was Sc. Since its
adoption the fiat rate per movement of
loaded or empty cars is only 81.
The Public Belt exchanges with ten roads
and assumes obligations of common car
rier
In size the main line is 24.95 miles long /;
its cotton warehouse division is 12.SS miles
long and its switches. wharf tracks, team
and yard tracks are 20.21 miles long. max
ing total of 5S.Oi miles of operation.
1t is probably the most efficient publicly
owned terminal system in the United States.
In his report on transportation by water
I'm the United States, Herbert Knox Smith,
Commissioner of Corporations, United
States Department of Labor, said:
1.-TWO ports only, New Orleans and san
Francisco, are noteworthy for their high
degree of public ownership, control, ef-
fciency and equipment
He failed to include Montreal, however
which is generally considered model on
the same plane,
AT San Francisco there is an excellent
system of wharves under state control,
his continues. (Which kent omen