The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-09
PORT COMMISSION
MAKING PROGRESS
Four Major and Twenty Minor
Investigations In
der Way.
SCOPE Is EXTENSIVE
Work Covers Conditions for
New York and Adjacent
Cities.

The commission entrusted by New
York and New Jersey with the prob
lem of working out scheme OF port
development and a permanent port
policy has been at work a year. al
though il has been only since July
that sufficient money was available for
its purposes.
Inquiries made yesterday BY THE
Sun produced a general survey OF
what the commission has accom-
plished, is at work upon now and hopes
to accomplish within reasonable
period. Forty men are In the field
collecting data on harbor problems
and port neeis, and twenty persons
are at work in the commissions en-
cheering office at ii John street.
The commission is we'll started in
the first phase Of It's investigation.
Before far reaching changes can be
recommended the commission must
know everything that is thought to
have bearing on the situation. The
problem involves bringing and dis
tributing GOOD and other necessities to
5000, 900 people in the metropolitan
district and disposing of the products
of more manufacturing industries
than exist in Chicago, Philadelphia,
st. Louis and Cleveland combined.
The commission divides this analysis
of existing conditions into four major
Investigations and about twenty in
cidental studies. The four major in
designations, are based on the four
basic methods OF freight transporta-
ton in the Observation-Disclosures, steam
ships, lighterase and trucking.
- Hour Trahic Counts.
For the railroad investigation the
main field force OF twenty-five men Is
making twenty -four hour traffic counts
at every railroad yard and pier station
in the terminal district, the number.
origin and destination of car floats,
lighters and barges coming to the rail-
road piers, the time consumed in load
ing and unloading and the operation
OF trucks at the piers.
Meanwhile the statistical force IL
going into the books Of the railroads,
picking out The costs of these same
operations, and so deriving the cost
per ton for each phase of the terminal
operations of each railroad.
Starting these traffic counts July %
the field squads have covered all Of
the eleven trunk lines entering the
port except the New York Central and
Long Island. and the statisticians
have determined the unit costs for the
Erie and the Lakkawanna-
Specialists employed for the Incl
dental Investigations have made ex-
tended studies and reports on the pub
lie markets of New York, Newark.
Jersey City and other cities in the dis
trict, the character OF their business,
their method of operation and the gen.
eral methods OF food distribution; on
the number. locations, capacities and
other characteristics of the district Is
warehouses; on stevedoring as con-
quoted at the port: on the Barge canal
terminals authorized for the district
and on several other subjects.
Hope to Evolve Plan.
The commission expects to evolve
from this investigation a rational plan
and policy for the coordinated developr
nifty years. and a programme of con-
struction that will meet the ports needs
In order OF urgency. 1t aims to de-
termine the exact bearing of every ele-
ment in the operation OF the port, to
avoid Incorporating in the ultimate
plan changes that will he destructive
TO any important interest. As three OF
the commissions members arc from
New York and three from New jersey
the commission is not hampered by
the State line down the middle OF the
Hudson River. but is considering the
port as a whole, believing that every
part OF the district needs and will de-
rive the most benefit from a plan that
will best protect New Yorks suprem-
acy as a port and commercial and in
dustrial centre.
william r. Wilcox is chairman OF
the New York, New Jersey Port and
Harbor Development Commission. J.
Spencer Smith. president OF the New
Jersey State Board OF Commerce and
Navigation, is vice-chairman. The
four other members are Eugene n
Outerbridge. De Witt Van Buskirk
Arthur Curtiss James and Frank r,
Ford.
Major-Gen. George W. Goethals is
chief consulting engineer to the conn
mission, &. F. Cresson. Jr.. as consult
ing engineer, being in active charge of
the engineering work.