The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-02-06
WATER TRANSPORTATION.


1918-According to a preliminary
report just issued by Director Sam
L. Rogers Of the Bureau of the Cen
sus Department of Commerce, and
compiled under the supervision OF
Mr.. Eugene F. Hartley, chief sta
tistician in charge of the recent
water transportation inquiry, made
as Of December 81, 1916, Ameri-
can-owned merchant vessels of five
tons net register or over of all
classes, operating during the year
1916 on the coast or inland waters
of the United States, including Al
aska, or between ports Of the Uni
ted States and foreign countries,
numbered 1884 and had a total
gross tonnage Of 12,250,0O0.
(Gross tonnage is calculated by di-
viding entire internal capacity, il
cubic feet, by 1907
The geographical distribution Of
this gross tonnage was as follows:
Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico,
$500, 900; Mississippi River and its
tributaries, 1921, 900; Pacific
Coast, including Alaska, 1,186,OO0;
Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence
River, 2,738,OOO; canals and other
inland waters, 10000. The distri-
button according to method of pro-
pulsion was: Steam and other pow
er, 6,O9S,OoO; sail, 1,O89,O00; un-
rugged, 5,O63,O0O.
The increase in number Of vessels
as compared with 1906 was equal to
only l IL per cent, and the gross
tonnage shows a decrease amount
ing to per cent. This is account
ed for by the marked falling off in
number and tonnage Of sailing YES
sells and in tonnage Of unrigged
craft. The former show decrease
in number from 7,131 to 1919, or
So per cent, and in gross tonnage
from 1,7O4,OOO to- 100000, or
SO per cent. Unrigged craft, al
though increasing slightly in num-
Der from 2O,263 to 2O,234, or four
tenths of l per cent, show de-
crease in tonnage from 100000 to
1908, OOO( or 20 per cent On the
other hand, craft propelled by steam
and other power increased in num-
Der from 1927 to 1851, or At
per cent, and in tonnage from
4,O6O,OOO to 6,O9s,O0, or so per
cent.
The average tonnage per vessel,
for the country as a whole, decreas-
ed from 345 in 1906 to 1923 in
1916.
The proportional increase during
the 1O-year period in number of
vessels most pronounced on the
Pacific Coast, including Alaska,
where it amounted to 81 per cent,
but the greatest rate Of increase in
tonnage, "a per cent, appears for
the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Of
Mexico, as against Fl pc, cent for
the Pacific Coast, including Alas
ka. For the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence River the increase in
tonnage was IA per cent. On the
other hand, a great decrease in ton
mage, from 4,A12,0OO to 1921, 900
or GO per cent, took place on the
Mississippi River and its tributaries
ard decrease Of 81 per cent ap-
pears for canals and other inland
waters.
Dcspito the very small increase i
number Of vessels and the falli1o
off IN total gross tonnape thro"gh-
out the country as whole durin~
the fO-year period, the figures for
value Of vessels, gross income,
wages paid, ard freight carried
show marked increases, amounting
TO 80 per cent, 81 per cent, "A per
cent, and AZ per cent. respectively
The ,umber Of employees, however,
increased by less than 9 per cent.
and the number Of passengers car
ried shows decrease Of not
quite 10 per cent. The foregoing
items. for the year 1916, are. in
round numbers, :as follows: Value
Of vessels, $500, 100000; gross in
come, $564,OOO,O00; wages paid
$1O3,OOO,0O0; freight carried, in
Guiding lighterage, or harbor work
SIC, 900, 900 tons Of 1000 pounds
number of employees, $4,000;
number Of passengers carried, $751;
100000.
! The pronounced increase be-
tween 1906 and 1916 in freight car.
ried, accompanied as it was by .
falling off in gross tonnage, is &C.
counted for by the fact, already
pointed out, that the decline in ton.
mage took place entirely in sail and
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