The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-01
BARGE TERMINAL
FOR THE STATE
Benefits of 1t Would Not Be
Confined to Bur
lington
H S. HOWARD WRITES
DENYING ONE CLAIM
He Considers the Matter in
the Same Glass as Good
Roads Construction


Burlington would be for the benefit Of
the whole state Of Vermont and not
Burlington alone, is the claim made by
H. s. Howard of Burlington in the fol.
lowing letter:
TO the Editor of the Barre Times; A
few of the newspapers located in the
southern part Of the state, while com
menting favorably on the recent report
of the state terminal commission that
advocated the construction of a modern
permanent pier adequately equipped
with up-to-date freight handling machin-
cry, nevertheless seem to consider that
it would be of advantage only to Bur
lington and vicinity or to only the north
ern part of Vermont; and therefore, as
one OF the editors put it, only that part
of the state interested should bear the
expense of its construction suggesting
that the central counties bond themselves
to raise the money for this purpose To
anyone at all familiar with the subject
this suggestion is unfair, as it would
leave the balance of the state securing
the advantages of public terminal
without bearing any Of its cost.
It is now considered that the state it.
self is the best agency in these days to
foster the two most important public
utilities that are to come before the Yer
mont legislature for decision, that of
good roads and inland water transporta-
ton. The disadvantage Of our 245 towns
separately looking after these big bust
ness enterprises Is very apparent.
As the construction of improved roads
and bridges has come under state super
vision, so the construction Of a water
terminal at Burlington would be more
equitably and economically administered
by the state through a commission, than
for any one city or town to have the ex-
elusive control of what appears on care
full inquiry to be Of statewide ad-
vantage.
The erroneous impression that lower
freight rates and shipping facilities will
come only to those who are adjacent and
near to a transportation distributing
point like a public terminal is because
people are unfamiliar with methods used
in fixing sane freight rates and thereby
prices of goods for large areas or dis
tricts. ] remember nearly 20 years ago
selling in Vermont and New Hampshire
carload lots Of cedar shingles from the
state Of Washington, and the rate and
price was the same whether they went to
st, Johusbury, Burlington, Bennington
or Brattleboro. 1t was like the round
trip tickets we had a few years ago TO
the West for passenger traffic. In GER
tain areas or territory the price was the
same and it did not matter whether we
went to California, Washington or TO
Oregon.
Therefore, as water transportation
charges are always lower than railroad
rates in normal times, the entire state
Of Vermont, would by water transport.
reap pro rata lowering Of the cost Of
its required commodities, such as food
stuffs, grain and feed, and other mer-
chandise. Coal transported in much larg
err boats or. harges and quickly handled
by modern machinery from boat to cars
over public terminal would naturally
lower the cost of coal to the consumer
anywhere in the same territory.
1t has been stated that barges could
easily bring coal for Vermont to Bur
lington, but that they would have moth
ing for their return trips This is over
looking the increasing southern ship
ment OF iron ore from Port Henry, so
that new and larger boats are being built
and a private ore terminal under con
struction at that port. Thus boats COM
ing up with coal and unloaded quickly
can return with iron, as we'll as Vermont
products such as granite, stone, wooden
ware, cotton and wooden goods, choeo-
late, etc. r. M. McCauley, traffic man
ager of the Porter Screen company at
Winooslli, has very ably gathered togeth-
err rates and other statistics showing the
advantage by the way of lower trans
portation cost, that shipments by water
have over rail carriage.
In speaking Of the suggestion that the
five central counties should build the
state terminal at their own expense, Mr..
McCauley says that when the subject
was voted upon in the last legislature
these counties voted IS in favor of a
terminal and the rest of the state voted
80, which would indicate that the one
part of the state was as much interest
ed in the project as the other. He fur
ther very clearly points out that if a
terminal at Burlington is designed to
take care Of state traffic on a reasonable
pro rata basis, Burlington possibly would
not handle more than l0per cent of the
amount of goods passing over the termi-
nal, while the balance, or 80 per cent,
would be traffic destined to and from
points beyond the terminal itself.
There should be widespread publicity
and discussion Of the best WAYS and
means that Vermont can construct a
water barge terminal, which is all that
is required Of our state to facilitate in
land water transportation, that is rapid,
y increasing throughout the country. In
addition TO the great inland water routes
that reach to Vermont shores, the Unit
ed States government is doing its part
in improving the channels and harbors,
but leaves it to the states to build their
terminal facilities, which are also neces-
sary to make this new transportation
system complete. Fl. s. Howard.
Burlington W., Jan. l. 1919.
Try the Insurance Cure.
Don't worry. Keep at it. Insure your
life and live it in comfort 10th year.
National Life lns. Co, of VI (Mutuall
IS. S, Ballard, general agent, Rialto block,