The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-11


the port districts publicly owned
and operated docks. In 1918 the
port district paid out approximate
y $1,000. 100000 In wages TO long
shoremen handling this freight.
The gross revenues from the six
terminal units including piers. ware
houses, cold storage plants and
grain elevator, were $3.50, s041s.
The total disbursements or the dis.
trict, Including the 100000 In
wages paid TO longshoremen, inter
est on bonds. depreciation charged
off on properties. salaries and gen.
erai expense. were 1889, 5s5.os.
making a net gain OF s7ss, 35s.io, or
profit In excess OF 10 per cent on
the original investment of $4,000.
| 900 90.
The best investment Seattle and
King county ever made was this
s6,5ooooo invested in public harbor
facilities. Every resident Of Seattle
and King county is a stockholder
In this great enterprise. lie should
interest himself in II and take pride
In the wonderful accomplishment OF
Seattle's system OF public docks
/ These docks are conceded by ex.
perts all over the United States 10
be the most modern. the most ef.
ficient and the best equipped with
handling devices OF any system OF
harbor terminals In this country.
Largest in u. q.
The existing Smiths Cove pier Is
ut the present time the largest ocean
terminal In the United States and
the new Smiths Cove pier which Is
now being built. will be the largest
single ocean terminal in the world.
These two piers will berth 2, big
s.sooton ocean-going vessels at one
time.
Over these public docks daily are
passing exports and imports 10 and
from every country on the globe
vegetable OILS from Manchuria, cop
per from Peru. coffee from Guate
nala and Brazil. rubber from the
Dutch East Indies, tea and a great
variety of commodities from Japan.
silk from China, olive oil from
Italy. hemp from the Philippines.
spices from British East Africa,
hides from Siberia, meat from Aus.
tralia, chemicals from England, cot.
ton and wool manufactured goods
from Ireland and Scotland, ond so
on One might go on Indefinitely.
Need 10 Expand
II Is Just this world commerce
that makes n world city. and with
the center of freight moving ever
westward. soon the Pacific will riv.
al the Atlantic as great ocean
highway. Then. Seattle, IL we are
far-sighted enough to properly equip
our great natural harbor with com.
modious piers. warehouses and other
terminal facilities, may well rank
among the leading commercial cities
OF the world. To accomplish this
we cannot stop with a $500, 900 in.
vestment. To establish an adequate
free port zone we would need an
additional 100000 Investment
Yet. there is no question that the
return on 100000 invested in a
free port zone would be as great
II not greater. than the return We
have already had from the invest.
ment In the six terminal units now
in operation.
1t is for this reason the citizens
OF Seattle should make a closer
study OF the work OF the port com.
mission and the staff doing bust
ness on behalf of the public in cx.
cess OF 100000 a year.
The future OF Seattle depends. TO
veV large extent, in the far.
sightedness Of the port commission,
In the efficiency and enterprise of
the staff employed by the port com.
mission. No greater mistake. how.
ever. could be made than for the
people OF this city not to keep them.
selves fully advised, not only as to |
the nature and character of the |
public harbor terminals. but the vol. |
ume OF business and the way the |
port commission and the admins
tration staff employed by the port
commission are handling this for |
eign and domestic commerce which |
lies at the very basis of Seattle's
present and future prosperity.