Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-07-04
YORK RIVER
AS R|CHMOND's HARBOR
With Good Port Facilities City
Would Become Ono OF Ten
Greatest OF Country.
THOMPSON GIVES HIS VIEWS

ASoiuCht vi HcSC f'OlHt SflalnDcf
OF Commerce Says Traders Arc
No Longer Obliged to Go North
for Sufficient Credits.
Richmond only lacks a good harbor
% become one OF the ten 2reatcs,
cities In the United States. In tho
opinion OF Crosby Thompson, pest
lent OF the West Point Chamber OF
Commerce. declared III statement
yesterday. Mr.. Thompson is a',o.
'ating the adoption o! the YorI;
River harbor by Richmond, as u.
ogical solution OF her transpor;a.
ion difficulties.
Richmond lacks tho facilities Tor
Entering the wide noii o: coln.a.-cc
afforded those -i.i,s located on fine
tarbors where tho great freightc.s
pr the sea may load AMI unload their.
'argoes." Mr.. Thompson declared.
Such harbor exists at tho head OF
York River. and the little town OF
West Point happens TO be located
here.
Railroads Don't Make Ports.
1t Is the erroneous opinion OF
many that railroads make the ports.
railway would by now have her Yves,
Paint terminal In the heart OF a great
fity. FOR twenty years ago there were
continually from eight TO ten foreign
nerchan,incn lying In West Points
laroor discharsing salt and INSECT
aneous freight. and loading with ex-
bort cotton and tobacco.
All that could be done to MAX.
"pkt Dnint I'm
,art was done By the Southern. In,
he Southern could not influence the
movement OF freight which originated
IN It's own line. and In thos. days
here vas no miscellaneous f..Iyh,
Ike cotton goods. farm lmpie,r ents
nd machinery and ships. manu.actrr-
bd In ;hc southern te.rltory. IN
pence ships could not tax. on a fun
Fargo al west Point. but had L. MAKE
cali AZ some other port where lh!s
lass OF freight was brought by rail-
roads extending into the ;rea; manu-
acturing ceniers OF the North and
West.
Traders Control situation.
Then. again. tho big trading com
Pnnies which Imported foreign goods
fnd bought American products io-
Export went 10 New York. PhiindcI-
I'hia and Boston for large credits TO
parry on their busIhesS. and ma ,ra..lv
iIsatcd there and became .n,ere.te,
ia adding 10 the bus.ncss q! ;Mos.
I,ities."
Discussing the relative Importance
!tt ports, Mr.. Thompson declared tina,
WAS these trading companiee who
absolutely control the Importance III
sea ports.
They buy goods AMI tell the sfl. .
shere 10 Al! for them" he said. and
eli the railroads where to deliver
bem. railroad Is ,npiy a c,m-
Ffnon carrier: It takes t-e'cht fr1r,
Hnc point 10 another AS the shipper
l6iirects."
al Summing UP the situation az Il cr-
SITS to-day and It's differences from
n he period OF twenty years ago, Mr.
crhompson makes tho point that the
Ssou,hern Railway could not hold tho
Export business for West Point. but
n hat today the situation has changed
I'm three ways.
X First" he said. In giving the ren-
&ons why Richmond should adopt the
York River route, "all the leading
Hor;s are congested beyond control,
md relief can only be gained by
$irnlng shipments into other harbors.
Hcst Point is certainly the mrs; 10
&c considered because there is n nat
oral channel OF sufficient depth To
cake care OF the ships. and moderate
Hized terminals are ready today TO
andle the freight between ships and
+, n!lroads.
South Has Ample Produce.
Second. the South now produces
ample tonnage OF varied character
Up supply full cargo for export.
End railroads extending from Rich
&tond into tho Southern territory will
n ct the haul, which ia very i'm
Iortant point TO be considered.
Third. Richmond is now a inan-
|lial center. and perfectly able to fur
g ish the credits necessary to support
DC composed of men loyal TO Rich
Siond and interested in making the
Fort OF Richmond take the rank 10
y 'h'ch its natural location and adj
Manages entitlo It,"
n Mr.. Thompson says that tho West
q ,oint Chamber OF Commerce does not
4 ant or expect Richmond business
interests to do anything for West
"A oint.
81 ''If we were the Chamber OF Com
Saerce of Richmond, however, he
q aid. Eve would forget the James
81 liver as harbor for seagoinE boats
Gut put it to tho uses most profit
Eblc. We would never let our people
Mast until Richmond had reached on
enc arm thirty-five miles to the east
end gained the wonderful York River
&or dcep-sea port; and stretched
6no other arm an equal distance west
8tard and developed the tremendous