New-York tribune., 1921-01-30

q limited connection by way of the New
York connecting railroad over He'll
Gate bridge. but it does not enable
these two horoughs to transfer freight
to the main trunk line railroads.
"The ona railroad tunnel connecting
Long Island to the mainland, namely
the Pennsylvania tunnel, to the Sunny
side yards in Queens, was closed
permanently to freight traffic by the
terms of its franchise when the tun-
rel was constructed. AS a result this
large industrial district. in the two
boroughs, with its enormous consumr-
tion of raw material and output is al
most wholly dependent upon car floats
and lighters on the water and motor
and horse drawn trucks on the land for
freight transportation.
Present Car Capacity Inadequate
"The team truck capacity in the bor-
oughs of Brooklyn and Queens in the
twenty-five freight stations on the Long
Island Railroad is only 1,0S0 cars. The
capacity of the water terminals where
cars are brought in by carfoats is ap
proximately 4.S0o--a capacity which is
seriously inadequate in times of heavy
traffic as witnessed by the numerous
and long continued freight embargces
placed upon the yards during the last
four years.
an the item of food supplies alone
the amount of trucking nece essary has
added enormously to the congestion OF
traffic The milk supply and the food
supply are now largely carried by
motor or horse drawn trucks from the
railroad yards in New Jersey by ferry
across the North River. through the
narrow and congested streets of lower
Manhattan. over the bridges to the
markets and consumers in brooklyn
and Queens.
Industries Are Handicapped
"Thc absence of direct rail connec-
tions and the inability Of large ma
ioritv Of the industries to obtain car
/ load deliveries at their doors. and the
consequent necessity of frequent ham
ding of raw materials and manufac-
tured products, has resulted in abnor-
nal terminal charges, costly and an
moving delays in shipments, frequent
embargoes at the terminals ana a con. .
cestion on the bridges and IN the
streets Of New York which has i'm
posed a heavy and unnecessary burden
on the commercial and industrial in
terests Of the city and placed the mer-
chants and manufacturers of greater
New York at marked disadvantage in
connection with the merchants and
manufacturers in cities and ports with
modern terminal and freight facili,
ties.
"New York City and its transit com.
ranios have spent over 1000 100000
for subway and elevated lines to carry
passengers economically and expedi-
tiouslv to and from their places OF
business, but practically nothing ha;
been done to provide economical ant
rapid freight transportation for the
food supplies, building material. raw
materials and the manufactured prod
ucts so necessary to the daily life o
these same people. and for the main
tcnancc Of the large industries upor
which so many of them, particular,
in Queens and Brooklyn, are dependen
; for livelihood.
"The city has made the same mistak'
in regard to land transportation wh'cl
she has made with regard to waite
trans sportation-namely in spending
100 large proportion of avaiabl
funds to provide facilities for passen
ger steamship lines. and paving to-
little attention to the needs of frelgh
| lines. In other words, the city ha
been alive TO the needs of adequat
passenger transportation facilities. bu
! almost totally blind to the urgent ne
cessity of supplying at the same tim
adequate freight transportation ia
, ci1itinSo