The herald., 1921-03-17
Considering Our
Ferry Service
CITIZENS FERRY COMMITTEE
HAS SATISFACTORY CONFER
ENCE WITH MIR. MALONY'S


authorized by the recent mass meeting
Of citizens, called by appointment upon
Commissioner Maloney on Friday even.
ing, and it may be said that the un.
animous verdict after the conference
was, that the people have a prize in
the person of the Commissioner of
Public Utilities. The committees
visit had the double object of advising
Mr.. Maloney that very large majority
of our people are in favor of improved
and increased ferry facilities under
the proposed new ferry programme,
and that they are equally determined
that the present ferry company must
supply the palpably indispensable con-
veniences they are entitled to, for the
remaining months of its lease. Mr.
Maloney assured his visitors that it
would be his pleasure to always give
the people what they want, if within
his power, provided the request is
practicable and is seemingly satisfac-
tory to the majority. Along this line
the committee condensed its request
as far as the proposed 1922 service is
concerned, into two fundamental
propositions which they feel the people
of AlSiers and vicinity will stand for,
viz: Municipal ownership and opera
ton of all the ferries, with an i'm
proved service at the Third District
crossing at Olivier street, and an adj.
ditional first class service from the
head of Opelousas Avenue.
1t is assumed that the proposed new
service will not impair the present
service being given at Morgan street
and that this and all. other details such
as the character of the proposed boats,
ramps, pontoons, ETC., should not be
urged until the city finds itself in a
position to definitely say whether it
will itself be able to run these ferries
thus giving the people modern trans
portation at cost, or whether it will be
forced by circumstances beyond it's
control to sell these privileges to the
contractor who will put up the largest
sum in boats and paraphernalia and at
the lowest tariff and which would be-
long to the city at the end Of the lease.
This does not mean to say however,
details worked out and ready to sub
NIT Immediately upon the City's finan-
cial ability being made known. 1t
may not be amiss in this particular
fn
matter of the boats and their landings
however, that since said boats must
release the vehicles in the same direc-
tion in which they were headed when
they came on board, and since the
rivers current will not permit the
boat to land head on into the bank as
is done at slack-water ports, it neces-
sarily follows that these ferries must
land exactly as at present-parallel
with the shore observation-disclosures
unloading and loading from their
several heads, at right angles with the
shore. 1t is not denied that these
boats could land like the railroad
ferries do, but this would require that
the ramp would start up stream from
the head of the boat which distance
when added to the length of the boat
itself, would be far greater than that
required for a low-water grade of say
sc, and therefore far greater than the
city would consent to needlessly give
up for these light-traffic transfer boats.
In the matter of the continued con-
tempt shown for the Algerines by this
Improvement" ferry company of ours,
it was pointed out to the Commissioner
that Notwithstanding it is now more
than five months since we have been
subjected to the continued hardships
and danger incident to being compelled
to use the wagon gangway' which
the franchise declares we shall not be
permitted to use, and that while new
covered passenger ways could have
been provided four months ago or two
months before even the Levee Board
began its work, there is as yet no relief
in sight. The committee agreed to
meet the ferry owners once more never
tuelcSS, even III uul W uuu Out III hoW
many more months even after the ex'
piration of their lease, must we pay
the penalty imposed by the reign OF
the late Bosses through the medium of
this one-sided, invulnerable franchise
How long Oh Lord how long?
That Commissioner Maloney who
has already written such splendid
record for himself-as one Of the COM
mittee suggested to HMM the j. c.
track case, the Railways case, and the
Telephone case, will surely smaintain
the same stand in the ferries case,
and will properly answer the question
for US, is not for moment to be
doubted. Therefore let our people
all pull together in this vital matter
and back our progressive Commission.
er in the best plan he can propose
when he will give this old town a
boost of which even the average O. D.
A. had never dreamed.
81 Il r.