New-York tribune., 1922-09-02
'CoverllorOperns
Grain Elevator
For Barge Canal
Great Terminal Storehouse
in Brooklyn Has Capacity
of 100000 Bushels.
lnsuring Food Supply
Waterway Now ON Map
Miller Says Port No Longer
Must Depend ON Rail-
roads for Heavy Traffic

roads tor Heavy Traffic
Governor Miller officially opened
yesterday the states $2,500O0e grain
elevator at the foot of Columbia Street,
Brooklyn, the terminal of the Barge
Canal. The elevator has capacity of
100000 bushels Many public officials
and members of civic organizations
attended the ceremonies, The Gov
ernor, in his address, declared that he
considered tho putting Of the Barge
Canal "on tho map" and the start that
has been made toward developing and
co-ordinating the transportation fa-
cilities of this port as among the chief
achievements of the present state ad-
ministration.
"If there are any high spots in the
work Of your present state administra-
tion," said the Governor, ~ consider
that what has been done to lay the
oundation-because that is all we
have yet succeeded in doing-for the
present development and coordination
of the transportation facilities of this
great port, and what has been done to
put our Barge Canal on the map. as
among the chief achievements which
should be credited to the work that
we have undertaken to do.
"We started to construct the ter
minals, and up to date we have ex-
pended almost S170,OoO,O00. We have
the channel; we have the terminals,
evidenced by this great terminal, and
it's connected elevator. Last year, as
you may remember there was a threat
of railroad tie-up which would have
suspended rail transportation. Plans
were carefully prepared to utilize the
means at our disposal to substitute for
rail transportation other means of
transportation to feed the people of
this city, and one Of those means which
we could have utilized to the maximum
was our barge canal, extending
throughout the state, connecting with
the Great Lakes and tapping the grain
section Of the country. That crisis is
past. and the canal did not have the
opportunity, which at one time seemed
imminent, of justifying its existence,
but / may say to you that it was a
mighty comforting, thing to those in re-
sponsible positions to know that the
canal was here"
Insures Food Supply
"About twenty years ago the project
was launched to construct barge
canal. The people voted to expend
$100,000,000 for that purpose. This
great dock, connected with the very
I'D wi IN oil tor !,
perhaps, the completion Of the great
project, so far as the transportation
of grain is concerned. We started out
to spend S100,000,000, because we then
thought only Of digging channel. We
were still thinking in terms of the tow
path and the mule. We did not realize
what American enterprise could accom-
plish. When we got the channel nearly
completed we discovered that we had
no provision whatever for the neces-
sary terminals if there was to be any
shipping business whatever in this
channel.
More Tonnage Needed
The Governor also pointed out the
use that the canal would have been put
to if the bituminous coal strike had
continued, to get coal into the interior
Of the state, but, he said, the canal
should not be left for emergencies. He
said that shipping snouId be developed
and shippers educated to use the canal,
At the close of last year, the Governor
said, considerable increase of ton
mage carried upon the canal was
showed, but 1t was not enough. The
canal this year, despite unprecedented
floods interrupting navigation, showed
a gain in tonnage of 30 per cent over
last year.
"New barges are making their ap-
pearance constantly" said Governor
Miller. Capital, proverbially timid, Is
becoming more confident in the invest
ment of money in the facilities needed,
more carriers are appearing, and, of
course, the problem now is to get car
riers to utilize this canal. And while
the signs are hopeful, still the tonnage
which we shall have carried by the end
Of this year will be totally incommen-
surate with the tremendous investm mt
which we have in this enterprise. But
am satisfied that we have already
proven that the canal will justify
itself"
Lieutenant Governor Jeremiah Wood
president of the Canal Board, presided
at the ceremonies. Frederick r. Rowe
president of the Brooklyn Chamber of
Commerce, and Julius H. Barnes, presi-
dent Of the United States Chamber of
Commerce., also spoke. Mr.. Barnes
operates fleet Of grain vessels on the
canal.