Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-29
A GOVERNMENT FERRY BUSINESS
By Frederic J. Haski,

Washington, Nov. 29-Uncle Sam.
IN conducting hls mulufarious inter-
estr. has engaged In some strange
occupations. ranging all the way from
the manufacture OF glass TO the cro~s-
breeding of donkeye and zebras; out
the versatile old gentleman asonished
himself the other day by discovering
that one cf the legacies left him by the
war administration was a full sized
municipal ferry line which hasn't the
remotest connection with any known
function OF national government. The
ferry line is az Norfolk, Virginia. con-
Meeting that thriving city with its
Jealous sister city, Portsmouth. nile
across the Elizabeth river.
Uncle Sam now finds himself not
only operating this municipal utility,
but doing so at a handsome profit 10
himself Any government enterprise
that actually pays dividends in hard
cash into the treasury Is such rare
phenomenon that the Norfolk-POr's-
mouth ferry line Is in danger OF be-
coming a congressional pet.
The history OF how the government
acquired this ferry line, with is fleet
OF boats. its passenger terminal sta
| tlons, ticket ch piping machines, and all
! the rest, In an entertaining one. Wnen
| the United States declared war against
/ Germany. i, seemed rs though every
single agency of the government which
/ had anything 10 do with the war, pick
/ Ell out the lower Chesapeake Bay dis
/ trict as the scene OF one or more Ct
/ It's most important operations.
The navy established it's great sup
ply base there and also a mine as-
sembling plant. and II already had
the great Portsmouth Navy Yart
there. The Shipping Board placeC
some OF its most important shipbuild'
ing contracts at Newpcrt News. The
supply division OF the War Depart
ment located its greatest export bass
at Norfolk. The ordnance bureau es
tablished a great supply depot there
[ The engineers also located their chile
depot there. The transportation Ser
vice created one OF its chief port
4 embarkation IN that district. Their
was an aviation field there, a balloon
school. an artillery training camp. an
numerous other war enterprises.
The undirected congestion OF wa
activity around the lower Chesapeake
cost the Government heavily in none.
because q the dislocation OF the loca
markets for labor and materials. Blu
II did more. II put a sore strain upol
the public utilities in the cities OF IN
district. None OF these utilities Eel
the strain more than the ferry lin
leading from Norfolk 20 Portsmouth
: The Portsmouth Navy Yard had great
: ~ expanded. and many OF the Nav
Yard workmen had 10 use the ferr
morning and night.
Ferry Breakdown Threatened.
The ferry line belonged Jointly an
equally 10 the city of Portsmouth an
the county OF Norfolk. For many year
/ 10 had been the practice 10 lease IN
ferry 10 the private operating CON
psny which bid the highest for IN
privilege. the leases each time run
ming for ten years. Before each ne'
lease WAS made the city and count
would AK up the equipment. but IN
lessee, to make as much money 70
himself as possible, would put jus
as little money into maintenance an
upkeep as he had 10 In order 20 kee
the boats running.
In 1918 the ferry threatened 10 brea
down under tho load. IL was With
six months of the time OF the eXpirs
ton OF the lessee's contract. and II
equipment was badly run down. III
rotton old hulls barely stayed afioa
and the machinery was nearly woT
out. The government demanded a
l
went 10 New York and bought w
East river ferryboass. old but In goo
condition. on the agreement that n
!. city and county would take them oy,
;. when the lease expirel. But the go'
\ ernment needed still more equipmer
1 and the lessee could not supply II. I'll