Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-29

Sam. in conducting his multifarious
Interests, has engaged in some strange
occupations, ranging all the way from
the manufacture of glass to the cross
breeding of donkeys and zebras, but
the versatile old gentleman astonished
himself the other day by discovering
that n of 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 govern
ment. The ferry line is at Norfolk,
Va, connecting that thriving city
with it's jealous sister city. Ports
mouth, a mile away across the Eliza
beth river.
Uncle Sam now finds himself not only
operating this municipal utility but do
ing so at a handsome profit to himself.
Any government enterprise that actu-
ally pays dividends in hard cash into
the treasury is such a rare phenom
lemon that the Norfolk Portsmouth ferry
line is in danger Of becoming a con-
gressional pet.
The history of how the government
acquired this ferry line, with its fleet
Of boats. its passenger terminal sta
tons, ticket chopping machines, and all
the rest, is an entertaining me-. When
the United States declared war against
Germany, it seemed as though every
single agency Of the government which
had anything to do with the war picked
out the lower Chesapeake bay district
as the scene of one or more of it's
most important operations.
The navy established its. great sup
ply base there and also a mine assem-
bling plant, and it already had the great
Portsmouth navy yard there. The ship
ping board placed some of it's most i'm
portant shipbuilding contracts at New
port News. The supply division of the
war department located its greatest ex-
port base at Norfolk. The ordnance
bureau established a great supply depot
there. The transportation service ere
ated one of it's chief ports of embark
alton in that district. There was an
aviation field there, a balloon school, an
artillery training camp and numerous
other war enterprises.
The undlrected congestion of war
activity around the lower Chesapeake
cost the government heavily in money
because of the dislocation of the local
markets for labor and materials. But
it did more, it put a sore strain upon
the public utilities in the cities of the
district. None of these utilities felt
the strain more than the ferry line
leading from Norfolk to Portsmouth.
The Portsmouth navy yard had greatly
expanded. and many Of the navy yard
workmen had to use the ferry morning
and night.
Ferry Breakdown Threatened
The ferry line belonged Jointly and
equally to the city of Portsmouth and
the county of Norfolk. For many years
it had been the practice to lease the
ferry to the private operating COM
pany which bid highest for the priv
lege, the leases each time running for
10 years. Before each new lease was
made the city and county would fix
up the equipment, but the lessee, to
make as much money for himself as
possible. would put just as little money
into maintenance and upkeep as he had
to in order to keep the boats running.
In 1918 the ferry threatened to
break down under the load. 1t was
within six months Of the time of the
expiration of the l~essee's contract.
and the equipment was GLADLY run
down. The rotten old bulls barely
stayed afloat and the machinery was
nearly worn out. The government de-
ii.lLdtu an ILIpi oNSHIeIt. LIT ieSSttS
actually went to New York and bought
two East river ~ferryboats. old but in
good condition. on the agreement that
the city and county would take them
over when the lease expired. But the
government needed still more equip
mnt and the lessee could not supply
it.. The government therefore stepped
In, paid the lessee q small sum in ex-
change for his anticipated final six
months profits. bought the two new
ferryboats from him. and then enter
ed into a contract with the city and
county to operate the line under the
same rental agreement.
Among the agencies of the govern
ment at work in the district was the
United States Housing corporation.
which was building the Portsmouth
suh1rhs of Cradnnk and I,ruxtnn TO