White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-11-19

sufficient and dwelling in COM
parative isolation, the inhabitants OF
this earth, partly for the sake of pro-
lection, partly for sociability, and
through tribal instinct, gathered to-
gether in villages. Some of these vii
lagos were later destined to become
cities. The geographic location of the
village, along with other factors, had
A decided bearing on it's future. Then,
as now. with the exception of the air,
travel was by land and water. For
tunate the village jewellers VINO TO-
Gated along river or at seaboard'
thus insuring themselves easy access
to neighboring tribes and thereby es-
tablishing primitive trade routes later
destined to encircle the globe.
Memphis, the earliest city which
history records. existed at least 25Oo
B. C. Situated on the banks OF the
Nile some IL miles south of Cairo
this ancient metropolis was primarily
a political seat, but to meet the needs
of commerce the market place and
miniature port sprang into belng.
Since then, all cities, whether on the
coast or on navigable streams, have
maintained to a greater or lesser
degree a port to take care OF their
waterborne traffic. The history OF
peoples demonstrates that maritime
prowess leads to commercial and So
cial supremacy. Tyre and Sidon, sea-
ports of Phoenicia, were the earliest
commercial cities, and owned their
prosperity to their shipping. Garth
age, founded 800 B. G. by the Phoe-
nicians, was indebted largely to its
sea trade for it's achievements, both
commercial and military. The ship
ping of Carthage extended south to
Central Africa and north to England,
and the rich shores of the Mediter,
ranean were within easy access to her
merchants. Athens proper had no
harbor, but Piraeus, some five miles
away, became the port so necessary
to Athenian expansion and power
After the disintegration of the no
man Empire and the Dark Ages which
followed, the Italian cities began to
revive. thanks to their commerce
Venice the port made Venice the
city, whose prestige was later chal
lenged by the Hanseatic cities of the
north. Thus down through the ages
it is a noteworthy fact that many OF
the influential cities have been sea
ports, or located on navigable rivers
History then, points to the fact that
trade is essential to national great
ness and that trade in turn depends,
to degree, upon transportation.
Modern inventions have completely
revolutionized transportation; the
volume of tonnage, the demand for
speed, changed labor conditions, have
all necessitated new and still newer
mechanical equipment, better and
larger docks. In the evolution OF
transportation, ports and docks nave
played important roles, and while only
links in the transportation chain, they
are admittedly important ones me
need for these facilities in connection
with waterborne traffic is above dis
cussion. With the recent appreciate
increase in terminal development In
this country to take care of our water
borne trade, and assuming the need
for this development, what then
should be the relationship between
private and public docks, both classes
of which are owned and operated sue
cessfully throughout the country?
For years public VS.. private owner
shin of utilities has been a much ar
gued question, but in this connection
there remains in the public mind some
doubt as to just where public owner
ship should end and private enter
prise begin. Roughly speaking, utlll-
ties are of two classes: GAY service
supplying public health or sanitation
i. e., water, sewage. garbage, street
cleaning, parks, in short serving the
community collectively; CD services
supplying both the individual as such,
and the community collectively, L. e.,
electric light, power, gas, street rail-
way 1t is generally conceded that
the former class may be publicly
owned and operated, but as regards
the second class considerable discus
sion arises. Further, because of the
possibility for gain which the latter
class offers, this class has been large
ly sought out by private capital for
investment. Dock ownership and
operation are not included in either
of the two classes of utilities above
mentioned, but If owned and operated
by the municipality the docks would
be in an entirely different status from
public docks leased to private oper-
ators.
Private ownership of public utilities
Is more elastic, more direct, and gen
orally capable of more efficient effort
than are similar utilities publicly
owned and operated. This is not due
necessarily to the management or to
the personnel, but rather to the sys-
tenn of control and check, compulsory
by law, with which all public insti-
tutions find themselves fettered. Nor
is this system of control without it's
reason for being-protectio of public
funds in democratic commonwealth
necessitates rules, regulations, checks
and counterchecks for public servants
which are superauous and irksome in
private enterprise where the incentive
to personal gain and individual initia,
tive is paramount. On the other hand,
private ownership has not been with