The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-10-19
A SEA BASE FOR A "a.
NARROWED CONTINENT. .,
ADDRESS CHAs. 7. CRAIG EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THE
GREAT LAKES ST LAWRENCE TIDEWATER ASSOCIATION

southwest Every point north of that
line is nearer to Duluth than to Chi
cago. rng
"That line shows the vast territory
| which will focus its commerce upon
Duluth Superior harbOr when that
harbor becomes a seapOrt-provided,
and provided only, that you recognize
the opportunity awaiting you" s
1.-THE benefits which the lakeS-to-
ocean route will bring can be realized
only to the extent that provision is
made for the necessities of modern
general purpose port.
"You who dwell on the shores of
this harbor are the trustees of an
| implied trust, the beneficiarieS of
which are the people now living and
who may hereafter live and produce
| in this empire.
| cit is up to the people of these two
cities to plan port here which will
be the most efficient that modern ex-
perience can produce One that can
be operated on the modern doctrine
of the maximum service at the lowest
cost. aa. i
''The whole territory is interested.
1t includes large share of the wheat
territory-the great milling district of
Minneapolis packing centers at
st. Paul and Omaha and Sioux City
the western wool growers-the great
copper district of Montana
Every farmer, every banker every
| wholesaler, the milling industries, the
mines, all have direct interest. You
have nothing to fear in taking them
into your confidence, your interests
are mutual. Let these people help plan
it. Public support from them will be
of great value in the legislatures and
in congress. ~--S"s
Mutual and Common Interestes.
I'm planning the port we have to
think of domestic traffic quite as
much as foreign. There is an immense
amount of trade with New England
In 1926 the New England roads re-
ceived 100000 tons of traffic from
the weSt-of which more than $780,
600 tons would be eligible for water
transportation, by the ship channel
The savings on transportation costs
on these shipments have been esti-
mated at 100000 for the traffic
with New England alone. Double that
and treble it for coaStwise commerce
with New York, and Philadelphia, and
Baltimore-the whole Atlantic range
of ports
Lake Superior will be on a parity
with Chicago for the shipment of
| steel to Seaboard markets where to-
day Chicago has an advantage of 500
miles .aUas,0
"You have seen what has been done
IN the shipment of dairy products
when facilities were provided. In this
commodity, negligible seven years ago.
you have traffic now of $4,000, 900 a
year through this port. That bust
ness will increase many fold And
what you done and will do in that
commodity will be repeated a score
OF times in twenty others.
IF provision is made"
Yours is great responsibility.
90 The New Competition
Ports compete for business. Rail-
roads have spent immense sums to re-
duce the costs of line haulS. Lower
ing grades, putting on heavier en-
gines. increasing loads. They have
reached high efficiency as far as
line haul is concerned, for which they
are to be commended.
vessel lines have also improved
their efficiency of operation so that
ocean rates are little higher than pre-
| war schedules. Still, the cost of turn
! around that constitutes half the yes
sells expense in ocean trade or coast
| wise trade, it is time in port that
costs
"For reduction of cost in the future
we must look to our terminals. This
| requires joint action Not only by one
railroad with its shippers, but by all
| the railroads BY the railroads with
the ocean carriers. BY the carriers
| with the city. BY the city with the
communities served by the terminal.
| To get these groups working together
for common cause is your RESPONSE
bility.
"Along this line lies your opportun-
ity for world port at the westerly
finger tip of Lake Superior.
Plan N0w-Build as Needed. :, ~,
"a comprehensive port survey is
| indispensable. ,,...,s
ct requires before any planning is
done knowledge of the needs of
land carriers and water carriers, the
movement and handling of the sew
eral kinds of cargo, the requisites of
|
eff the port is properly planned
with reference to the freight which
will pass through it and the carriers
which will seek it, the interchange of
| traffic will be accomplished at cost
per ton which will constitute true
economy. - .ys-i
eff land and water routes are not
properly coordinated, if the facilities
are not correctly designed and loca-
ted, the efforts of the port to, develop
business will be hampered.
"Duluth-Superior must avoid the.
costly mistakes which have been made
at other ports. It must begin right
and first develop all the pertinent
facts The ownership, control, opera
ton and financial structure must be
determined upon, physical structures
should be the last to receive attention.
1.-THE time to build is few years
off,; the time to plan is now.
Daddy of All the Trees
The oldest tree In the world Is. be-