AND SHIP NEWS counteract the propaganda of the outports, after the Port the State Department to recommend changes in, or, if Statistician is established, as it was before. If anything were needed to demonstrate our oftrepeated statement that the people of New York are in different regarding and unappreciative of their great port, its shipping and its commerce, this feeble incident of the appointment by the imperial city of New York of a $4,000-a-year Port Statistician to cope with the propaganda against the Port of New York by the outports, would suffice. American Shipping Interests As we go to press the message of president Coolidge to Congress has not been made public,but we have no hope that it will recommend a practicable and vigorous policy for the upbuilding and maintenance of American shipping in foreign trade. Our hope of effective legislation lies with the Congress. Bills introduced in our national legislative branch of the Government in the next few days will disclose the trend and purpose there. The statement emanating from the White House that the President has been furnished with a memorandum by the State Department that states that it would be a violation of existing treaties for the domestic navigation laws of the United States to be applied to our trade with the Philippine Islands, fills us with amazement, while the President's seeming acceptance of this declaration as conclusive reason for the non-enforcement of section 21 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, is most discouraging. We have been at some pains to look up the treaties concluded between the United States and Spain after peace had been effected at the end of th Spanish-American war. We find that complete sovereignty in the Philippine Islands was ceded to the United States by Spain, and that the United States is undisputed sovereign in that archipelago. There were no limitations imposed by Spain in its cession to the United States of the Philippine Islands. But there were concessions made by the United States to Spanish merchant ships, in their trade with the Philippine Islands, limited to a period of but ten years, that clearly, to our mind, indicated that "the high contracting parties" fully expected that before the end of the ten-year period our domestic navigation laws would have been extended to our trade with the Philippine Islands. Unless that was an accomplishment the United States had in view, there was neither reason for nor value in the maritime concessions the United States made to Spain in connection with its trade with the Philippine Islands. As sovereign in the Philippine Islands it seems to us that the United States has the same right to extend its domestic navigation laws to our trade with the Philippines that, successively, it had in extending those same navigation laws to our trade with Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Alaska, Hawaii and Porto Rico, as successively we acquired sovereignty over those newly acquired possessions. The discouraging thing to us, in connection with the deliverence of the State Department and the President's seeming acquiesce therein, is the absence of any suggestion or disposition on the part either of the President or necessary, the abrogation of, these hindering treaties, any and all of which are revocable at the will of either party thereto, in order that the United States may put into effect the maritime policies that, very plainly indeed, Congress desires put into effect. Perhaps indeed, we trust-Congress has at last reached the point where it will no longer look to the executive branch of the Government for the suggestion or initiation of an acutely needed, permanent, practicable, and effective American maritime policy. Report on Mobile-Pensacola Port Series No. 3, on Mobile-Pensacola, prepared in the office of the Chief of Engineers by the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors of the War Department in cooperation with the Bureau of Research of the Shipping Board, is now ready. It follows Portland, Me., No. 1, and Boston, No. 2. The latter is probably the most complete report ever made on an American port, and No. 3 treats its subject along the same comprehensive lines. The purpose in view in the preparation detailed information of practical value to vessel operators, of this report and other of the same series is to present producers, manufacturers, importers, exporters and all other persons having occasion to ship goods through our ports. The report gives full information regarding port and harbor conditions, port customs and regulations, services and charges, fuel and supplies, and all facilities of the ports available for service to commerce and shipping, including piers, wharves and docks, dry docks, ship repair plants, coal and oil bunkering facilities, grain elevators, storage warehouses, bulk freight storage, floating equipment, wrecking and salvage equipment, etc. Information is given regarding the railroads communicating with the ports and their charges and practices in connection with terminal service. Of special interest are the tables and maps showing the origin and destination of imports and exports. Full information is given also regarding the steamship lines serving the ports. and export rates through Gulf ports compared with Of particular interest is the discussion of the import rates through north Atlantic ports. Tables are presented showing the differentials existing as a result of each rate change since 1914, these differentials being shown not only for class rates but for a number of selected commodities. The entire port series now in preparation embraces all of the principal ports of the United States. Some of these are in the press, and No. 4, that on Philadelphia, will be ready shortly. Others, inclusive of New Orleans, should be ready for distribution within a few weeks. Copies of the report on Mobile and Pensacola may dent of Documents, Washington, D. C. be obtained for 75c on application to the Superinten Report of the Commissioner of Docks of the City of New York to the Sinking Fund On October 24 Dock Commissioner John H. Delaney submitted a report to the Sinking Fund Commission, showing rental values and property cost of the municipal ly-owned Staten Island piers, together with a form of resolution for the perfection of title by condemnation proceedings. The report carries a copy of the lease which was entered into in 1919 with nine steamship lines, some of which are not now operating, the rental for the piers being established on a basis of 72 percent. of the cost of construction and the cost of the land. The total rental value is given as $1,380,789, the construction costs being computed as follows: Group of one-story piers, Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 . One-story pier, No. 17 One-story pier, No. 18 Two-story piers, Nos. 12, 13 Two-story piers, Nos. 15, 16 Bulkheads not included in pier leases $6,621,126.83 1,278,624.05 1,323,709.59 $18,410,522.64 91,733.83 238,751.97 $18,741,008.44 Total cost of construction Relative to total values the report gives the combined land and construction cost at $19,784,836, to which is added $161,549 for bulkheads not leased and inshore fill at $238,751, making a total of $20,185,137. Cost of Land and Construction "It is our conclusion, therefore," the report states, "that the lowest estimated value of land and the actual cost of construction is at least $20,185,137.65. It is calculated that with an interest rate of 44 percent. per annum, and an amortization rate of one-half of one percent. upon the bonds issued for fifty years, the lowest possible expense to the city for these piers for debt service amounts to $958,794.04. The actual awards will carry 6 percent. interest from the date of vesting of title, which will be added to the capital cost in the final computation of total cost of property and construction, for the purpose of determining the rentals provided in the leases. To Be Put to Use "It is our judgment that it would be advantageous, both to the city and to the lessees, to put these piers into service at the earliest date possible, under an agreement that the rental for the first three years of the term be 71⁄2 percent. of the construction cost and the lowest conceded value of land, with interest to date. We believe that delivery of the piers should be tendered to the lessees. at once, and inasmuch as it is manifestly impossible to determine at this time the exact amount of ultimate rental required by the terms of the leases, the most reasonable alternative course seems to be that the city shall accept a rental for three years that is clearly within the amount ultimately to be charged. That the lowest land value conceded by witnesses for the city in condenmation proceedings be adopted as a basis for computing rental for first three years of leasehold terms, and that the Comptroller shall ascertain such conceded value and verify the apportionment thereof to each leasehold. "3. That the Commissioner of Docks be authorized to negotiate with each lessee for the modification of the original leases and for the delivery of the respective leased properties on the terms described hereinafter, any agreement to be subject to the approval of the Corporation Counsel and your board. "The terms in respect to which the original leases are to be modified and the respective leased properties are to be delivered are as follows: "(a) That the rental for the first three years be 72 percent. upon the actual cost of construction and the lowest estimated value of land, with additions thereto of interest and overhead charges as determined by the Comptroller. The aggregate amount thus determined to be apportioned according to the method described in said. tables and the exhibits attached to this communication. "(b) That for the remaining leasehold period after the first three years the rental shall be 71⁄2 percent. upon the actual cost of construction and the final award of the court in respect to land values, the whole to include interest and overhead charges as determined by the Comptroller in conformity with the provisions of said leases, the whole to be apportioned in accordance with the method set forth in the text and exhibits attached to this communication. Terms of Rental "It has been suggested that delivery be tendered upon the condition that this minimum rental be paid during the first three years, and that a readjustment, which shall be retroactive from the beginning of the lease term, shall occur after the final judgment shall be made by the court; or, in other words, that any deficiency in rental that may appear from the ultimate award shall be paid by the various lessees after such award is made. We think that such a policy would be no encouragement to the lessees to acprovocative of delay and perhaps of refusal to accept uncept immediate delivery, but, on the contrary, would be til the final rental was established. "It may be assumed that every pier accepted by the lessees on this basis will at least return the expense of the city on any reasonable amount finally awarded by the court in its judgment as to land values. This would be a distinct advantage to the city, and the advantage to the lessees would be that the accumulation of interest to be added to the final debt and the consequent increase of the final rentals would be prevented by the delivery and acceptance of the lease at the present time." New Service Between Karachi and The British India Steam Navigation Co. (Ltd.)-a subsidiary of the Peninsular & Oriental Co. is scheduled to inaugurate a regular service between Karachi and Bombay and Havre on October 19. As The Todd Oil Burner School S part of our service to insure maximum economy and successful operation of oil burning equipment we have established the Todd Oil Burner School for the instruction WITHOUT CHARGE, of engineers, firemen and others interested. The course covers five 3-hour periods, from 9 a.m. to 12 m., beginning on Mondays and ending on Fridays. This instruction has been arranged by us in the belief that it will result in the reduction of the fuel consumption aboard ship and in stationary plants, insure efficient handling of oil burning equipment and substantially reduce operating costs. Men may enroll for course at any time by applying to the instructor at the school, either in person or by letter. TODD OIL BURNER & ENGINEERING CORPORATION 742 East 12th Street, New York-Telephone Drydock 2300 T HE exhibit of the Morse Dry Dock & Repair Co. at the recent Marine Show created much active interest on the part of visiting shipping executives and engineers. The exhibit consisted of a striking group of photographs illustrating a large number of unusual jobs of ship repairs, docking of large vessels on the 30,000ton floating dry dock of the company and important. emergency repairs to a large number of Diesel ships. A large aerial panoramic picture gave a general idea of the extent and arrangement of the various shops and docks, and also the unusual material transportation facilities which are a distinguishing characteristic of the Morse plant. Morse Fuel Oil Burning Systems The exhibit proper consisted of a complete demonstration of the newly developed Morse Fuel Oil Burning System. Full size units of both natural and forced draft mechanical designs were set up to illustrate the new principles of atomization, air mixture and control that are the cause of the splendid performance record which this equipment has made. The most interesting item of this exhibit, however, was a cylindrical glass furnace similar in proportion to the furnace of a Scotch marine boiler which was mounted with a combination natural-forced draft front. In this front a standard Morse regulating burner was used, spraying finely atomized water into the glass furnace, both under natural and forced draft conditions. This model showed clearly the action of liquid fuel in process of use under normal working conditions. The ease and speed with which change over can be made from natural to forced draft made a favorable impression on the many marine engineers who inspected the exhibit. The protection of our domestic shipping has worked so advantageously to the nation that it is singular that our steamship seems unable to apply some equally effective policy to the development and maintenance of our shipping in foreign trade. Swift Ships Bring California Fruit The steamship Kroonland of the Panama Pacific Steamship Lines, which was the inaugural sailing under the newly established express service between San Pedro, California and New York, arrived at New York on the afternoon of November 27. The Kroonland, along with her other cargo, carried an experimental shipment of five cars of California "Sunkist" lemons and the fast schedule, 15 day delivery to New York, together with the special ventilation arrangements for the carrying of perishables, which is a part of this new steamship service, landed the fruit here in a very satisfactory condition that would compare very favorably with that of any of the shipments arriving by rail. The Panama Pacific Steamship Company also advises of the sailing of the Finland on the 26th carrying a consignment of 15 cars of California "Sunkist" lemons which is scheduled to arrive here on December 11. View of Exhibit of Morse Dry Dock and Repair Co., at the 1923 Marine Exposition |