THE HARBOR AND MARINE REVIEW PORT OF NEW YORK HARBOR AND MARINE REVIEW Editor Business Manager Advertising Rates on Application. Subscriptions $3.00 per Year in the United No. 8 Page 4-9 Hon. Maurice E. Connolly, President Borough of Queens.... 3-10 Economical Diesel Engine 11 New York's Proportionate Loss of Commerce The value of the foreign commerce of the Port of New York for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 1922, shows a drop to but 40 per cent of that of the entire United States. This information comes to us too late for extended mention and analytical discussion in this issue. But the fact itself is pregnant with meaning to all of those engaged in shipping and foreign commerce. We have hastily gone back as far as 1856 and can find no single year in the history of the Port of New York since that time when its proportion of the foreign commerce of the nation is as small as that of the year just closed. During the two generations that have elapsed since the close of the Civil War, we have seen New York's percentage of the foreign commerce of the United States drop more than 10 per cent. That is to say, the percentage loss of New York's foreign commerce is so great that if it had been suffered by any other port in the country it would have completely wiped out every vestige of foreign commerce. No port in the country during the past two generations has achieved 10 per cent of the nation's total foreign commerce except the Port of New York. During the first thirty years after the Civil War and inclusive of that period of national travail New York's 10 proportion of the nation's foreign commerce exceeded 50 per cent; during the second period this percentage has been slightly above an average of 45 per cent. It may now be that we are about to enter upon an era in which the prestige of the Port of New York will still further be impaired, as it is sure to be, if it does not rise above the immediate figure of a bare 40 per cent of the foreign commerce of the United States. 12 14 A Bigger Cape Cod Canal. 12 Poor Immigration Business Editorials: The Coal and Railroad Strikes......... 15 The natural facilities possessed by the Port of New York should give to it fully 60 per cent of the nation's foreign commerce, or 20 per cent more than it achieved during the past fiscal year. We say in all seriousness to the new Port of New York Authority that its establishment has not come one moment too soon and that there is no single matter that should give it more concern than that related to foreign commerce, and the devising of ways and means to restore to New York the percentage of foreign commerce it enjoyed two generations ago, and the maintenance of an average percentage far above that to which it has, we believe, only temporarily fallen during the past fiscal year. The Coal and Railroad Strikes No American community is in greater peril from the utterly foolish and quite unnecessary strikes that are now giving the country such deep concern than the Port of New York. Here are concentrated more than 12 per cent of the entire manufacturing industries of the United States, giving employment to hundreds of thousands of skilled and unskilled labor, upon which labor there is probably dependent at least three times that actually employed. For this great center to be threatened with any diminution in its ordinary supply of coal should be unthinkable, but for it actually to be deprived of the fuel necessary for the maintenance of its industries, for the employment of its manufacturing population, would be a great national crime. Nothing but greed HARBOR AND MARINE REVIEW and stubbornness at present prevent the coal operators and the mine workers getting together and settling their differences in a manner that will serve the needs of the public without interruption of a full coal supply for industrial and domestic needs. Probably there has been no single commodity in which there has been more nationwide profiteering than in that of coal supply. The circumstances surrounding the coal strike and the coal situation in general are a challenge to our civilization. Many of the features so glaringly indefensible in respect to the coal strike and the coal situation are to be found in the strike of shop workers and clerks in railroad employ. Greed and stubbornness are the leading elements that block compromise in the railroad situation, precisely as in the coal situation. In each case the victim is the public, because it will, eventually, have to foot the entire bill, and pay all of the cost of these barbarous methods of settling differences between labor and capital. President Harding seems to be doing everything in his power to bring about an amicable adjustment of the differences that have sprung up in the controversies short of establishing martial law in a nationwide manner. No nation is truly progressive where the two great elements of society and of business are constantly at each other's throats, in the manner similar to that which marks the two great strikes now under way. The public well-being should not be imperilled by such wasteful and unnecessary strikes and our statesmanship should devise ways and means of permanently preventing them. Port of New York Authority The new fiscal year having begun, and the Port of New York Authority having obtained all of the legislative sanction requisite for its future progress, it is now expected that soon it will demonstrate its capacity in many important concrete ways. Its chief purpose is to develop the Port of New York along thoroughly scientific lines, and especially to coordinate all of the different parts of its vast area, so that each will perform its maximum of service in the development of the whole port. Before long we expect to record the first great step in the progress of the Port of New York Authority in an issuance of its own bonds for the acquisition of waterfront and related properties of exceptional value in the very line of comprehensive coordination contemplated. We present elsewhere in this issue an item to the effect that Chief Engineer Cresson, of the Port of New York Authority, has gone abroad on a pleasure and observation trip, with the expectation that he may interest those in authority in the leading European ports to seek to standardize the essential elements of port development and operation. This would be an accomplishment of the greatest and most far-reaching importance to each of the ports included and to the maritime world in general. The Port of New York Authority is right at the front in adjusting the port's needs in the matter of supplies, particularly in the supplying of coal within the metropolitan district, with Chairman Outerbridge the chairman of the commission appointed to cooperate with Secretary of Commerce Hoover in that important matter. The functioning of the Port of New York Authority on a large scale wholly within its own great field of activity is only a question of a short time. Sage Foundation Survey The Russell Sage Foundation, it is announced, is engaged in a stupendous work in behalf of the Metropolitan District of New York, which corresponds in boundaries very closely to the boundaries of the Port of New York. The Sage Foundation has in mind anticipating the needs and requirements of a population estimated, in 1950, to total 16,500,000 within a radius of 50 miles from the City Hall, New York City, and of 37,000,000 in the year 2000. It hopes to correct what is regarded as the illogical development of New York, Charles D. Norton being head of the committee to work out the problem and suggest remedies. The other members of the committee are Robert W. De Forest, Frederick A. Delano, John M. Glenn, Dwight W. Morrow, and Frank L. Polk. What is involved is "a quadruple survey," including: 1. Economic and industrial. 2. Physical. 3. Legal. 4. Social and living conditions, under the direction of Nelson P. Lewis, former Chief Engineer of the New York Board of Estimate and Apportionment, who will be aided by a most distinguished committee of engineers and municipal experts. Naturally the Port of New York comes in for extended consideration, the rail facilities being perhaps foremost, because so closely related with shipping facilities, and in order to avoid congestion of any kind. The main highway system of the entire area, including bridges over and tunnels under the water, are regarded as of vital importance. There might be opportunities for differences between this public work and that of the Port of New York Authority, but we believe that neither side will permit anything of the kind to occur. The Port of New York Authority possesses official jurisdiction, to which the others must bow; and that there is unlikely to be any clash, we note that B. F. Cresson, Jr., Chief Engineer of the Port Authority, is associated with the advisory work of the group over which Mr. Lewis presides. Later on there will be more of detail as to the plans affecting our shipping and commerce, which we shall be pleased to record. Meanwhile we may say that the Sage Foundation, in its potentialities, is likely to become a great factor in the systematic, coordinated progress the Port of New York is destined to make, sure, in its results, to help in holding and developing our shipping, our commerce and our industries. Weather Maps By Radio Radio service is to be extended in such a manner as to give details of the movement of areas of high and low barometrical centers, wind directions and other information essential to essential to a better knowledge of good or bad weather through the United States Weather Bureau. The big broadcasting stations along the coast have been sending forth warnings of approaching storms, for years, which have been of the greatest value to ships. The ships themselves cooperated by sending information to Washington of prevail HARBOR AND MARINE REVIEW ing meterological conditions, which correspondingly aided observers in forecasting movements of storms. A system of code signals has been arranged so that there can be broadcasted in a minimum of time weather information sufficient to enable ships' officers to chart out complete maps showing the extent and location of storm centers and their movements, very similar to those prepared in land offices of the weather bureau. Ships communicate the information to each other, and thus greater security of life and property at sea is assured, through advanced knowledge. The service is in effect on the Atlantic and Pacific, and has just been extended to the Great Lakes. Blanks for preparing weather charts may be procured by mariners by applying to the weather bureau stations. Thus science augments the protection of mankind, when properly availed of. Tariff Bill Protects Ship Repairers Beginning in 1872 Congress gradually placed on the free list increasing numbers of articles and materials used in the construction, repair, outfitting and furnishing of ships, first limited to those engaged in foreign trade, but of recent years. so general as to amount to full free trade in everything required for the purposes mentioned. But the pending tariff bill, as reported by the Finance Committee of the United States Senate, proposed to place a duty of 50 per cent upon all such articles and materials, and also upon repairs made to American ships in foreign ports, unless it can be clearly. shown to the satisfaction of Collectors of Customs by masters of ships so repaired or equipped that such repairs and equipment were necessary for the safety of the ship and to enable it to reach its home port. Shipowners say that, while protection to American ship repairers and manufacturers of appurtenances, outfittings and furnishings, is fair and just, such protection should be reasonable, and they believe that a 50 per cent duty is excessive. It is quite probable that the purpose of the Senate Finance Committee in fixing the duty at 50 per cent ad valorem was not to increase revenue so much as it intended to prevent masters and owners of American ships from procuring repairs, appurtenances, outfittings and furnishings abroad that could be supplied by home producers. The object sought was to make prohibitive, or nearly so, the cost of such indulgences by American shipmasters and owners. The wonder is that a Congress, so keen to observe probable injustices in the application of protection, insofar as American ship repairers, and manufacturers of appurtenances and furnishings used on shipboard are concerned, could overlook the fact that foreign-built ships are freely admitted to American registry for foreign trade, without duty of any kind whatsoever. Shipbuilders claim that the American cost of building vessels is so much higher than the foreign that, in normal times, few ships will be built in the United States for foreign trade. Our laws for over a century have confined the carrying of our domestic commerce solely to American-built vessels, owned by Americans, and if the existing free ship provisions remain upon our statutes our shipbuilders in time are liable to be confined to our domestic carrying for orders for ships. Robert Dollar's Shrewdness Captain Robert Dollar came to New York from Philadelphia, where he attended the National Foreign Trade Convention, where he spent a few days looking over his interests here prior to sailing for San Francisco, May 27, on the steamship H. F. Alexander. Shipping generally, Captain Dollar said, is improving. It is his opinion that the bottom of the depression has been reached and that an upward trend is well on its way. Business on the Pacific side of the continent, he added, is better than it is on the Atlantic, for the reason that the countries of the Far East were not hit so hard by the war. Europe, Captain Dollar asserted, needs merchandise that America sells, but it is not shipped because of the economic conditions which make payments uncertain and prices unstable. When this condition is improved, shipping will follow and the great fleets of idle vessels will be put back into service, in so far as their condition will permit. NOT BUYING SHIPS Now The Dollar Line, he said, is not contemplating the immediate purchase of any additional tonnage. "Our fleet ran down to a considerable extent during the war," he added, "and we had to buy to build it up again." The result of his sales and purchases were evidently not displeasing to Captain Dollar, for he said that during the war rush he confirmed the sale of his steamer Captain Dollar to Far Eastern purchasers for a sum in excess of $1,300,000. This money he laid aside at interest, and with the fall in price of ships he was able to buy four vessels for what he received for the one ship. Degnon Terminal Enlargement An additional million square feet of ground will be added to Dregnen Terminal in Long Island City, according to an announcement made by Michael J. Degnon, President of the Degnon Realty and Improvement Company. The addition will occupy all of the ground owned by the company in the area east of Vandam street to Hulst street and Greenpoint Avenue, and north of Borden and Hunters Point avenue to Thomson avenue, directly south of the Rawson street station on the Queens Borough subway. With this enlargement the Degnon Terminal will comprise 3,000,000 square feet of ground. That total is greatly augmented, however, by the floor area of the buildings erected thereon, which have an average height of about seven stories. Coincident with the announcement of this big development of the terminal is the further announcement that James Butler will erect, on a site just acquired, a large warehouse and distributing station, from which he will ship the supplies needed by is 637 stores in the metropolitan zone. The selection of a site on the Degnon Terminal for the new Butler receiving and shipping depot is an indication of the central location and easy accessibility of the terminal, and establishes the latter as the connecting link between the distributers and consumers of New York. Among the concerns already established at the terminal are Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company, American Ever Ready Works, American Chicle Company, White Company, John Simmons Company, George A. Fuller Company S. Blickman, Inc., James H. Rhodes Company, Hunters Point Lumber and Supply Company, Inc., Thompson-Starrett Company, Manhattan-Rome Company, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, F. G. Burke, Brett Lithographing Company, Defender Manufacturing Company, Marcus Ward, Inc., Concrete Steel Company, Underpinning and Foundation Company, Drug Products Company and Whittaker-Glessner Company. HARBOR AND MARINE REVIEW T 1,576 Winches, Windlasses Capstans and Steering Engines Placed on Sale BY THE UNITED STATES SHIPPING BOARD F. H. WALSH, Manager, Material Sales Division, U. S. SHIPPING BOARD EMERGENCY FLEET CORPORATION WASHINGTON, D. C. HARBOR AND MARINE REVIEW 16 Diesel Engines Placed On Sale BY THE UNITED STATES SHIPPING BOARD Through the United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation To arrange for inspection of engines located at Alameda and Fruitvale, communicate with To arrange for inspection of engines located at Hog Island and Erie, communicate with Any or all of these engines will be sold "as is, where is" and without warranty as to condition, quality or capacity. The United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation will load on cars at its expense at the above locations. Engines are offered subject to prior sale or other disposition. For additional information, communicate with F. H. WALSH, Manager, Material Sales Division U.S. SHIPPING BOARD EMERGENCY FLEET CORPORATION WASHINGTON, D. C. |