Freight intended for local consumption should be distributed to the various points of destination in the most direct manner possible. The principle to be followed in handling the freight of a city is to effect final delivery, as nearly as possible, without breaking bulk and with the least expenditure of time and labor. The use of the truck is an expensive method and a public nuisance, and should be avoided or minimized.
Seaports, as well as inland harbors, may greatly increase their commerce by improving their harbor facilities. For example, Frank fort-on-the-Main borrowed $18,000,000, of which $6,000,000 was spent in acquiring land and $12,000,000 in the making of improvements. An area of 110 acres was excavated and a very prosperous river port was thus created. The increased earnings from these improvements enabled the city to liquidate this debt in a few years. The river traffic, encouraged by the harbor improvements, served to develop new industries; 720 acres were reserved for factory sites that were disposed of at a profit ; the city now derives large revenues from the under taking, while the industry, commerce and pros perity of the community has been increased.
The port of Hamburg, which is 65 miles from the sea, is almost entirely a constructed port. Sixty years ago the channel of the Elbe had a depth of but 15 feet at high tide; to-day, as a result of continuous dredging, it has a depth of about 40 feet. The harbor is a great net work of piers, basins and channels, dredged out of the lowlands, but affording unlimited docking facilities. In equipment and conveni ence, this harbor is the equal of any in the world, and the sum of $150,000,000 approxi mately has been spent in its development.
In addition to the harbor at Hamburg, two other ports — among the greatest on the con tinent — those of Antwerp and Rotterdam, are largely of an artificial nature. In fact, although Rotterdam is a very ancient city, it never came of commercial consequence until it de veloped its harbor.
The importance of harbor facilities in Eng land was early realized in the construction of a number of ports having extensive improve ments, although London, its most important city, has contented itself with existing condi tions, and consequently has not advanced in comparison with certain other cities less favor ably situated. Liverpool has spent $200,000,000, Manchester and Newcastle, $85,000,000, and Glasgow, $44,000,000. Manchester, in order to free herself from Liverpool tolls, built a canal 35 miles long, and from 290 to 370 feet wide at the top, and from 120 to 170 feet wide at the bottom, and 25 feet deep. This improvement,
which was completed in 1893, furnished an out let to the sea and added enormously to the city's commercial importance.
An American city that has profited greatly by harbor improvements is Buffalo, which had in fact, no harbor at all. But the erection of a breakwater, however, has overcome its natural disadvantages, and it is now, in point of tonnage, the 10th port of the world. Boston, on the other hand, with a splendid natural harbor, has failed to extend its facilities, and the increase in the size of vessels has been such that many cannot now enter this port a condition that could have been avoided had Boston deepened her channels. Another city, Baltimore, since the big fire, has spent $6,500,000 on dock and pier improvements, which has assisted ma terially in maintaining her maritime trade.
The Pacific coast ports are showing con siderable activity in the development of harbor facilities. Los Angeles, by a consolidation with Wilmington and San Pedro, will have a shore front miles long. The city has spent $3,000,000, and the three boroughs, during the next 10 years, will spend $1,000,000 per year on harbor improvements. The State of Cali fornia is spending $10,000,000 on the extension of the State-owned docks at San Francisco, and Oakland is spending $3,500,000 on strictly municipal docks. The State will also spend $1,500,000 for State-owned docks at San Diego. This activity in the improvement of Pacific coast harbors has been mainly influenced by the opening of the Panama Canal (q.v.) which will prove an important factor in the develop ment of the Western States, and, in fact, the entire country.
Notable among New York's harbor im provements are the Chelsea Docks, while an other dock of 1,000 feet in length is at pres ent under construction. An interesting feature in the harbor facilities of this city is the Bush Terminal System, consisting of seven piers, each 1,400 feet in length. These piers are equipped with railroad tracks leading from the piers to a series of 125 warehouses and a dozen reinforced concrete factory buildings of immense size, housing some 275 different manufacturing concerns. The system includes also a spacious yard with 25 miles of tracks, capable of accommodating 1,000 railroad cars, and a number of locomotives, floats, lighters and tow-boats. The economy and convenience in thus being able to quickly load and unload cars and vessels may be readily realized.