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Waterway Transportation (Continued from Page 36) in the meantime earnings and profits would increase, placing the entire en- terprise on a sounder basis. It would also result directly in rapidly building up the movement of freight by water. The river freight terminal is in the final analysis the determining factor in development of waterway transpor- tation. If the lines, as pointed out by General Ashburn in the opening para- graph of this article, should spend more money for handling freight at their loading and unloading terminals, than it costs them to carry that freight between the two points, it is obvious that the earnings made possible by low cost transportation will be spent in ex- cessive handling costs. The unsound- ness of this situation is readily appre- ciated since with business on that ba- sis low transportation costs are more than made up for in high handling charges. No system of transportation, regardless of how efficient its carrying equipment may be, can hope to develop to its greatest possibilities as long as the freight moving over it is loaded and unloaded inefficiently and conse- quently at great expense. In order that transportation on the inland waterways of the country be developed to its greatest extent, it is absolutely essential in the first place, that modern boats and barges be oper- ated, that freight be handled efficient- ly and economically, that the inland waterway barge lines be in direct con- tact and co-operation with the rail- roads. Joint rates should be estab- lished for every territory which can use waterway transportation. In ad- dition to joint rates, the rates charged by the barge and boat lines themselves should be stabilized, so that one large line by reducing rates would not be able to stifle competition with other lines. During the history of waterway transportation, three factors have been instrumental in retarding its devel- opment. They are, in order of im- portance: First, failure on the part of river interests to establish suitable and efficient terminals; second, failure on the part of railroads to establish joint rates with the water lines; and third, tendency on the part of river, boat and barge lines to maintain a varying level of freight rates, which results in conflict between the lines themselves, misunderstanding and lack of confidence. If waterway transportation is to de- velop to its maximum extent, every one of the three factors referred to above must receive careful considera- tion. As long as these conditions re- main, transportation on the inland waterways will be greatly restricted. Even though it will increase—and it is bound to increase—it will, however, fall short of its ultimate possibilities. Towns and cities of any importance located on an inland waterway where 62 large traffic is available should con- struct suitable terminals for the han- dling of freight, with direct means of transferring freight from rail to barge. The extent to which these facilities are developed, will determine the fate of inland waterway transportation. With an improved and co-ordinated system of inland waterways, and the operation of modern economical boats in regular services over them, and the handling of freight through efficient and economical terminals, the possi- bilities of inland waterway transporta- tion development are practically un- limited. When one stops and considers the fact that waterways already improved and those under improvement extend from the richest agricultural section of the country to the most highly de- veloped industrial sections and to a direct connection with ocean shipping at seaboard; and the fact that in the near future, this great system will be co-ordinated with the Great Lakes, it can be realized just how great is the importance of the inland waterways to the economic welfare of the country. In years to come, when all of the waterways under improvement are finally completed, and this whole sys- tem is connected with Lake Michigan and Lake Erie as it is to be, the 245 millions tons which moved in 1929 over the rivers, canals and connecting chan- significant by comparison with the ton- nage then moving. Order New Diesel Vessel Contract to build a wood motorship for the bureau of Indian affairs of the department of the interior has been awarded to the Berg Shipbuilding Co., Seattle, on a low bid of $389,390.60. This figure includes a 1500 brake horsepower trunk piston type MclIn- tosh & Seymour diesel engine. Hight Puget sound and California yards sub- mitted tenders, fourteen diesel make engines being included. The vessel will be 225 feet in length, will have a speed of 14 knots and accommodations for thirty pas- sengers. Surgical and dental clinics will be maintained aboard. The ves- sel will replace the wood motorship Boxer which the department has used for years in shipping supplies to sta- tions in Alaska. The new vessel will be delivered in nine months in time for the season of 1932, the Boxer be- ing in service this year. Plans for the new craft were prepared by W. C. Nickum, naval architect, Seattle. Announcement was made on May 9 by A. P. Homer, general manager, of the completion of plans for moving the plant of Charles Cory Corp., manufac- turers of marine instruments, tele- graphs, and other intercommunication equipment, from 68 King street, New York, to the factory of Pioneer Instru- ment Co., 754-770 Lexington avenue, Brooklyn. MARINE REvIEw—June, 1931 Launch Two Cargo Vessels for Canal Operation The first of two cargo vessels which will be operated by the Ford Motor Co. between River Rouge, Mich., anq Edgewater, N. J., was launched May 9 at the River Rouge plant of the Great Lakes Engineering Works. The second ship was launched May 16, and both craft will be delivered to the owners by June 1, according to J. A. MacDonald, president of Henry J. Gielow, Inc., the designers, Each ship is 300 feet long, 43 feet beam, 20 feet molded depth and draft is 10 feet. They will carry crews of 17 men and will have cargo space for 2000 tons of boxed goods. The ship which was launched has been named the CHESTER. Each ship carries a pair of 800- horsepower geared turbine engines driven by steam from oil-burning boilers operating at a working pres- sure of 400 pounds per square inch and 200 degrees superheat. _ The motors may be started, accel- erated or stopped without signals to the engine rooms, and a telemotor device provides the pilot houses with electric steering control. The throttle control system is elec- trical, and will connect directly to the same shaft which is operated from the throttle lever in the engine room. The control mechanism in the wheel- house will be similar to the standard double faced engine telegraph. A Sperry revolution indicator system will keep those in the wheelhouse in- formed as to just what the engines are doing at all times. The vessels are also to be equipped with Sperry gyro-com passes. Calvin Austin, former president of the Eastern Steamship Lines Inc., Boston, recently resigned as chair- man on advice of his physician. He retained his board membership. Lump Sum Agreement Made The shipping board on April 29 ap- proved an operating agreement nego- tiated by the Merchant Fleet Corp. with the Tampa Interocean Steam- ship Co. of New Orleans, for opera- tion of the American Gulf Orient line on the basis of a lump sum payment of $25,000 per voyage, the operator to assume all repairs up to $7500 per voyage. The estimated number of voyages for the coming year is 16. The American Gulf Orient line is a cargo service operating 10 vessels be- tween Gulf of Mexico ports of the United States and China and Japan, voyages being made via Pacific coast ports of the United States and Hono- lulu. It was formerly operated by the Tampa Intérocean Steamship Co. under an agreement negotiated in 1924.