50 



Cereals, which form the greatest of all foodstuffs, 

 are the greatest in bulk of all articles of commerce. 



Although grain is a universal commodity, and cons- 

 titutes the staple cargoes for .ships, it is the most diffi- 

 cult to handle of all commercial commodities ; this is one 

 of the primary reasons for studying and adopting every 

 method which tends to eliminate the drawbacks to effi- 

 cient handling. 



Towards reducing cost of handling, many methods 

 have been put into use, but none have equalled the good 

 results, or attained such world wide acceptation as ele- 

 vators. 



MARITIME TRANSPORT AND ELEVATORS. 



j 



Primarily evolved some fifty years ago as a rapid 

 and economical means of loading cereals into ships. Ele- 

 vators as the name implies, sheds or silos for elevating 

 or raising grain so as to make loading easy, became ra- 

 pidly an essential complement in all ports where cereals 

 are embarked. 



At the time our docks and ports were established the 

 incalculable advantages to be derived from the substitu- 

 tion of machinery for human labour was already uni- 

 versally recognised and taken advantage of by the in- 

 troduction of all mechanical devices in the saving of 

 labour, and materials, and consequently time and ex- 

 pense . 



In this respect Argentina with her modern spacious 

 quays differs from Europe where from the first estab- 

 lishment of docks to the present time, most of them have 

 gradually been enlarged and improved by a succession 

 of expedients and makeshifts which have to answer tht 

 purposes of the moment. 



Argentine ports as planned by their promoters wert 

 to possess all the conveniences and advantages which arc 

 obtained if systematically laid out on a consistent and 

 uniform plan, coupled with the use of all modern labour 

 saving devices. 



Among the measures whereby much of this was to bt 

 attained, elevators undoubtedly figured; for the loading 

 of cereals, various concessions have been accorded for tht 

 construction of sheds or silos for elevating grain, and 

 elevators are to be found in all our leading ports, But- 

 nos Aires has two, La Plata one, Bahia Blanca two, Ssut 

 Nicolas one, Rosario two. 



The primary step to cheap transport is the con- 

 veying of grain in bulk, and this has' long been praetU- 

 ed; loading grain loose in ships permits the holds being 



