154 CARGO TRANSFERENCE AT STEAMSHIP TERMINALS. 
moveients. The normal proportional increase of general freight is more 
than two and one-half times that of the population, and the proportion of 
package freight increase is at least twice that of general freight. This is 
largely the result of converting raw material into manufactured products at 
its place of origin and the great increase of manufacturing. 
In water transportation in the United States for large tonnage, the 
terminal costs are greater than the carriage costs. As an example, the cost, 
including carriage and terminal expense, to the transportation company per 
ton of freight for nearly 2,000 miles was $1.56, of which the labor terminal 
costs at both ends of the route were 79 cents. 
The estimated cost of the carriage of one ton of freight on the Erie Barge 
Canal in a 2,000-ton barge between a steamship pier at Buffalo and a steam- 
ship pier at New York is 26 cents, while both terminal costs by manual labor 
will be more than 30 cents. 
The rental and fixed overhead terminal costs for a large tonnage at the 
port of New York are in certain cases between 25 and 35 centsaton. ‘This 
is exclusive of manual labor. It is necessary to give this large variant due 
to the influence of the volume of tonnage upon this cost. Similar overhead 
charges at a number of large railway terminals average about 28 cents per 
ton not including the labor expense of trucking. 
It is desired in this paper to cover concisely: 
First—The present movements at terminals of miscellaneous freight 
both outbound and inbound, with special reference to the different classes 
of package freight. : 
Second.—The usual methods of handling cargoes to and from ships, 
lighters, drays and cars. 
Third.—Description of the different kinds of freight-transferring ma- 
chinery with the details of the mechanism and comparative costs. 
Fourth.—Conditions to be fulfilled by any machinery and the latest 
adaptation of different kinds of standard machinery to the freight movements 
with a statement of capacity and rapidity of loading and discharging. 
Fifth—tInstallation cost of such machinery, including interest and 
amortization, the costs of operation with maintenance and comparison 
with manual costs. 
Sixth—Summary and deductions. 
The following suggestions can be only general and are subject to many 
exceptions. 
A complete terminal adjusted to the space available should consist of 
ample sized piers, proportioned to the volume of freight, bulkheads or quays, 
transshipment sheds and warehouses all adapted to the kind and conditions of 
