THE PORT AS A ‘“ TERMINAL ”’ 35
traffic along certain trunk or branch lines, is more or less
a matter of extraneous interest to them.

In North America, the matter is envisaged with a
broader outlook. The rail systems over a much more
extended area come within the purview of a port authority.
This is attributable, no doubt, in some measure to the
fact that, in contradistinction to the conditions obtaining
in this country, there are at most ports a considerable
number of individual and competing trunk line terminals,
in several cases as many as a dozen. Under these con-
ditions, a general system of quay rail connections has
been evolved, termed a Belt Line, connecting all the
various terminals with the quays and wharves, as also
with industrial sites and areas in and around the port.
This Belt Line Service is regarded as a function of the port
authority, or of a co-related body constituted for the
purpose. This does not necessarily involve port ownership,
though jurisdiction may be exercised on that ground.
Some Belt Lines are State owned and operated, as at San
Francisco ; others are municipally owned and operated,
as at New Orleans; others again are privately owned,
but operated by the municipality, as at Philadelphia ;
and some are owned and operated by the port authority,
as at Montreal.

The function of a Public Belt Line in America is to
“supply comprehensive, economical and non-discrimina-
tory switching service. It transfers cars (wagons) from
railroad to railroad, from railroads to wharves, from
wharves to railroads, from railroads to industries and
public delivery tracks, from industries to all transportation
outlets of the city, and makes available to railroads all
the necessary wharf and individual switching connections
at a uniform charge.” (Public Belt Railroad of the Port
of New Orleans. Port Series No. 5.) It will be seen that
the principal characteristic of this system is to put the
service upon a common and uniform basis, serving all
interests alike and without preference,