Freight traffic, 1933-Norfolk Harbor, Va.-Continued The average annual waterborne commerce of Newport News was 7,987,861 short tons during the decade 1923-32, which included a peak of 10,086,578 tons in 1926 and a low of about 4,800,000 tons in 1923 and 1924. While the foreign commerce declined considerably since 1927, the domestic trade increased since that year. As at Norfolk, the absence of balance in the receipts and shipments was due to the large shipments of coal. Imports.-Imports averaged 139,320 tons during the 10-year period, representing 1.7 percent of the total commerce of the port. The peak year was in 1925 when 200,232 tons were imported, and the low in 1928, when 107,173 tons of imported commodities were handled. The principal commodities imported during this period were pulpwood and wood pulp, amounting to 75,262 tons, or 54 percent of the total; manganese and chrome ore, averaging 29,153 tons or 21 percent, while the remaining 25 percent consisted of paper and manufactures, copra, asphalt, and miscellaneous commodities in small amounts. Exports.-Export tonnages averaged 1,441,406, including a peak of 5,029,678 tons in 1926 and a low of 344,049 tons in 1932. The average was 2,218,794 tons for the first 5 years of the decade and but 664,018 tons in the last 5-year period ending in 1932. Coal led with an average movement of 1,268,280 tons, or 87.9 percent of the total exports. Included in this was a peak of 4,852,758 tons in 1926 and a low of 138,387 tons in 1932. Tobacco averaged 65,849 tons or 4.6 percent, and other commodities, in smaller amounts, included grain and products, starch and lumber. Coastwise receipts.-The volume of coastwise receipts at Newport News fluctuated during the decade, but showed a tendency to increase. The peak movement occurred in 1930 when 164,930 tons of various commodities were received. This was an increase from 20,917 and 39,036 tons in 1923 and 1924. However, the tonnage fell to 110,133 tons in 1932. Receipts averaged 108,189 tons during the decade, representing 1.4 percent of the entire port commerce. Coastwise shipments.-Coastwise shipments, representing the greatest commerce movement of the port, averaged 6,163,958 tons, or 77.2 percent of the entire commerce of the port, with a low of 3,098,466 tons in 1923, this traffic advanced to 8,843,147 tons in 1931, dropping back to 7,755,020 tons in 1932. Coal, representing 99.8 percent of this movement, averaging 6,151,394 tons for the 10-year period, had a range of from 3,000,000 tons in the earlier years to 8,824,429 tons in 1931. Shipments of wool averaged 1,574 tons and those of tobacco, 1,105 tons. Internal receipts and shipments.-The average annual movement of these forms of traffic was 51,216 tons, or 0.6 percent of the total commerce of Newport News. Building materials, including sand and gravel, constituted the principal receipts and coal the largest shipment. Local.-Coal, in the average amount of 83,772 tons, was transported locally. |