role of the State has been to construct a facility that provides an oppor-
tunity for private companies, both large and small, to profitably carry
on their commercial activities on a basis competitive with rival ports.
Job opportunities are being created and the entire economic life of our
State is being strengthened. This terminal and the other projects of the
Maryland Port Authority might well be defined as Maryland's answer
to the highly publicized St. Lawrence Seaway.

It would be ungracious and unfair not to acknowledge and to pay
tribute to the four great railroads that in the past carried the principal
burden of developing the port facilities of Baltimore. But this new public
development should not be viewed as competitive with these private
business companies. All of the trunk railroads serving Baltimore have
access to this terminal. Motor trucks are equally well provided for and
both pay the same nominal charge for utilizing the facility. It was only
after our railroads informed the authority that their strained financial
positions would not permit needed new harbor construction in the port
that the Authority moved ahead with this program. Further, the tech-
nical officers of the railroads cooperated and assisted in designing track
layouts and rail holding yards. It is our confident expectation that this
facility will generate substantial rail business for these hard-pressed
carriers.

Even in its uncompleted state, nearly 1300 rail cars of freight have
moved in or out of the Dundalk Terminal since February of this year.
Motor truck operators are extremely pleased with the facilities provided
for their operations here. The fine roadways and huge parking areas of
the terminal, supplemented by our excellent highway system, are draw-
ing an increased amount of motorborne cargo to Baltimore.

It is important that I emphasize that the business being done at this
new facility is not business formerly handled by existing terminals in the
port. A careful study of the 177, 000 tons of freight that have been
handled here shows that more than 90 per cent is new business that did
not move through Baltimore prior to the creation of this new terminal.

While we are concentrating here today on the Dundalk Terminal, the
Maryland Port Authority program is far bigger than this single facility,
impressive as it is. This is a State authority—and not in name only.

A few months ago I had the pleasure of dedicating a beautiful new
marina at Crisfield on the lower Eastern Shore. Here again the Author-
ity, working with the city of Crisfield and Somerset County, created a
modern boat basin that will serve as a great stimulant to the depressed
economy of that area. Farther up the Bay at Cambridge, the Authority,

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