New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-04-08

70 favor some petty local inter ests deliberately placed
himself In opposition TO ts general purpose which con-
not only New city aud its enyr9n, nor he
State but the whole nation ut large. for noid tha
there Is pending In the Senate, nor mas the fs
been here within a half century, measure Oh sucl
vast im portaDce as this one.
The horse and other railroad projects Of New YorA
City. which have attracted much attention and en-
crossed much OF the time Of the Senate for the las
five years. hut the petty projects OF private
ses and scbemrg. which cannot concern the ma
ton State at large but this bill now far advanced
on the calendar, and which has scarcely secured IN,
Recognition OF the Senate concerns every consumer aho
producer on this continent.
The port Of New-fork is tho great enfrtpof OF com
merce for the continent In 1900 more than onc'ha tne
: wbols exports from the United States were shipped
from the port Of EcwYork and In the same year that
port received more than threeourths Of the total I'm
ports OF the country ~
Of NewYork. concerns deeply and directly the nation
at large
Under our peculiar form Of government the national
authorities have control or jurisdiction over the
questions involved In thh BILL unless may have IL
under the broad constitutional provision authorizing tho
regulation Of commerce II 1t has. by virtue OF that
provision the right to supervise and regulate our pres
ent dock pier and warehopsing system. 1t has never
asserted III but q continuance Of tho present shameful
abuses OF that system In Now.York may induce the
General Government, as In tho cose OF the railroad
moDopoes Of Ne FJersey to consider Its constitutional
power TO do away with those abuses.
Thus far the State Of New York has been permitted
TO manage the whole question Of past regulations 1t
has controlled tho appOn,u eat VI pilot comm ssioners
larbor masters port wardens. sanitary ofcera II has
prescribed what mode OF structures should and should
| rot be built upon wharves And thus the whole
question Of the dispatch. safety and freedom OF com
nerce at the port Of NowYork and through IT, OF the
whole country has been. and is under the control
| Of the legislature of tho Stnte
Thus tho whole responsibility Of tho present system
with all ts abuses rests with the Legislature OF the
State Read the result Of that system in the condition
which O recent commission found the piers OF the
CITY in
Now let US examine into the present system:
LIST The vessel arriving at New-York from foreign
port or coaswise ~ through the canals can have no
LccJm modaous in New York, except such ~ are pro-
,ded for by the Legislature the authorities which
1t Las authorized to provide Tor 1t.
In l7gs and again in lrOl. 10 was enacted by the
Lee slauTe that structures should be erected upon
the piers Of the city II New.Ydk and that provision
remains unrcpcscd upon our statute book to-day. The
City Legislature are authorized " determine what
manner OF piers shall be efectd
The result oftle two provisions Isl lst The pre-.
system Of wooden piers projecting into the streams
on ei.h side Of he island which are wesk and incHpa
be Of supporting without con> mt repair large qnal
titles OF Sc. and which utterly uncove ed.
and which all cargoes placed upon them utterly
unprotected from and storm. and exposed TO tho
cupdiiy II the thief until the drhymen oln carry then
away Ia q distant warehouse.
| od. These piers. projecting into the stream. being
flied ia earth stone aid wood. constitute par al
dam which obeirucs tie currents Of the Hudson aid
East Rivers creates still water between the alps which
,bey form and into which the OF the city dboaoA
leaving In the still water thousands Of tuns OF ht COM
posed Of animal end vegetable matter, which ros and
testers at the water edge Tbls OF norty In
New. York cannot be exaggerated. II is organized
pestcncr according to tue Statutes OF the state Of
| New. York . in such eases made and provided
81 IL subjects NIL cargocs 20 the expense OF carriage
from N. exposed piers to distant warehouse before
they b. safely Stored and occasions all the haziid
loss dclsy and expense involved in ssystem which re
qsres warehouses 10 10 located ct distance from Tie
pace Of landing
Tho result OF the present system subjects three
fouIths II the whole commerce " The county.
/. To the expense arising from tho want OF oentra
traH
houscinr. transh,pn.cnt, bonding system. delivery,
brokerage, sale. carriage.
2. To plundcring and smuggling
5. To exposure To the weather.
| 4. TO exposure 10 lire. . -.
s III. surround ng the commercial metropolis Of the
country With rank pestience.
country and continent and suhjrctng the already over
city Of Nev.York 20 the enormous expense OF
dredging the slips in order to keep landing phases
T. IL confines the business Of New York to only snch
as IL accommodate upon its narrow. weak. unshe
tered and unprotected piers.
subjects every vessel TO an erpensve demurrage
| which adds TO the cost ~ every cargo.
Tbe.e are which concern the whole country
because tho people have 10 pay tho additional cost VI
tbese inoony eniences and expenses.
The bill contemplacs III, erection OF system OF iron
pers and warehouses combined as substitute for The
present system cod though the Legislature Is lot asked
10 pre- scribe In express terms what plan shall be
adopted still tie applicants for the bil hayc submitted
the plan ufon which ihey propose 20 proceed 70 70.
|
hos receive their sanction These Commissioners are
the Mayor Comptroller. Recorder. City Chamberlain
and tho Chairman Of tho Finance Committees OF both
brssch.s sf tina oiiy legislature These officers are
made ay law tie cGstodans rpa ,.u.iees Of the real
property Of the city and therefore the proper
IONS 10 uhich It's sae ard should be refer ed
Ire bill therefore provides that these new piers aud
warehouses shsli be such pIar. and In such man
and o. such %s ss ihs 5e CIV an
County OF Nsw.York shall n0m time 10 tme' deter
minea ga
Hitherto the mode Of construction has been len with
TIE Con Council subject 10 the laws OF 1898 ard
1901 orbiddiDg the erection Of structures upon the
piers
| Ths plan upou which this Company proposes to erect
these piers and warehouses has two radical features
differing from the present system. aud which WILL 10
my Judgment, correct all It's evils;
l. 1t PROPOSES o foundation for the piers 10 erect
iron tubular columns three tour feet ia diameter
which are to be- filled in with Roman cement and which
will stand upon the solid rocky bed Of the rivers around
tie island.
have IN nv hand the letter OF the first engineer in
the country and one whose name Is an authority In
foreign lands well as at home. sst sneh columns WA
furnish adequate support lor any picr VI sIaotuTe
that may be erected upon It,
The cement with which those iron columns are filed
was commonly in use In the great engineering works OF
ancient Rome and had tie peculiar property Of harden
ing into species Of roid mthcai stone more enduring
than granite itself have endured for ages Ia exposure
10 water storm and irOst The art Of making THIS
cement for many centuries lost. int wiihin lew
years past. when DR.. Potts. an English antiquary DIS
covercdt II is now Ia general use, and iaDiiar 10
| all our engineers.
It's conceded that II the iron columns which TO
support these piers eaten away thirty days after
their ereciCn that this cement with which they are TO
lie fled would afford sufficient support to the piers and
the structures proposed to b. erected upon them
The advantage Of substituting these iron columns 10
the place Of the solid wood and carthwork that support
the present piers consists in the fact that the tides and
cutrents can flow and r,how between ther'. and thus
prevent the deposit Of sewerage filth between the slips
and around the piers as ut present and thus Improve
the sanitary condition Of NewYoIk and prevent the