New-York tribune., 1896-01-30

SUPPORT OF CONGRESSMAN BENEFITS
BIL1~NEGLECTED IN THE PAsT-ITs
ENORMOUS TRAFFIC AND IN
ADEQUATE FACILITIES.
Tho committee of the Manufacturers Asso-
station of Kings and Queens counties on the
hetterment of Newtown Creek held a meeting
yesterday afternoon at the Pouch Mansion. to
ubich they invited number of men. not men,
hers who are interested in the commerce and
navigation of the creek. The object OF the
meeting was to take action on the bill recently
introduced by Congressman Charles G. Bennett,
which provides for the Improvement of New
town Creek by making the channel eighteen
feet deep and 125 feet wide. and an appropria-
t,on Of $500 600 to carry on the work Congress
man Bennett had already informed the COM
roi,tee that hearing OF the bill would be given
bv the Committee on Rivers and Harbors on
February 4.
william H. Nichols. chairman Of the commit
tee presided In speaking OF the proposed
action he said The various Congressman
from Kings and Queens counties have been act
I've in helping this movement along. There are
also many people at present who are Interested
in n Greater Negy-York They will find. II they
look upon the map of the proposed new city.
that Newtown Creek is nearly in the centre OF
the district. There remains almost no pier
room TO be had in New-York and Brooklyn and
the improved creek will add fifteen miles of
water front TO the city. l believe that sS0o.ooo
,s sufficient to finish NewtOwn Creek for all
time not only as matter of navigation. but
also as q nuisance. 1t will be National benefit
for many vessels that come there. and many OF
them have to be lightered al great expense.
James Sherlock Davis said that the prospects
for the favorable report Of the bill by the pres
ent Committee on Rivers and Harbors were
unusually good. The chairman of the COM
mittee Warren 2. Hooker. is New-York Con-
gressman Former attempts have been frus-
trated largely by the fact that the chairman OF
the committee was Southern man and the ap-
propriatons went largely to the South.
There was considerable discussion and eI-
CONGRESSMAN William j. Coombs said that when
the matter came up before the Committee on
Rivers and Harbors the delegation from Brook
lyn who were % present the claim ought to
have all the data and the exact amount of
money necessary 10 complete the work at their
command He thought that a limit Of 100000
ought not TO be put upon il unless they were
sure IL would be sufficient. final estimate
should be made and then they ought to stick
TO It,
When the debate was finished II was decided
TO ask Congressman Bennett TO put off the
hearing until February II. A committee OF three
was then appointed TO investigate the matter,
gather all the data. and report at meeting to
be called by the chairman. James Sherlock
Davis Robert L'Hommedieu and Henry Glenn
entson were appointed on the committee. A
commi,tec to arrange for the transportation OF
the members to Washington when the bill is
presented also appointed. 1t consists OF
r CHAPMAN, =.
James T. Hoyle.
Among those present at the meeting were d.
NJ. Munger. Henry Clementson, Theodore r.
Chapman Frederick Fries. James McANE er
Robert Z. Brady. John II. Ireland General J. "
Meserole William j. Coombs. the Rev. Dr
Charles r. Baker Of the Church Of the Messiah
William : Wandel Otto f. Reimer. Alderman
Francis F. Williams. Dr. u. Taylor Emery. and
representatives Of the Standard OIL Company
lighterng department. 5 Tuttie Son q Co.
Norman & Puddington. j. w. Johnson Lumber
Co.. Dannat & Pei, and William Knappman &
Co.
TIE CREEK sHABBILY TREATED.
Newtown Creek has been unfortunate in the
past Its name is against IT, The word creek
has such a trivial sound that the members Of
former Congresses have made appropriations for
Il so small that they undoubtedly thought that
the creek was a mere brook. From l716 to 1898
the Government spent upon this unfortunate
and bettled body Of water the enormous sum
Of sl7750O. Time and again the Government
engineers have urged Congress TO make the
cnanne deeper and wider. but so far II has been
without avail. The apparent insignfcance or
the creek has blinded the members Of Congress
The real truth Of the matter Is that FOR It's SIZE
it is only four miles lOng-Newtown Creek ls
one OF the largest shipping places In the world
There are ninety shipping. mercantile and manu-
featuring establishments on Its banks aggregat-
ing an invested capital Of nearly S3OOOO.OoO It's
waters every year float commerce of more than
ten million tons with an estimated value or
800 900 900 There are two establishments on
its banks that pay in internal revenue taxes 10
the Government over $3.50 900 year. yet they
are obliged 10 spend thousands OF dollars In
lighterags each year because the Government
has failed TO MAKE tn creek large enough TO
allow vessels 70 reach their whaTVes
COLONEL GILLEsPIEs OPINION.
Lieutenant-ColonI G. L. Gillespie. L. s. A..
who is in charge Of the corps Of engineers de-
tailed for the improvement of the Hudson
River New-Yorb Har5Cr and Of rivers ana
harbors in the: noghtOrhood. has said in his
reports: THE many valuable interests every
where distributed along the banks OF Newtown
Creek impress me that :he river Is worthy oi
improvement, and the work pubhc necessity;
The commerce OF the creek is very Iaiee anu
rapidly increasing. Many large mdnulactuiihs
and chemical establishments. depending o,,
water FOR the me vements OF their large anu
heavy frcights. are located on the creek. such
coal oil reGneries. chemical works. fertilizer
works. coal. lumber and wood yards, ana many
others. The existing channel Is not adequate
in width or depth for the demands OF com
merce. and the adopted project OF improvement
should be completed as early as practcapie oy
methods which VIII carry the improVefnehss
progressively from the mouth to the head oI
navigation The commerce Of this stream IL
now great and important that IL may oe
properly classed with that Of New-forK O"S
and Brooklyn"
These reports Of Colonel Gillespie were mace
ten years ago. The commerce Of the stream
has been constantly on the increase ana Is ho"
much greater than IL then.
During the years in which the Government
has spent $l17,JO0 the property-Owners alons
the creek have themselves spent not less than