The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-07
OUR HARBoR PASSED BY.
CONGRESS UTTERLY FAILS TO REC
OGNIzE n NEEDS.
Les. than 30. 500. 600 In iOS Wears for view
Y~ork-Nrrs for the 0-Foot Kentucky River
Than for This gateway OF the Nations
Commerce - RidicuIous appropriation.

IN0n thnu NJ. bOO. QUO IN uOb Nenru toF Now
York-Mrrs for the 0-Foot Kentucky River
Than for This gateway or the Nations
Commerce - Ridiculous appropriations
For tho last eighteen years Mr.. John W. Am.
brose has been Interested actively in cndoavor-
Ing to secure from Congress something like
suitable recognition OF the moods for improve.
ment In New York harbor. Several years ago
when he appeared before the River and Harbor
Committee of tho House the Chairman OF tho
committee said to him:
Arc you aware. Mr.. Ambrose, that in this
matter you represent a part Of the country
that is to say tho port OF New York-that has
had $3.50 out OF every $5 that the Federal Gov.
eminent during its existence has appropriated
for river and harbor improvements In the whole
United States r.
Mr.. Ambrose was not aware Of any such thing.
He did not believe that New Works share OF
such appropriations was so cents in SIS. He be-
gan an Investigation at once which covered the
period from 1890 to 1890. when the result was
laid before tho proper committee. The facts de-
veloped were astonishing. They showed that
the Federal Government had done almost moth.
ing for New York, and Congress responded
rather promptly by appropriating about $1,000
600 with which the Bay Ridge. Gowanus Creek,
Red Hook and Buttermilk channels were
dredged out 80 that now they are all, except
Inc CTeck uhuno nuNlRuDlO ny ueCp uTuuRnU
oceanRoing vessels. Mr.. Ambrose has brought
his investigation down to and including 1896,
and is publishing the result in a pamphlet which
Is calculated to stir New York up to proper
realization Of tho needs OF the harbor and tho
absurdly inadequate provision that has been
made for IL. In the LOG years covered by this
investigation there are but four items of appro-
priation for improvements in New York har-
Dor, and these foot up the ridiculous sum Of
So, 1852, 500.
Instead of receiving $3.50 out of every $5
appropriated for such work, the harbor of New
York got in these one hundred years only one
half of one cent out of every dollar as compared
with 99lo cents spent on the rest of the country.
Statistics showing receipts from import duties
prior to 1856 are not obtainaple. but in the
forty-one years from 1856 to 1896. both in
elusive, the import duties collected at all ports
of the United States were roundly SO, $50, OOO,-
600. OF this amount 81, 292, 900. 900 was col.
lected at the port of New York, leaving 81. $780,
900, 900 to BIO collected at all the other ports.
THAT is to say. says Mr.. Ambrose. "out OF
every one hundred cents collected by the Fed.
ernl Government at all the ports of the country
for these forty-one years, 80 cents were COL
lected at New York, and only 81 cents from all
the rest of tho country.
Out Of every ono hundred cents which the
Government has expended during the last
1O6 years for the Improvement of all the
rivers and harDors in the country. it has *,
pended only one.half of one cent within the
harbor Of New York, and 99ls cents in all the
rest of the country.
THE Federal Government has thus secured
at this port two-thirds of the revenue that has
enabled 1t to live and pay It's debts. and yet for
the enormous benefits that 1t has received from
the port Of New York it has given practically
nothing in return
In the beginning Mr.. Ambrose defines the linn.
= ;. No" = naroof' anu Wherever In ms
~ no opo"As l appfopfia'ioh LOT inc
haroor no refers to the water that lies inside
comnris.s ths unnar ho, ,,hiaL .snrais.. ".
eomprises inc upper pay "hlch terminates at
the Hudson River to spuyten Duyvil Creek. II
surrounds the citv of Nav yorr and hounds
the west side of Brooklyn and Long Island City
and the east side of Staten Island and .Jersev
Ci,r 80 .o,t.in. i. auSa.sa.a, a.Hl go.
WIZ ~ eoh'~i"" III oupefhei1i area io'o4o
acres, or thirty.one square miles"
The total shore or bulkhead line of Nav York
haroor Is ol-2 mics, mus divided: hudson
River. from Spuyten Duyvil Creek to the Bat
terry, on New York shore, 1871 miles; Hudson
I'VE ho opposite Spustoh Duyvii creek TO
H4hstag E roipi, on tne New Jersey shore, b7A
Morris; on Inc new lork CITY shore. gig miles;
Ehsu riter, from LawTehce folnt. opposite Port
nLorris, 70 roTt hamilton, on the Long Island
shore, tSa miles; ana the upper bay. on the east
sac OF staten Island. from Fort Wadsworth to
ct george; 3H miles.
Ihis uennltion OF the harbor leaves out of
consideration Hell Gate ana the Harlem River.
M. hmprose contends That improvements at
these points are properly, river and not harbor
nhprove ne COS, ~ u, would 9nrt oe !, as ran, he s,.ys: to
sipPi between New Orleans and the Gulf to the
harpor accouht OF New orleans, as it would be
1 " chnree WorR aons az iieIi cate and in the
Horienh = Fi Yer to the harbSr account Of New
1ork. II that were done New Orleans would
De charged with $l2,732 s64.oo, far more than
Az Inat nus oeen spent, not only IN New York
heroor proper, put In the vicinity OF New York.
MT, Ambrose proceeds with an explanation in
detail OF the tidal and current conditions in
how, they operate naturally to maintain any |
artificial improvementrathe than to destroy It.
he continues thus;
1t Is apparent that when channels and slips i,
nave " been once excsyated to any given depth
any, occasion for further dredging
Having nus shown how the natural condi-
tons tend TO help tho Improvement of the har-
Dor and SO maintain any advantage artihcially
gained, MIR. Ambrose proceeds to a detailed dis.
cussion or what Congress has done for this great