Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-11-21

6BV ~
Perth Amboy, but that they got out
written descriptive matter which in
modern days would be called pros
pectuses, and through this advertis-
ing they sold In England what were
then termed FARMS" but which a
modern real estate agent would call
CITY lots" or plots
Briefly then, Perth Amboy start
ed out with a handicap; Instead of
the controlling interests. looking
ahead for the good of the people at
large or for the section, they were
looking out for the personal profit
which they could derive from the
sale of plots and the control of the
shipping and other business at this
point. That the owners were able
to pull all of the political wires
leading to the throne of England is
shown by the fact that they made
Perth Amboy an entry port and for
10 long time ships which were loaded
for New York had to enter at
Perth Amboy before being allowed
to dock at New York city.
In these early days shipping was
the principal interest of all the
colonies, and the owners or 'Pro-
prietors" saw to it that any profit
derived from this source went into
their W pockets. This being so,
settlers or investors who came to
this point soon recognized that they
could benefit themselves more by de-
yeloping property at other points,
lnasinuch as there was plenty of
land for the asking and any con-
ttngent territory the "Proprietors''
could not levy quite the same
amount of tax or profit for them
selves.
This feature of personal profit
started by the most prominent indi-
viduals of the day led to the same
ideas among the settlers not so
prominent. OF the old families there
are hardly any but moved to other
sections. and the early history of
Perth Amboy win show that it was
a continually changing population,
inhabitants staying here only suf-
hctently long to learn the lesson
when they Immediately moved to
other sections where greater OPP
offered.
In later years when the railroads
began to come into Perth Amboy,
the controlling interests instead of
welcoming them with open arms
and recognizing that the future of
Perth Amboy depended upon the
facilities offered the public carry
ing companies, put such obstacles |
in the way of transportation that
the various companies interested
found it more to their benefit to Gre
ate terminals at other points.
Perth Amboy by its situations was
p~re-eminently fitted as a port where
railroads bringing In shipments from
interior points could transfer them
% freight carrying vessels for other
Countries, yet through the fact that
people of Perth Amboy and the
owners of Perth Amboy property
would not meet these companies
half way the railroads purchased
land and did extensive filling at such
places as Jersey City and Hoboken.
The point brought out was that Jer-
sey City offered better facilities FOR
reaching the heart of New York
than did Perth Amboy, but the his
tory of the railroads shows that the
advantages offered by Jersey City
put more profit into the hands of
those connected with said railroads
in other words, people in Perth AM
boy thought they were Sin ON the
ground floor and were not willing
to divide space with others, While
Jersey City recognized that a small
err present profit would bring a long
er continued revenue. For passen-
ger service and for goods shipped
to New York, Jersey City certainly
had its advantages but for foreign
freight and goods trans-shipped to
vessels sailing to ports along the
sea-board Perth Amboy in some re-
spects offered much better facilities.
1t may not be known or realized
that there are practically ten miles
of deep water docking in Perth AM
boy.
The expense of water front would
be much less at this point than at
points closer to New York where
congestion must always be caused
more or less by the necessities of
ferries and the handling of passen-
ger traffic and vehicles.
With all this history to base q
theory on, it really Is no wonder
that the people of Perth Amboy fail
to cooperate with the same enthu-
siasm as other cities. The every
body-piteh-and-help'' spirit has not
been cultivated at this point, but in
It's stead has grown up a feeling that
any movement for public interest
means that there must be a bag held
by somebody and that personal
profit must govern the methods enl-
ployed. 1t is hard to overcome this
spirit of the people when such feel
ings have been imbued for two hum
bred and fifty years, but the Board
of Trade is gradually working to
that end. This hoard Is inaugural
ing a campaign of general helpful
ness which, If the people Will recog-
nice their own best interest, should
arouse the enthusiasm of every in
diyidual who lives or makes his
money In Perth Amboy. 1t does not
rest upon the business men alone,
Every individual must do his part
| and he cannot do 1t better than by
talking the good points of Perth
Amhoy and. for the present at least,
forget the little personal prejudices
he may have against the city or the
people in 1t. There Is nothing which
viii make a city so satisfactory to
its Inhabitants as a general interest
In the things which occur | that
city. Public enthusiasm and optimis-
tic conversation regarding Its bust
ness enterprises will do more toward
arousing enthusiasm than all the
money which a Carnegie may be
able to spend here. Taken as q