Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-07-22
BIC EVENT ON
WATER A SUCCESS
tContinucd from page IL

the visitors to this city and explained
that the Raritan Yacht Club stood for
the word improvement first last and al,
ways. The commodore invited every
member to pay the local yacht club a
visit after the events were over. At
the end of his address DR.. Henry
called on Mr.. Rauch for a speech. AS
soon as the President s name was heard
members of the League arose and rem
dered a song especially prepared for
the affair.
President Rauch Responds.
The response Of President Rauch to
Commodore Henry's Address of well
come was as follows:
'To the gracious words of Commo-
dore Henry it is a pleasure to reply.
The Waterway League of New Jersey
is under deep obligations to the Rari-
tan Yacht Club for offering us their
harbor for this occasion and for should
erlng the responsibilities and labor in.
cldeLt to the scores of details of the
local preparations. l have been in con-
slant communication with the officers
and committees of the Raritan Yacht
Club and know that they have left
nothing undone that would contribute
to the success of the third annual meet
and water carnival of the Water
way League of New Jersey.
LAS president Of the league I ex-
tend a cordial welcome to all our mem
bers and their friends who are pre-
sent and to the officers, members and
friends Of our sister organization, the
Waterway League of Greater New
York and Long Island.
LAT the opening of this first func-
ton of the meet I will briefly sketch
the reasons for the existence of the
Waterway League of New Jersey and
the benefits that have already accrued
during its short period of existence.
"In the days when the peninsula be-
tween the Delaware and the sea was a
forest, broken only by Indian trials, its
water courses were followed by the
Redskins in their birch-barks both for
business and pastime. Since that time
they have been followed by generations
of Pale-faces for the same purposes.
way League of New Jersey no organ
i~zation existed whose object was the
protection and promotion of boating
interests in New Jersey.
Meantime what was happening on
land7 Nothing more or less than the
total transaction Of the forest into fer
tile farms and mighty cities, all joined
and traversed by macadamized boule-
wards. But this evolution of the for
est trail into finely paved streets and
roads was not the result of chance;
oh, No. 1t was due largely to the eff
forts of farmers oranges, road horse
organizations, organizations of cyclists,
and more recently the powerful auto
mobile associations. The landsmen got
what they wanted and they got it
mighty quick, but only because they
recognized the advantages of organiza-
ton.
"Now the boatsmen, with prior
claims, secured no improvements of
their waters, in fact were in a fair
way to have their usefulness entirely
destroyed by distractions and pollution,
simply because they did not organize,
But
"a few years ago some of the lead
ing spirits among Jersey boatsmen
grasped this fact. They grasped it
hard, spread the news to their brother
boatsmen, called a big meeting, COM
bined and organized and lo-The
Waterway League of New Jersey is
here for action and to stay
"Since then a different face has
been put upon matters in New Jer-
swey; the problem of an inland water
1yaS;, along the entire coast has been
solved and the project almost COM
pieted; l~ong-needed safeguards to nav-
igations such as lights and buoys have
been set up; much of the pollution Of
the waters has been stopped; and all
of these BENEFITS have been secured al
most for the asking, just because the
Lawmakers, the lighthouse boards, the
army engineers and the railroads recog-
nlzed that the requests came not from
individual boatsmen, as in the old days,
but from a live organization represent
ing thousands, as in the old days, their
sy1npathizers and with no selfish mo-
tives in mind.
"This, in a word, is the history of
our league and a sketch of it's accom-
plishments. The practical results that
have already accrued to boatsmen from
our organization are a golden promise
of future usefulness. We therefore
deserve and expect the goodwill and
support of every yacht club and boat
ing association; of every member of
every boat club, of every fisherman, Of
everyone who follows the waterways
for profit as well as those who follow
it for pleasure, of every manufacturer
and dealer in boating supplies, and
even of the plain landsman who has To-
cal pride enough to desire the improve
ment of the waterways.
"Wlth this appeal for support, and
with another word Of greeting to GU.
guests and of gratefulness to our hosts
l leave the meeting in your hands.
There will be no steam-roller methods
employed by the chair at this gather
ing"
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Rauch' g ad-
dress O. W. Christian stepped to the
front and presented the speaker with
a large bouquet Of roses. After the
banquet the diners adjourned to city
hall park where they Joined the gath
ering Of more than q thousand people
congregated to hear the speeches.
After the open air meeting the crowds
again 1ocked to the shores. In view
of more than 1000 people about fifty
boats beautifully decorated and illum-