New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-13
PIER EXTENSION RULING
GENERALLY APPROVED
Dock Commissioner Hopes for
Final Agreement Regarding
Narrowing of Channel.
MO THREATS OF REMOVAL
Steamship Companies, While
Disappointed by stimson's
Decision, Seem Satisfied
to Wait for Relief.

outside OF the transatlantic steamship
oe,css there seemed to be general COM
r,endation yesterday Of Secretary slim
us firm stand against the temporary
,i.- extensions asked by the Hamburg
American Line in Hoboken, and in favor
- a permanent settlement of the VeNed
,,estion OF New York port facilities. The
ahsance of talk about removing to New
Tordon or Montauk Point was noticeable
I,oI,tn Tomliins, Commissioner of DOCKS
IA uerr,es who has a scheme OF his
or, for the Improvement of the West
s,da waterfront. said he was sorry for
the Hamburg-American Line, but he con
CURED in the Secretary's statement that
final settlement should be had at the
present time and the policy or make
shifts 10 meet recurring crises abandoned.
.aTbe quickest relief" said ne, can be
attained by excavating the citys prop
ertv ipshore at the West Washington
Market This would give room for two
ooo foot berths But the Legislature has
r-o,,idad that before the market property
sbou no transferred the city must pro-
vide a new market in the 9th Ward, The
Sinking Fund Commission has adopted
the Dock Departments plan for this par
tcylar waterfront Improvement, but has
made no provision for market site, nor
has the Board Of Estimate made any APP
nropriation. Last March the consulting
engineer Of the Borough of Manhattan
opposed steamship location at this point
Quick Relief Possible Here.
1T would take year and half 10
make this Improvement at the West
WASHINGTON Market site, but IL would
take several years 10 effect II i'm any
other part Of the harbor, except in South
Brooklyn
OF course Commissioner Tomkins is in
terested in the decision OF the Secretary
" War regarding the Hamburg-Ameri-
,aus 'Ioboken piers only in so far as II
La, hasten the solution Of the entire har-
Dor problem, and also as a presentment
Of what the War Department will decide
when the question of continuing the
temporary extension Of the White Star
piers in the Chelsea section comes up for
settlement next spring.
II should regret very much the termina-
ton OF the temporary extension of the
Chelsea piers" said the Commissioner.
There is no use minimizing the serious
character of the situation. II you dock
one Of those largest ships at a short pier
the vulnerable parts project into the
stream and in case the ship is disabled
by collision there is no drydock Oh this
side capable Of taking in "a ship Of the
first class
so FAR as the Hamburg American peo-
PIE are concerned. the situation is a very
awkward one. The Imperator is due here
next April 1t will take a good part Of
the intervening time 10 build even tenn
porary extensions 10 their piers. / don't
know where they are going with their
boat unless it is TO South Brooklyn. and
that will prove very disadvantageous for
the dsembarking Of passengers"
In advocating a permanent solution of
the problem. the Commissioner remarked:
The pier headline should be extended
outshore from the extremities Of the
present temporary extensions, which
should be made permanent. I don't think
the narrowing Of the channel is a serious
Interference with navigation, provided the
two statG and Congress agree that the
lines so fixed shall be final il is the re-
peated showing out Of the line without
any understanding as to the final position
that We have 10 fear"
Thinks Size Limit Reached.
P. A. S. Franklin, ce-president and
general manager of the International
Mercantile Marine Company, which owns
The
lief that the limit IN the size Of steam
ships had been reached. and that no fur
ther pier extensions would be asked once
the steamships of the size OF the I'm
perator had been accommodated But he
continued:
~ the Secretary of War is obdurate In
DIS refusal 10 allow any further extern
hons, even temporary ones. 1t creates an
exceedingly difficult problem. But 1t is a
problem which the state and city authori-
ties. not the steamship companies. have
10 face. II the authorities who have con-
'rol over those things and presumably
have the interests OF New York as the
Great port Of the Western Continent at
heart cannot find a solution, there is moth
Ing left for the steamship companies TO do
but to go where they can get accommoda-
tons
stimson says that the encroachments
on the river ought TO be stopped and that
me docking facilities ought 10 be in
creased By cutting into the land. Now.
Of course, we don't care whether docking
space is made by extending piers further
- -