Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-03
WAR Secretary
HEARS PROTESTS
ON HARBOR LINES
New Jersey Commissioners Pre-
sent Arguments on Hudson
River Pier Extensions.
TspecinI to the Newark star.l

Especial to the Newark start
WASHINGTON Dec. 81. Spencer
Smith, r. c. Jenkinson and w. Il.
Saunders, New Jersey Harbor Conn
missioners, appeared before Secretary
of War Garrison today and offered ar
gument against the recession of the
existing pierhead line from Weehawk-
en- Cove to Bulls Ferry. The COM
missioners also argued for the extern
sion of the line, as recommended by
them, IN a report to Governor Wilson,
last january, from Bulls Ferry to
Fort Lee, an average distance OF SoO
feet.
other delegations at the hearing
included the New Jersey Riparian
Commission, the New York Central,
the Central of New Jersey, the New
York, Ontario and Western and the
Lackawanna railroads.; the New York
Dock Commission, officials of Jersey
City and the New York harbor line
board and the army, river and harbor
board were represented.
1t was stated to Mr.. Garrison That
the proposal of the New York Haroor
/ Line Board to modify the pierhead
| line on the New Jersey side of the
Hudson River between WeehaWken
Cove and Fort Lee as shown on the
maps submitted by them is not APP
proved by the New Jersey Commits
sion.
The line proposed by the Harbor
Line Board, 1t was said, Is outshore
| of the existing line north Of point
about opposite Eighty sixth street,
Manhattan, and is inshore of the line
south of this point to about opposite
Thirtieth street, Manhattan. 1t also
was claimed the argument favortng
this new line appears to be that 5000
feet should be the minimum width in
the Hudson River and as to this there
is difference of opinion.
The argument of the visitors also
stated:
ut Is impossible to foresee what
changes may take place in regard to
water borne traffic on the Hudson
River; not the slightest difficulty has
been experienced up to the present
time due to the width of the river
here, and this commission does not
believe that the pierhead lines, previ-
ously established by the Secretary OF
War on the advice of the then United
! States Harbor Line Board, should be
arbitrarily receded on the assump-
ton that the future needs of COM
merce will demand q 5000 foot fair
way in the river.
1.-THE future might demand mini
mum width in the river of as much as
$500 feet, or even 1000 feet, end
should such a situation arise the
government would be compelled to
take the necessary steps even though
/ it involved the destruction of great
waterfront improvements. If the
gov eminent should now decide that a
minimum width of river OF 5000 feet
is necessary, not only In the locality
under consideration, bat also in the
locality farther south, Ii could only
be gotten by chopping off the ends 81
many OF the existing piers, and 1T Is
well known that the port of New
York has recently had extraordinary
difficulty in providing piers sufficient
ly long to accommodate the newest
type of express passenger steamships
THE two State commissions, one
appointed by the governor Of New
New Jersey, are working to establish
pierhead and bullkhead lines which
will be permanent and finalu Thert
Is little likelihood that the ones IS.
tablished at this time will ever bt
allowed to be extended further out II
the river If the pIerhead line should
be fixed as suggested by the Harbol
Line Board on the New Jersey sd,
of the river it would be most diff1cul
II
should the demands of commerce re
( quire it.
lowing to the very limited spacs
between the Palisades and the river
it would be a great loss OF com
X mereial possibilities If any If thu
land had to be given up for the ex
cavation of docks.
. ION straight river, such as th'
Z Hudson, a variation of par cent. IL
A f11 .@1l,
I the area of the cross-sectton will b.
A increased by dredging. Hliich ha!
4 already been authorized by Congress
A For the reason stated the New
I Jersey Harbor Commission opposes
the modification of the pierhead lin'
as proposed by the New York Harbo
Line Board and urges the adoption
: of the line proposed by 1t in q rcpor
dated January 6, 1913 addressed tt
and approved by Hon. Woodrow viii
/, son, then governor of the State o
| New Jersey