Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-02-01
PERTH AMBoY's OPPORTUNITY,

mayor Frederick w. Donnelly, OF Trenton,
gave the people of Perth Amboy something to
think about In his speech at the Inner given
In honor of Mayor Garretson Thursday night.
His remarks were along the same lines that
have been frequently set forth in the EVEN
ING NEWS. The people are becoming thor
oughly awake to the necessity of developing
our waterfront and a few more such ~forceful
addresses as the one given by Mayor Don
nelly must have the desired effect.
With the open sea only eighteen miles away,
there is no reason why Perth Amboy should
not be one of the greatest ports on the At
lan a1s coast cast. Mayor naa Donne1fii5y" e CITES Baltimore
as an example of what can be done toward de
veloping a harbor. The Maryland city is 1856
miles from the sea and fifteen or twenty miles
even from Chesapeake bay, yet today it ranks
among the leading ports of the country. But
the city is still spending money on it's water
front and developing the channels, with the
object Of giving the taxpayers the benefit of
the great prosperity that is bound to follow.
What has been done at Baltimore through
the expenditure of an enormous sum of money
can be done at Perth Amboy for one-fourth
the amount. The city of Trenton itself fur
nishes an inspiration for Perth Amboy. Mayor
Donnelly said that in anticipation Of a twelve
foot channel up the Delaware river Trenton is
planning to build municipal docks and already
the city has purchased practically all of the
waterfront proper which has been for sale.
If Trenton can make such elaborate plans
for a twelve-foot channel, what ought Perth
Amboy to do with the prospect Of a twenty-five
and even a thirty-foot channel with only
eighteen miles to the open sea. Mayor Don
nelly cited some facts showing the manner in
which the appropriations for waterways are
going to waste, particularly in the Mississippi
valley. Millions of dollars have been sunk in
that stream, pulling out snags and building
levees yet it is even now hardly ~navigable for
an ordinary tugboat. 1t is time that the peo-
pie of the East, particularly in New Jersey,
demanded their just share of the national APP
preparation for national waterway develop
ment. The way to get it, however, is to de
mand it. Western delegations swoop down on
congress and back up their representatives in
such a way that they get what they want. 1t
is up to Jerseymen to give their congressman
the same kind Of support.
But we cannot look to the national govern
ment to do it all, Every city that has received
recognition on the part of the federal authori-
ties has first shown a willingness to do a great
deal for itself. Ports that are forging ahead
have, themselves, appropriated a million and
sometimes as much as SIS, 000,0 900 for their own
development. Then the federal government
comes in to assist them, digging out the chan.
nels leading to local improvements. Peril
Amboy must bestir herself in this respect.
We might think it would be an enormous
amount of money if we should be asked tC
spend 81 100000 in developing our waterfront
yet if the city were authorized to issue ST. 700,
900 worth of bonds to be spent entirely in har