New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-23
MAYOR CRITCISES
HARBOR ECONOMY
Halt in Improvements tor
New York Waterways
UnwiSe, He Says.
WORLDS GREATEST
PORT NATIONS ASSET
Delegates to A. D. w. A. Leave
for Three Days Trip Up
Hudson Tomorrow.

Mayor Mitchell presented the claims
Of Now York TO have the Appropriation
of $500 900 for initiating improvements
in the East River included in the XIV
crs and Harbors bill, now pending IN
Congress at the opening session OF the
Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association
convention in the Hotel Majestic yes
tcrday afternoon.
"This port" said the Mayor, rs the
greatest in the world. The area Gov
cred By the port Of New York is great
or than the combined port area OF Lon,
don. Liverpool, Hamburg, Bremen ana
Rotterdam. 1t is not merely the con-
Germ Of the city that the harbor pc
developed. II is the concern OF the
nation. When the city Of New YORK
asks for something for the improve
mcnt of the Tort of New York IT asks
for something that will benefit the
whole nation"
Mr. Mitchell then went on to explain
the necessity Of the 100000 appro-
priation recommended for the begin
ming of the making of 35-foot chan
mel in the East River, which, he SAID
was useless for marine commerce from
above Brooklyn Bridge 20 Saith ST., be-
cause Of lodges, and told of the neees-
sity of having those lodges blasted out
now before the rev subway to Brook
Ign is built, lest blasting at later
date imperi the tube and the safety
of all who might be using it.
The opening of the East River to
deep draft vessels, the Mayor pointed
out, would give to the warships of the
nation two entrances to New York Hsr-
Dor, and enable such ships to leave by
way of the Sound as well as the Mar
rows.
Just when we thought that this
project was to be initiated" said the
Mayor. "the River and Harbor bill is
cut $2O,OOO,O0O. No one realizes more
thoroughly than the necessity of ma
tional, state and municipal economies,
but to cut out that appropriation seems
to me to be most unwise economy. IL
the appropriations in that bill are re-
duced they should be reduced pro rata,
and this project should get its proper
tiOnate share of the amount originally
recommended"
Representative John II. Small, of
North Carolina, responded TO the May
or's welcome. and L. A. c. Smith, Dock
Commissioner, ampliiied the Mayors
home. Representative James A. Goul-
den, of The Bronx, speaking briefly be-
fore Representative j. Hampton Moore,
president of the association, made his
annual address. In this Mr.. Moore
called attention to the claims of New
York upon the nation for improving its
harbor and collateral waterways.
THE United States Treasurer for the
i
that there was collected at the Custom
House of New York sos, 900 900, or APP
proXimately two-thirds of all the Gus
toms revenues collected at all the port:
and custom houses Of the country. L
is a fair question whether, when con
fronted by it's own necessities for prop
erly doing business for the government
and the rest of the states, New YORK
shall be obliged to stand aside anc
yield an unequal proportion of all these
revenues to reproducing rivers and
harbors elsewhere, and then tax itself
and its own people for the improve.
ments required for the benefit of other
states"
In the evening Colonel William W.
Black, |. S. A., in charge Of the engi-
neering work IN New York Harbor
SpOhc vi TehCIdl Improvement ETOJ
ects in and About New York" using
maps to illustrate the necessity for the
works under way and planned by army
engineers.
To-day the 500 delegates to the con-
vention will tour the waters adjacent
to New York in the steamer Berkshire
which will be their home the remainder
of the week. the programme including
visit TO Perth Ambow, where Cover
nor Fielder will speak, and to West
Point. At sunrise tomorrow morning
the party will start on three days
trip up the Hudson.