Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-16
new Y0RKIS TO
TAKE IN" TOWNS
This Will Permit Rapid Ex-
tension of Port Facilities,
Says Announcement.

NEW YORK, Dec. 15.- Extension
of New York city's boundaries to en-
brace such cities as Hoboken. Jersey
City, Bayonne, Newark and Elizabeth,
and establishment of autonomy for
the greater city, in order to permit
rapid extension of port facilities to
meet the urgent needs of the govern
mcnt and OF private commerce, ara
suggested in copyrighted article
which will appear In the December is
sLe of Sinclair's Magazine. This would
make the city Independent of any
state. A possible alternative would
be the 'vesting of control of the en-
tire pors in the federal government"
In the older European ports tho
writer points out municipal owner
ship of waterfront facilities has be-
come the general policy. at does not
Necessarily follow thta what has been
found best abroad would be most suit
able here, but in any event, unity of
control and action is essential, and
to bring about this unity there must
W some change from the conditions
her fetofore obtaining. one thing ap-
pears certain: policy Of municipal
ownership will not succeed If there
are several jealous municipalities in
volved as at present"
Was Forging Ahead.
Before the war shut off Germany
commerce, Hamburg was forging
ahead of all other world ports, her
progress for n number Of years having
been moro rapid than that of New
York. One of the reasons, according
to the writer, "was that the develop
,ncnt OF New York harbor was largely
oil in, nj in
this port see first Manhattan island
coming TO a point between the Hud-
son and the East rivers, then the up
per and lower bays, forgetting en-
tjrely that natures handiwork made
Newark bay logical part of the har-
Tor. On the New York side the
waterfront bristles' with piers. For
some distance on the Jersey side also
space has been we'll utilized, but for
several miles there Is scarcely n pier
Separating Newark bay from the well
Travelled part of the harbor is a Ions
peninsula. The XIII van Kull, the
only feasible avenue of approach 10
Newark bay, is rather narrow and has
not been deepened sufficiently to per
init passage Cf the larger boats Even
IN the New York side Of this PENN
sula there has been little develop
ment, and on tho Newark bay side
because Of the great stretcE of the
Newark meadows But in recent years
much fillink work has been done and
large factories are arising where be
fore there was nothing but marsh.
1.-The city of Newark undertook n
development of port on Newark
bay This has been recognized By the
government as of vital Importance,
end little imagination is reqlired to
picture Inv the not distant future the
Deepening OF the channel In Newark
bay, the deepening and widening of
TIE Kill van Kull and the building of
many new terminals, fed by several
of the country's largest trunk lin"
railroads and performing constant
and valuable service for reawak-
ened nation. When the other half OF
New York harbor is utilized as fully
as the New York half the port vii.
. be able to handle~with ease more than
twice the volume of trade that is now
taxing its facilities to the utmost.
There is also to be considered the eX-
tensive waterfront of Staten island,
which lies still nearer the ocean than
Newark bay frontage.
The Essential Thing.
at appears that the most essential
thing to be accomplished is the for
nation of some plan of control or
ownership that would reconcile tho
various private, municipal, state an
federal interests involved in most of
the questions affecting the port II
Is probable that this will be one out
come OF the creation of the New York
port war board.
Creation of this board has directed
public attention to several facts. some
fo the most important of which may
be summarized as follows:-
"As the war cannot be won without
ships, adequate terminal facilities Tor
these ships are essential to our sue
cess
ITO improve and increase these
facilities so as to meet the abnormal
demands now being placed upon
them, co-ordinated effort Is required.
"The port of New York Is far more
than a local possession or institution
II is a national asset, essential to the
continued welfare of the people as
whole, and it's growth Is subject OF
concern to all our citizens and to
every American enterprise of whatso-
ever nature.
1T is inevitable that some pprt
must be in the lead, and for the ha-
tion as a whole it IS n matter Of com
1,aratively small concern which one Is
IN the lead; but It is of great concern
that the leading American port shall
be likewise the leading port of the
world"