The sun., 1918-01-07
CITY PIERS GO
TOGOVERNMENT
r. A. c. Smith Confirms Re-
port Of Valuable Addition
to Federal Facilities.
GREAT SYSTEM IN HAND
Dock Facilities Second Only to
Need for Ships, Says Ex-
Commissioner.
GREAT SYSTEM IN HAND

The United States Government has
taken over the city owned piers from the
foot Of West Forty-second street to tho
foot Of West F1fty-ninth street. thereby
adding an invaluable and Indispensable
section Of Manhattan's waterfront to the
Bush Terminal At South Brooklyn and
the Hamburg and North Ger
came from Washington last night and
was confirmed by r. A. C. Smith. former
Commissioner Of Docks and Ferries.
The Government now controls. through
this action. a system Of piers and ware
houses which will play . tremendous
part In the imperative business OF send
Ing enormous quantities Of supplies and
enormous numbers OF men to Franco
within the time hoped for by the Presi-
dent and his advisers. Mr.. Smith point.
ed out yesterday that there Ia no part
OF war functioning more essential than
docking and shipping facilities strategi-
cslly located and directed by an expe.
rienced and capable head. except the
part that has to do with creating ships
With the aid of the system now con-
| trolled By the Government, with splendid
links at South Brooklyn. IIoboken and
Manhattan. there will be. Mr. Smith pre-
diets. the speeding UP OF shipments Of
men and supplies Of which the Allies, as
Col. House reported, are so urgently In
need.
| Offered Last October.
| Il made the tender of the docks from
Forty-second street to Fifty-ninth street
e., along the North River to Secretary Ba-
ker last October said Mr.. Smith yes
terday. The leases were authorized
I, last month, but 1t was not desirable at
that time to make details public. Now
| however. the matter Of terms and renta s.
is a public record and the facts can be
stated The pier property taken over
by the Government for war purposes
covers nearly a mile OF waterfront and
furnishes deck surface OF 1000, 900
square feet. To these facilities should
be added 100000 square feet OF mar
giral way or street. There are twelve
piers In this battery and the Government
will pay a rental OF $1,000 per an.
mum. In addition to this Il will pay
cent a square foot rental per annum
for the marginal way. or $4,000 a year
! -Four buildings useful for warehouse;
are included in the marginal street Two
Of these buildings belong to the city and
two to the American Red Cross Fo,,
OF the piers are new and are construct LED
cf concrete and steel. with two decks
They are probably the finest and bes
equipped piers IN the world One OF
them. the new Forty-sixth street pier
can accommodate the largest steamships
ahoat. Since the war s:artci nav,
been earnestly engaged in rushing tn,
work Of completion because I realised
that the piers would be required by the
Government for war use. Three Of tn,
new piers have been serving the Govern
ment for nve months and were invalua
blo In speeding the departure OF engineer
forces greatly needed In France"
Terminal Most Modern.
As regards the Governments action Ii
taking over the Bush Terminal, Mr.
Smith said:
Secretary Baker acted wisely an,
promptly In this matter. The Busl
piers and warehouses form a very com
pact terminal and are far superior Il
anything In the harbor except the city,
new concrete and steel piers to which
have referred. These piers are the las
word in the art Of pier construction, an,
am very proud OF them. as they repre-
sent years Of thought and energy. Th
New Jersey schemes for building on tn
mud fats cannot possibly serve the i'm
mediate or future requirements OF tn
1 SONcTUIicHt, cAScpt III inc way OF 0tOI
age or lighterage terminals.
III interpret correctly the needs o
tho war. the first great requirement 4
ships, ships and yet more ships but tn
necessity for properly equipped dock
and terminals Ia scarcely less importan,
These should be ready and. apparentI
are going to be made ready for the tre
mendous problems OF shipping that vii
occupy the Government. ! heartily con
Eratulate Secretary Baker for putting tn
|, right punch into that feature Of the wa
! programme. 1t is this sort OF pune
, that the President asks for In his de
termination to give Germany a knockou
. blow a. quickly as possible"
! The former Commissioner Of Dock
, has received from Gen. ELI d. Hoylc an
, from officials OF the War Department
I letters warmly commencing him for III
voluntary aid he gave them In handIn
! difficult war problems at this port MI
Smith devised the plan Of protecting tn
piers from spies by means OF barrie
} wire fences. sentinel boxes and a div
sion Of guard labor between the polio
force and tie army.