The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-04
HUBERT PLANS Big
DOCK IMPROVEMENT
Initial Cost Of the Projected
Changes Would Be $4,000
600, Commissioner Says.
SAYS PORT IS IN DANGER
Complains That Niggardliness
of Sinking Fund Heads Hats
Badly Needed Work.

Badly Needed Work.
| In the harbor and pier improvement
plan which Dock Commissioner Murray
Hubert expects to see under way soon
with an initial expenditure of 100000
00o-provided the municipal authorities
wake up to the dire necessity Of imme-
diate steps TO save the supremacy OF the
port OF New York from impending doom
the Commissioner not only has to bat
tie against lack OF public vision but also
against legal methods in the city govern
ment which are on a par with the ar
chalc conditions of the port itself.
Always the Dock Department, and
/ therefore the Dock Commissioner. has
the Sinking Fund Commissions entangle-
ments of red tape stretched across the
| road to progress. A Dock Commits
soner under the present city charter. Is
! compelled TO seek out and walt upon the
Sinking Fund Commissions authorize
! tion for virtually every act the Dock
Department feels impelled to perform.
Would Divorce sinking Fund.
II Is the firm belief OF the champions
programme that as first step toward
reform the Dock Department and the
| Sinking Fund Commission should he di-
vorced. Under the present method OF
waiting upon the Sinking Fund Comms-
sion's favor time is constantly wasted
and so Is money. As an Instance of
wastage and needless Inconvenience and
delay, one need only consider the citys
prospective tenant, anxious to complete
arrangements with the municipal author
| tiles for water front space and with
large interests at stake, but held UP for
months before his lease Is officially APP
| proved.
In line with the removal OF these and
| other instances Of red tape, Commits
sioner Hubert has included in his vast
| development programme reforms which
make for a more considerable and sym
pathetic policy on the part of the city
| toward its pier and water front tenants.
| Unfairness' OF attitude in the past. the
| Commissioner insists. has been FAR 100
frequent. 1t has been a practice. vir-
| tually a set policy. of the Dock Depart
ment for many years TO make sting!ness
virtue when 1t came to keeping In
proper shape the property and equip
ment when the city rents to the water
front lease holder. Pleas for dredging
the slips went unheeded. the policy OF
the Dock Department in late years hav-
ing been TO aNOin Ureuglng until u SIP
is on the verge of choking to death
improvements for battery.
As a part OF Commissioner Hulberts
programme he would have the city take
over these piers. which he now has rea-
son for believing ire OF little use to
their present occupants. and substitute
for the five old time piers three com
modous. modern. double deck piers. Tho
Ia - to-, ~ 1NN 80
20 the minute steamship piers and
corresponding increase in the city's in
come
The railroads, so Commissioner Hui
bert finds. would not be injured by the
contemplated change. He already has
begun negotiations with the Pennsyl-
vanIa road regarding the matter. In n
larger way the Commissioner also has
taken mp with Director-General McAdoo
the idea of unificatIon by the Federal
Railroad Administration OF activities on
all OF the forty-six piers here which now
are used by the railroads. Prompt ac-
ton on the part of the Railroad Ai-
ministration would mean, Mr. Hubert
believes, the release OF more and badly
needed piers and at the same time effect
a substantial saving in rentals and op-
Grating costs and attain a maximum OF
efficiency at the minimum OF incon-
venience" as Commissioner Hubert
phrascd II when outlining his plan re-
Gently TO Comptroller Craig.
Staten Island Improvement.
In the same letter TO Comptroller Craig
the Dock Commissioner goes into details
about that part OF the Hubert plan
which has to do with acquiring pier
property on Staten Island. The pro-
posed piers in Richmond which Com
missioner Hubert has in mind would be
directly across the bay from the Bush
Terminal piers and the new 1000. 600
Improvement on the South BROOKLYN
water front.
CommiFioner Hubert has learned
that the Staten Island land he has in
view can be purchased cheaplv. Tho
water upon which II fronts Is we'll pro-
tected and therefore Tranquil The II
and o. Railroad. traversing the island.
runs straight 10 the site Already Com
missioner Hubert has harmed of tenants
ready 10 jump at the chance of rentiny
from five TO ten piers as soon as the
proposed Improvement will have been
completed.
"a great port like the city OF New
York" the Commissioner says in his
, Craig letter. should, In my judgment,
have at least one heated pier for the
purpose of handling perishable foodsturfs
in cole weather and cold storage accom-
modations for handling like commodities
in hot weather.
I'm my judgment readjustment OF
conditions Will be required after the
war, which will practically necessitate
the coming of the port for water trans
portat'on purposes. There are however
. needs and requirements of the port that
can Nc discussed with certainty and ex-
actitude in the light of the present CON
. ditions, which will form a very substau-
, tial basis and will harmonize with any
, postwar plan that may be CONCEIVED and
, adopted"
Fnvors Bridges 10 Ferry Houses.
Commissioner Hubert further believes
that the railroads should be permitted
to build overhead bridges from ferry
houses so that present traffic congestion
: he appreciably relieved In the river sec
tons. Surveys with this improvement
in mind should, he suggests. be made
! Such innovations and especially the re-
storation Of piers which have been a.
/. lowed tn rip, ravel and run down at tn"
, heel not only would mako for the !nter-
Z Sive efficiency at which the Hubert man
aims, but would also. the COMMISSIONS
. points out, he n gain TO the city in re-
stored assessment values. The assess
ment valuation Of properties In various