The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-13
Mayor and City Officials Will
Consider Hulbert's
Proposition.
MAY REVEAL OPPONENTS
Rail Administration, Shipping
Board and Ship Owners
Have Approved.

held next Friday at the CITY haii 10
consider the immediate practicability Of
the $50. 900 GOO plan proposed by Com
missioner Hubert to make the pier
system Of New York ready to handle
the vast commerce which must como
with peace.
The details of Commissioner Hui
bert's plan, including some new pieTs
much needed repairs to old piers. and
the transfer of light drausht steamship
from deep water to shallow water piers,
but which contemplates most OF all al
intensive, scientific use OF existing piers.
have been set forth In series OF
articles In THE Sun. All that ha1 stood
in the way Of getting to work on the
plan has been the inertia OF the Sink
ing Fund Commission and the city ad
minlstratIon generally. Friday's con
ference Is expected to reveal where the
opposition to the Hubert plan Hes, II
real opposition exists, and II may be the
first step toward tho realization OF n"
scheme.
Railway Managers Approve.
As matters stand the Commissions
has the backing of the United Stater
Railroad Administration, which used
forty-six city piers and which Is ready Is
make such an intensive use OF its
facilities as to release q number OF
them to general commerce: OF tho
United States Shipping Board, which 10
intimately concerned with port develop
ment OF steamship companies. many OF
which have been actually planning IT,
move from New York to some other
port because OF the cramped and unsat.
isfactory conditions. and of merchants
and manufacturers generally who
thoroughly understand the dollars and
cents value of the Hubert plan. with
this support the Commissioner will go
before the conference Friday. actively
supported by A. II. Smith. Regional D.
rector of Railroads. and will attempt to
get permission from the Board Of Est,
mate and the sinking fund to go ahead
Ali he needs is the word go. His plans
are worked out to the last stroke.
The necessity for instant action b.
the city authorities In this matter OF
getting ready for peace demands was
stated succnctly yesterday by ConrniS-
sioner Hubert thus:
THE war is over We stand on Oh.
threshold of the era of Reconstruction,
yet we are as unprepared for peace ~
we were for war. The suddenness ana
completeness with which the end CAME
makes us all realize surely the exact
truth OF what ] have been contendinF
ever since | took office as COMMISSIONS
of Docks on January l, that the need
for additional wharfage accommodation
Is all the more pressing.
Great Mass OF Shipping.
TT will not only be necessary for US
to transport additional troops to police
the Central Powers and Russia, releas-
ing the men that have brought victor
to our standard. that they may com"
home to receive the hearty WELDON
awaiting them, but It Will be necessag.
for us to increase our shipments g.
foodstuffs IN order to feed the starv!r<
inha bitauts OF the former belligere.
countries. Besides this great Quantltias
of material must be shipped oversee
for the recons tructIon OF Belgium AMI
northern France.
Il happen to know of plans now heiuE
worked out by a department Of the
United states Government that eivss
me the strongest possible reason TO r.
terate that there will be greatly i!
creased demand for piers. 1t has bee
suggested that with the end OF the W,
the piers at this port and that the need
Of those seeking pier accommodation.
will he substantially met in this wa
The developments of the next few days
will demonstrate the fallacy OF this SUI
position"
Facts obtained by THE Sun yesterdq,
definitely supported this prediction -
Commissioner Hubert These facts poiD;
to Governmental action In the near
tHrli lob NsalI la .4a..t 7-zr A.H
provide wharfage facilities for at Leaf
zoo ships more daily than ever had iu
be accommodated prev 'oLsly In the POI
OF New York. Commissioner Hubert =
trying 70 tind a place TO put these ships
which will he vital to the needs Of q
Government and of commerce. He ".
go before the conference on FRIDAY 49,.
this as his prime contention.
Arrnngcs Terms With p. II. H.
He sail yesterday that he is go.rg
ahead with the prosecution of his plar
m the confidence that the Board Of Is
mate and n, Sinking Fund Commissia
will give him the necessary autho~.',
Yesterday morning he conferred g...
representatives o. the PenuSylvai
Railroad with a view to arranging 4
terms upon which the property II q
necessary for the city to acquire can Nr
obtained, so that the old piers, ], 2.
and 3 can be torn down and three Mo
ern piers erected IN their place II
Pennsylvania Railroad is willing TO 8,
business on fair terms with Comm
souer Hubert and this part of his mal-
plan enc OF tho first steps, really wal..
only upon the O. X. OF the city fathers.
lie has had his engineers draw uy
plans for the construction OF twelve
piers at Stapleton, Staten Island II,
will submit these plans to the, SlrHl--
Fund Commission at ohce and will apo..
for funds to construct them when he .
able to enter into such contracts Wit
steamship companies upon a rental bass
as will make the investment self-sus
tanning
This feature touching the Staten T..
and pier construction applies to otH..
main phases of the Hubert plan ~
explained by him II Is almost entire.
seif-suppoTting scheme, and ar 81.
does not encroach upon the citys Go
limit II Us a pay as you go. defintt
profitable proposition that the Comm.
sioner will submit on Friday.
II want everybody in New YORK .u
stop and think about our dock nccesr
ties said the Commissioner yesterda
do people realize that New York
actually in danger of falling into ..
rank OF second class port? Do PEG.
understand that two dozen or more %
our big steamship companies are so d
couraged and disguised with the rt',
neglect and inact!on that they are %
Ing about moving away? Do peoI
realize that within a year the pro-