Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-07-21
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FOR THE CANAL PROJECT

~ There is every indication that New Jersey proposes W St
behind the ship canal project in all earnestness inns laH' WINE
Perth Amboy has taken the lead in organizing for the work,
other cities are taking up the agitation and planning for an
effective campaign that cannot help but have results.
Besides the agitation, the one big thing to'be done is to-
have a tremendous delegation go to Washington when the mat
ter is considered by congress to add emphasis TO the demand
There is nothing that impresses Washington more than per-
son appeal. Memorials and petitions may be sent galore,
but they get nowhere. They are read into the Record" and
a polite letter is sent back saying that every consideration VIII
be given the matter, blu. that is as far as they ever get But
when a delegation Of fifty or a hundred citizens walk into the
presence of the committee and back up the petition with per-
sonal attendance it causes the congressman to sit up and take
notice. The congressman know that if fifty citizens are inter-
ested enough in the matter to make the trip to Washington,
fbara hundreds eve thousands of citizens equally as inter-
ested in the matter back home.
The people of the Middle West and West have learned
this trick to perfection. They do not think of entrustlng any
thing worth while to- mere petitions. They get up a special
train load of rooters and they march upon the capital like a
besieging army, and they win.
For many years millions of the nations wealth has
been pouring into the Mississippi valley for waterway improve
ment. vet there is not a strea min that whole broad stretch of
territory that can be made to carry as much reak commerce as
the Raritan river would if it received the consideration that
such a stream warrants. The reason has been because the
people of the Mississippi valley have been alive to these mat
ters and have made it their business to get them. Here we
consider it everybody else's business but our own.
When the. city of Memphis, Tenn, for instance, wants a
levee built to protect the city from the RACES of the Mississippi
the people get up an excursion and the whole population goes
to Washington to demand an appropriation.
Do they get it? Of course they do, even though it runs
into the millions of dollars and is largely to protect private real
estate and increase values in private property.
Why?
Because they know how to demand it. They overwhelm
congress with numbers and the impression is such that Mem
Dhis gets anything she wants.
Yet levees to protect private property along the Missis-
sippi are nowhere near as important to the nation as a whole
as a ship canal across New Jersey. But congress will never
see it unless New Jersey forces it upon them. 1t may be short
sighted, narrow and all that, but it is the fact that we are up
against.
When all plans are ready. therefore, New Jersey ought to
send a big delegation from every city, making a total of several
hl9a944determine men, with banners flying and plenty Of
noise, they can march in upon congress with a demand that
cannot be disregarded.
The time is most propiGous because the different depart
ments al Washington have endorsed the canal project. They
are ready to back New Jerseys efforts and we have a New Jer-
sy President in the White House. By united and enthusiastic
effort the canal project can be put across.
IL xMEEn i