Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-07-22
PAYING THE PENALTY

After growing up in a haphazard manner without any plan
or definite idea of what was best for the future of the CITY
Trenton is about to spend 100000 for widening two OF her
principal business streets and for opening other streets to take
care of the increased traffic. The instance is given only to
show that if Trenton had had a city plan twenty-five or thirty
years ago the taxpayers would not have been put to such an ex-
pense as now involved in making this necessary Improvement
1t is necessary because the city has grown so that its flu
ture development is impossible if the streets are not made VIDE
enough TO accommodate the additional traffic that further de-
velopment will bring. Because Trenton has waited until now
to do this work, which the far-seeing citizens long ago saw
would have to be done, many costly buildings will have to be
altered and the city will have to stand for the damages.
Perth Amboy is growing by leaps and bounds, but thus Tar
no effort is being made to guard against the mistakes that
Trenton and many other cities have made. In the process OF
development the old buildings here are being removed and new
ones are taking their place. Once this more expensive type
of building has become general it is going to cost a great deal
of money to correct the evils that may be apparent, but which
are neglected now, just as they were in Trenton and elsewhere.
If Perth Amboy is wise she will adopt a city plan forth
with so that as new construction takes place, costing more
money, it can be built to conform with the city plan that Will
provide for just such a condition as Trenton is now facing.
Some parts of our streets are already ~congested. What
is it going to be like ten years henee>H Perth Amboy grows as
she has in the past ten years.
We wonder if those entrusted with managing city affairs
have given this a thought. 1t may cost considerable money to-
day to make Perth Amboy what it ought to be in the way OF an
up-to-date, progressive city, but the cost now will not be any
where near what it will be ten years hence and then 1t VIII be
found that regardless of the cost the work will have to be done
if Perth Amboy is to continue to grow. This has been Tren-
toms experience and the experience of every other city that
has neglected a definite city plan in the early days when per-
manent buildings were just beginning to be erected.
A serious mistake is being made by ignoring this city plan.
idea, IT ct the foundation of every progressive move that can
be suggested for the welfare of the city. No matter what topic
is mentioned, be it ship canal, harbor development, marine
terminals, belt-line railway, trolley lines, parks, recreation
centers, municipal buildings, sewers, cemeteries, or industrial
and residential sites, it all goes back to a definite city plan SO
that the work when once done will be permanent and will be a
part of one big scheme to make Perth Amboy a great water
front metropolis.
Perth Amboy can learn a great lesson from Trenton today.
Trenton is more than twice the size of this city. If we wait
until we are twice as big we will find ourselves forced into the
same expense as Trenton now finds herself. On the other hand,
If we plan now we will develop that much quicker and as we
develop we will have the satisfaction of knowing that it is a
permanent growth all tending toward the great commercial
and industrial center of the future.