Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1919-06-25
MEET IN FAVOR
Of NEW FERRY
To TOTTENv|LtE
Resolution Adopted at Meeting
of Staten Island Civic
League Last Night


In a resolution adopted by the Tot
tenville Branch of the Staten Island
Civic League held at the Aquehonga
Athletic Club House in Tottenville that
branch went on record as favorlng u
competing ferry between Perth AM
boy and Tottenville.
Favoring the foot of Main street
as the best landing place on the Staten
Island side of the sound. The meet
ing which had been called for the pur-
pose of taking up the ferry question
between the two places was called TO
order by Stuart l.. Ritz, the president
of the branch who had sent out the
| call.
There were about twenty-one rep
lresentative citizens of Tottenville at
| the meeting. Mr.. Ritz ex
| planned the object of the meeting IN
which he said that there was a need
of another ferry, because of the pres
ent ferry not keeping pace with the
times in supplying the necessary
means of transportation in the way
of proper schedules especially when
the ferryboat Tottenville was put on
the route. He said the large traffic
due to the growth of the city OF Perth
Amboy and the large number of resi-
dents on Staten Island who work in
this city are often inconvenienced by
trips being cut out. Mr.. Ritz said that
the future of Staten Island especially
the lower section of the island depends
on being closer to Perth Amboy.
When MIR. Ritz had finished he
called upon James Laing, a member
of the transportation committee OF
the league, who enlightened the gath
ering with some facts and figures re-
garding the old ferry slips at the foot
of Main street and he said that he
believed that was the most desirable
place for the connecting link Tor
new ferry landing in Tottenville mas
much as former Dock Commissioner
Smith had ruled before that two fer
rieS operating from the foot of Bent
ley street, Tottenvillc, would be dam
gerous, as the boats would cross on
coming and going out of the slips.
The question of the ownership of the
foot of Main street came up and Mr..
Laing stated that the late Henry Z.
Morrison, commissioner of public
works for the borough of Richmond.
said that he had an opinion from the
corporation counsel of the city of
New York that the city owned it,
Ira ]. Horton, of the Tottenville
National Bank, said that he has alb
solute information that the Staten
Island Rapid Transit claimed title to
the foot of Main street. Supervising
Inspector E. ID. Hutchinson, of the
Public Service Commission, said that
the commission had nothing to do
with ferries and then his opinion was
asked of the grade crossing at the
foot of Main street in the advent of
the ferry being established at that
place. He would give no opinion on
the matter but said that would be an
after consideration if it would be
found to be dangerous to traffic going
to the ferry at that point over the
tracks of the railroad.
After severai present had spoken
In regard to the need of another ferry
to connect Perth Amboy and Totem
ville in which it was the opinion of
all present that the foot of Main
street was the most logical point, the
resolution was adopted and a copy
was ordered sent to Borough Presi- |
dent Calvin d. VanName, who had
sent a letter telling of his inability to
be present at the meeting. Before
the close of the meeting a committee |
of three composed of Mr.. Ritz, Mr.. |
Horton and Mr.. Laing was named to |
meet with the Board of Trade of |
Perth Amboy to take up the matter. |
Charles Michaels, of the Perth !
Amboy Board of Trade, was at the |
meeting and he said, when he was |
asked for his opinion, that he |
thought there were less obstacles at /
Bentley street to contend with where |
Ferry Company already had a site.
The resolution follows: Whereas, |
The ferry service between Tottenville |
and Perth Amboy we recognize to be J
a question of vital importance to the /
people of the southern end of Staten |
Island, because it is the only means |
of communication between these |
points; and notwithstanding the fact |
that the traffic has increased many |
fold during the past few years. no i'm
provement has been made in the ferry /
service to meet these changed and
enlarged conditions; and we feel that
the needs of the people of Tottenville. |
the increased vehicular traffic and |
Perth Amboy's growth as an indus
trial center. where many of our resi-
dents are employed, warrant more adj
equate ferry service whereby more
frequent trips shall be made, and
Whereas, We feel convinced that
the development of the southern end
about by being linked more closely
with Perth Amboy; and this cannot
be realized under present conditions.
with but one boat operating, |
and oftentimes the schedule interrupt
ed by the use of an alleged ferryboat,
very much to our displeasurc. called
the Tottenville, therefore be IL
Resolved, That it is the sense of
this meeting that a competing ferry /
should be placed in operation as soon
as possible, and be IL further
Resolved, That we go on record |
as favoring the foot of Main street as !
the terminal for said ferry.
TT CT STORAGE BATTERY