Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-05-15
Forum Talks Big Projects
Affecting This Community
Continued from page u

five feet deep and 1877 miles long. At
the present time ships wishing to go
to Philadelphia from New York hav
to travel a distance of 2T4 miles,
while with the canal they will only
have to travel S7.3 miles.
The assemblyman showed how use
less the Delaware and Raritan canal
is for ships drawing more than
seven feet of water and told of the
great amoun that would have to be
spent to build this canal to take are
OF ships of greater size. This Is also
practically impossible as the canal
passed through large cities which are
thickly built up me has many bridges.
He told Of how the new canal would
bene-N barges and boats coming from
the south and north. and that 1t would
not be necessary after the ana is in
operation for them to change their
cargoeS to other vessels after the canal
is built as it will be built to take any
standard barge which other ana are
not.
Following Assemblyman Warmers
address President Madsen read q let
ter from the War Department con-
corning the $780, 900 which is to be
used to dredge out the bay and river,
IL the city and other communities on
the river will make proper docks. Mr..
Madsen pointed out the need of a city
planning commission before the fur
ther improvements of the city can be
carried out as they should be. Fol-
lowing he reading of the letter and
the remarks by Mr.. Madsen, former
Mayor Ferd Garretson was called
upon to speak.
Mr.. Garrestson told of the time dur
ing his administration as Mayor of
this city when the deepening of the
| channel in the Staten Island Sound
came up and how representatives
from the city had gone to a confer
ence held in the New York Chamber
of Commerce and how they had been
treated. He maintained that no one
could prove just what Perth Amboy
would do but one can be assured that
it will take advantage of the improve
ments to the bay n river which car
be obtained by the spending of -z50,-
600. He informed the committee that
all the sites purchased along the wat
er front except the Gregory site had
been purchased for park purposes, and
that certain action might have to be
taken before they could be turned in
to docks. He maintained that If the
government will do it's part Perth
Amboy will do hers. w should not
be required to convince the govern
ment of the things that are so OBJ
vious," said Mr.. Garretson in closing.
C.. ID. Boynton was the next speak
er n maintained that the city has
already the docks if the government
will deepen the channel. MI. eleven
ger asked if other cities and towns
on the river would be affected. or
only South Amboy. Mr.. Carroll, of
the Raritan Copper Works. stated
that from what could be learned, the
appropriation for deepening the river
only called for the dredging of the
channel to the New York & Long
Branch railroad bridge. This would
mean that Perth and South Amboy
would be most affected by the i'm
~provement. DR.. Silk was of the opin-
ion that the city should ascertain just
how far the dredging will go and
what places will be affected.
In closing the meeting Secretary
Hilton. of the Board of Trade. said
that the foundation for the whole
thing hinges on a city plan, and
for the people to have faith in the
city.