Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1920-01-29
GIVE SHIP CANAL
PROJECT BOOST
City Plays Important Part at
Hearing In Washington
IMPORTANT HEADWAY MADE
Committee Also Favors Deep
Channel to Sandy Hook,
Delegation Is Told


has been made in the past three years
in furthering the building of the ship
canal across the state from Morgan
. on the Raritan Bay to Bordentown
on the Delaware river, was occom-
plished yesterday at the hearing be-
fore the River and Harbor Committee
at Washington, d. c., on the canal
bill which Is likely to be presented to
Congress when that body meets next
December.
Those representing the State COM
| mission at the hearing were j. Spen-
, Ger Smith, Assemblyman Arthur E.
Warner, Senator Hammond Of Tren-
ton and B. +. Cresson, Jr. Mr. Cres-
son Is the engineer who has been en-
ployed by the commission to prepare
New Jerseys official state report on
this important question. This COM
mission was appointed by former
Governor Walter e. Edge to prepare
engineering and Industrial statistics
as officially representing this state;
also to urge congress to build the
New Jersey ship canal as surveyed
and monumented by the engineers Of
this state and the War Department.
The hearing was conducted in the
House office building and speeches
supporting different phases OF the
state report were presented by the
| state committee. All representatives
present were given q chance to give
| their viewpoints. Different members
! of the Rivers sand Harbor Committee
| questioned the speakers about differ
| ent phases of the proposition and
, were particularly courteous In trying
| to assist the cause in every way they
| could.
The outcome of the hearing was
| the passing of a resolution by the
| Rivers and Harbor Committee, at the
! request of the State Commission, re-
questing the War Department to re-
| view its report as to cost of building
| the canal and to present any addi-
! tional reasons for building same for
| use at the meeting Of congress next
! December, SO that they may be pre-
| pared to make recommendations at
that time.
J Secretary Fred e. Hilton, of the
| Chamber of Comme cree, had the fol-
| lowing to say IN regards to the hear
ing today:
| tee has taken no official action on
| this bill since the war, and our COM
mittee well knew there was no
chance to get any appropriation in
this congress. but We did know that
| If we could get the Rivers and Har-
-bor Committee to instruct the War
department to review their original
| report as to cost and to present ad-
| ditional reasons for building this i'm
| portant waterway for the next ses-
! sion of congress, that 1t would then
| be in shape for action and thus pre-
| vent another years delay, If the re-
| vised figures are not in shape to be
presented to congress by the War
! Department the committee can pro-
| ceed to recommend legislation"
|. Favor Deeucr Chaunal
! One of the representatives made a
plea to the committee for the deep
ening of the channel in Raritan Bay
from Sandy Hook to the Raritan
river 1t was pointed out in the plea
that II such action was taken the ci-
ties of Perth and South -Amboy would
be better protected from explosions
which might occur by the transport
ing Of explosives from steamers In
| the. lower bay to the Raritan arsenal
In view OF tho fact that Camp Rar-
itan Is to be O permanent arsenal
| and at the present time all explo-
sives have to be unloaded from the
ships and sent into the arsenal or
barges as the channel Is not deer
enough to accommodate the large
ocean going steamers, If these steam.
ers were able to go up to the arsena
dock 1t was pointed out that the dan.
ger of explosions due to accidents
would be almost abolished. Congress
man James T. Begg. of Ohio, who IL
not member of the River and Har.
Dor Committee, but who heard the
plea for the deeper channel as wei
as the canal, said he would be in ia.
vor of deepening the channel.
Representatives were present at the
hearing from Perth Amboyy, South
Amboy, Trenton, Plainfield, Elizabeth
Jersey City and other municipalities
of the state interested in the canal
project. The hearing was purely a
New Jersey affair as neither New
York nor Pennsylvania were repre-.
scented. From this fact it would seem
if the canal is to become q reality
the people of this state must depend
on their own efforts to put the project
through. The hearing lasted just two
hours and a half, starting at 1O.3C
O'Clock and continuing until i o'clock
Those attending the hearing from
this city were; Jean Dubois, vice.
president of the Chamber of Com
merce; f. V. Eskesen, Charles l.
Steuerwald. Ira r. Grouse and Fred
e. Hilton. Those from South Am
boy We're; Francis +. Coan, repre-
senting the South Amboy Branch OF
the New Jersey Ship Canal Associa-