Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-03-05

has jumped to $2S,O0O, 900 ana the
end is not yet. The people Of the
state are beginning to wake up as to
the true meaning of this project and
they are wondering what Hudson
| county is trying to put over.
The vehicular tunnel is by no means
assured even If a bond issue for that
project were the only thing to be o n
sldered by the taxpayers this fall. As
the bond Issue necessary to carry this
project through must be favored by
a majority OF the voters of the whole
| state the people may accept the
| Jersey Journals own argument that
| such big projects that are going to
be of vast benefit locally should be
charged up mainly to those who are
to be directly benefited.
That the tunnel will put millions
in the shape Of now values in the
pockets Of the landowners in Hudson
county is made evident by an i!lustra-
ton cited by George l.. Record In his
minority report Of the tax commits
sion. He tells of the enormous profits
made by landowners In the vicinity OF
the present Hudson tubes due entire
.Iy to the construction of those tunnels.
On the other hand, as far as the
Translate ship canal is concerned,
there are grave doubts If the digging
of the waterway will mean much to
the property owners bordering on the
right of way, at least not for many
years 10 come. In the first place, the
right of way which the state will buy
includes the land for one thousand
feet on both sides Of the canal. This
provision was included for the ex-
i pressed purpose of securing for the
state itself all the benefits that will
be derived from the waterway as far
as Industrial sites along both banks
are concerned.
In the second place, there are nu-
merous desirable industrial sites
along existing waterways that are
lust as advantageous as any site along
the proposed canal will be. If the
sites along the canal are going to be
so attractive that they will be gobbled
up at greatly increased values after
the waterway Is constructed, as the
Jersey Journal states, why are not
the sites along the waterways that
already exist and hat are equally as
advantageously located as any site on
the canal would be, bought up and
developed?
AS q matter of fact, this trans
state canal in distinctly a national
and state proposition. The local
benefits are hardly secondary. 1t is
safe to say that Jersey City. with her
vast waterfront directly on New York
harbor, will benefit AS much, If not
more, than Perth Amboy from the
construction Of the proposed water
way. This is more than can be said
Of Perth Amboy in regard to the
proposed vehicular tunnel under the
Hudson river.
Tho Jersey Journal Is putting up a
very selfish, narrow, petty argument
in It's efforts to have Middlesex, Mel
Ger and Burlington counties pay for
the right Of way of the ship canal
Y,hiIo Of tba Game time. insisting that
state as a whole pear the expense
of the tunnel, the benefits of which,
outside of New York itself, will be
almost wholly within Hudson county.
AS for the proposed bond issue of
s / 900, 900 to buy the right of way for
the canal at the present tir,s, we
agree that it might well wait until
the federal government has shown
more of a disposition to build the
canal.
AS for the vehlcular tunnel under
Hudson, which, in conjunction
with the Delaware river bridge. is to
saddle a debt of $2S, 900, 900 on the
state, the voters outside Hudson and
Camden counties will have to be
shown where they are to benefit, or
where the state as a whole Is to
benefit from such an expenditure at
this time, before they vote to approve
the necessary bond issue this fall.