Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-11-03
PUBLICITY FOR PORT PLANS

time that the Port of New York Authority had It's plans pre-
pared for the development of the Port of New York as a
whole, so that the people may be given a chance to examine
them and understand them before they are submitted to the
legislatures of New York and New Jersey for acceptance.
There is reason in the Jersey Journals argument. Such a
tremendous project as this port development is going to be
ought not to be jammed down the peoples Threats in any
high handed manner.
Those who have had an opportunity to examine the
plans of the port authority know what an elaborate scheme
it is. To carry out the full project will probably cost to a
hundred million dollars. 1t is quite evident that this vast
sum of money has got to come from the taxpayers in two
subsequently, only from those within the port district.
If the people are going to be asked to put up such an amount
as this, they, naturally, want to know all about the project.
AS the tentative plans stands today, the most expensive
feature of the port development is the underground auto
matte electric railroad system intended to relieve the con-
iestion on Manhattan island. This tunnel system is most
comprehensive in its detail and, from what can be gained
from the commissioners who are drawing up the plans, the
port development seems to center around it.
The primary purpose of this port development scheme,
as we understand it, is to relieve congestion and modernize
the Port of New York. But the congestion in the port is an
entirely different thing from the congestion in Manhattan.
The way to relieve the congestion in the port is to spread
out and we take it that the purpose of including all this Sec
ton within the Port of New York is to give room to spread
out and still keep within the aport. The idea is that when
shippers from the interior are exporting goods they can send
their goods by rail to some other section of the port to be
loaded on steamers instead of sending them to the already
congested section about Manhattan island. Likewise, in i'm
porting goods, the vessels carrying cargoes destined to inland
cities can come to docks and unload within the Port of New
York and yet not be compelled to go to the piers at Manhat-
tan or Brooklyn, as they must do at present in order to find
the necessary accommodations.
This is a problem that all the municipalities within
the port district can be interested in because they can all do
their part to help relieve the congestion. But the congestion
MpsNa1battan island, involving distribution through truck
ing an the like, is something that is purely local Manhat-
tan ought to take care of her own congestion within her
own limits just as Perth Amboy, Newark and every other city
within the port district is expected to take care of its own
local problems. AS a matter of fact, if Manhattan were re-
l:oxad n z pnucb of tho co-ca1lpd 'thpOuoh fppi0hfh hOun1 In
or from interior points, there would be a whole lot more
room on her piers for her own local freight so that the
problem of distribution on the island itself would thereby
be partly solved.
The point we are interested in is whether or not New
jersey, or even that part of New Jersey included within the
port district, is going to be compelled to help pay for the
relief of the congestion in Manhattan. AS the automatic
electric railroad, which forms such an important part of the
port development plans is designed almost entirely to re-
lieve the congestion on Manhattan island, it would seem as
if that is something that should be financed entirely by Man
haitian, or at least by New York, exclusively. we are willing
to bear our share of the whole port development to relieve
congestion in the port, but we object to being taxed to relieve
the congestion in distribution on Manhattan island.
These are points that ought to be thoroughly explained
10 the people before they are asked to pass upon them.
These things ought to be brought out before the matter is
to the legislatures for final adoption or rejection.
fThe matter is so important and means so much to the future
OF this entire section that every detail ought to be fully ex-
slained. The time to lay the facts before the people is before
the legislatures meet so that the representatives in the legis-
lafures can get the sentiment of the people in order to pass
upon the report with some degree of intelligence. To with
hold such a comprehensive report until the legislature is in
the mids of all kinds of legislation with only a few weeks
left of the session to consider the matter and expect the
Mans TO be adopted forthwith is asking too much.
There is much merit in the port Development scheme
and something along the lines as laid out must be done II
the Port of New York is to maintain its supremacy. But
ubon millions of dollars are involved, all of which
n1st he furnished by the people, it is only fair that the peo-
ole have ample time to consider the project in detail before
thew are finally adopted. OF course, if the people are too
indifferent to consider them even when given an opportunity
thew have no ground for complaint if they finally get some
thing they do not want. What is needed now is the final
report of the Port of New York Authority laid before the
people at the earliest possible date.
CONSERVE THE FORESTS
I.nohar - bainoc ut in the Unified States at the rate of