Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-10-15
ASK CITY TO SPEND MILLIONS
TO DEVELOP THIS PORT

(Continued from page ID
and terminals on our waterfront and
that a commission be appointed al
once TO go into the matter in a most
exhaustive manner n TO repor'
suitable location and plans for sucn
piers at the earliest possible moment.
eve have reason to believe that
the matter can be readily financed
without placing any burden on the
lust as the building of the
reservoir was financed. These piers
would be revenue-producing o
the start. The great demand for
pier space within the harbor OF New
York is evidence of this. However,
these details would be something to
be investigated by the commission
which you would appoint to report
back to you.
"Such a project as this. also. fts
in we'll with the efforts now being
made throughout the land to create
employment for the un-employed.
The commission appointed by Presi-
dent Harding to look into the matter
of unemployment has requested that
each municipality start public works
as soon as possible. Tonight such a
conference is being held in this city.
Here. then. is a means for furnishing
employment and at the same time
place Perth Amboy in the front ranks
OF the progressive cities. There Is
good reason to believe hat the con-
struction of piers along our water
front would e a great increase
in our population and a growth OF
business along every line.
But this committee has still an
other request to make of you. Inc
committee of ten appointed by the
civic bodies of the Raritan district
to look after the interests OF this
section has decided to use all the
influence it can bring to bear on the
port authority that in making lts
final report to the legislatures OF n
two states, it provide that the belt
line railroad be extended to New
Brunswick and so on down the snore
of the Raritan river to Perth Amboy.
Also, that a section or n south
shore of Raritan bay be set Off as a
free zone" within the port.
The advantages of the belt n
railroad extending TO New Bruins
wick and along the shore of the Rar-
river to this city are readily ap-
parent. At the present time the
DldIS Vi ~ PbAI
for four belt line railroads. One is
the automatic electric system for the
immediate relief of the congestion in
Manhattan; another is an inner or
waterfront belt line: another is wha.
is known as the middle belt line. and
the fourth is the outer belt line.
This outer belt line is the one we
desire to see extended TO New Bruins
wick and so on down the river. 1t
now comes down from Piermont,
passes back to Paterson and comes
through the Orange mountains near
Caldwell where ii turns east n
crosses over to Staten Island just be-
low EliZabethport, with only a
branch line running to Perth Amboy.
With this belt line paralleling the
Raritan river all the way from New
Brunswick all that section would be
opened up for industrial develop
ment giving high class factory sites
direct rail connection by mean OF
the belt line with all the great trunk
line railroads hat touch New York
harbor-for that is the purpose or
the belt line, to tie all these rail-
roads together for convenient trans
portation once the freight reaches
tidewater regardless of what railroad
it comes over.
"A free zone perhaps. is not so
easily understood as it is something
new for this country. Free zones or
free ports. as they are called, are to
be found at Hamburg, Copenhagen
and other great ports of Europe.
Regarding the purpose of a free zone
the United States Tariff Commission
has this to say: "A free zone may
be defined as an isolated, inclosed,
and policed area in or adjacent to a
port of entry, without resident popu-
facilities for lading and unlading, for
supplying fuel for ships stores. for
storing goods, and for reshipping
them by land and water; an area
within which goods may be landed,
stored, mixed. blended, repacked,
manufactured. and reshipped without
payment of duties and without the
Intervention of customs officials.
"In a word, a free zone may be
made into a great industrial center
similar to the Bush Terminals in
South Brooklyn.
There is now pending in congress
a bill introduced by Senator Jones,
of Washington, known as Senate,
1891, providing for the establish
ment of these free or free ports
in the United States. 1t has the en-
dorsement of all commercial bodies
in the country. Regarding a free
port. the Port of New York Au-
thority is on record as favoring the
establishment of such a zone within