Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-11-23

The State and Washington Stree,
Taxpayers Association had before
the aldermen at their regular meet.
ing Monday night a lengthy lettel
in which several suggestions were
made for the further advancement
OF the city. chief among which was
the request that steps be taken tc
have a union railroad station built
at the Washington street crossing
Of the three railroads. Other mat
ters were touched upon, including
81 trunk line sewer. The clerk was
instructed by Alderman-at-Large
John ~. WestsT to have copies OF
this communication made and sent
TO each member of the board to-
gether with the city engineer and
city attorney while the communi.
cation itself was referred to the
committee of the whole and city N
gineer.
The communication follows:
1t is unnecessary to state hat our
principal depot, while quite ade-
quate about forty-ive years ago
when we had a population of about
four thousand, is now, with our
population of about forty-five thou
sand, totally inadequate. The posi-
ton. also, is far from central; and
at. as well as the three other social
I'd depots and two station sheds are
unnecessary as units, it being posi-
BILE as well as highly desirable to
have one union station. the mainte-
nance of which would cost but little
more than the maintenance of the
shacks mentioned.
As 81 many have pointed out
there is but one ideal place for a
union station and that is at the
-. - - fL,A~ 80 tI4
four passenger carrying railroads.
Enough land is owned by the rail-
roads at this point to build the union
station on one or both sides OF the
new tracks, with all streets in the
imme6 te vicinity wide and well
paved. 1t is nearer the centre of
population than is otherwise posi-
BILE to the railroad; and there are
two large plots of land belonging to
the railroads, one Immediately ad-
joining this point to the northwest,
and one to the southwest. These can
be used for business incident to the
railroads not only now. but more
especially when u new million dol
lar wharves, close to the New York
& Long Branch bridge. demand in
creased train and operating facili-
ties. The site mentioned for a union
station Is also quite in line as the
proposed high level viaduct, or even
the tunnel from Staten Island, must,
almost of necessity, cross the sound
opposite this point by reason of the
present position of the Staten Island
l.ailroad Company's property. and
The fact that no sharper turn toward
The tunnel or viaduct can be made
by that road should it be included in
the belt line recently proposed to the
Wv York Board of Estimate.
Thus ten years or less from now
all railroads leaving Perth Amboy
could go out from n large union
station-not only north, south and
rest, as at present, but also east
.cardly to the great wharves built
nd to be built on the opposite side
~ Staten Island. The old depot has
teen in service nearly fifty years,
and the new depot should be cor
twice that time.
That, with our 81, 200, 10000 COW
ared reservoir-one of the largest IL
The world-and our million dollar
kharves will be three great achieve
nents to which we must add a
bmaller but no less important one
! very large trunk line sewer paral-
lei with, and on the west side of the
racks to be laid in the near future.
4 sewer that will be adequate for all
hf the western part of our city of
100, 900 peoples thirty years from
Today.
We are told that the L. v. r. r.
K not interested in a Union Station,
b II this cannot be so II they have
looked at all into the future. The
least important reason why they
saould be interested is because this
railroad is the only one that is laid
through desirable residential sec
hons that are not already compare
lively well built up. high in purchase
Price, and still more expensive to
maintain.
In this section can be purchased
large building plots where beautiful
homes and grounds can reconstruct
rl and maintained at a fair price.
This fact has already caused several
os our ~far-seeing merchants and
factory heads to make their place of
residence in hat section and so
wany more will move there in the
near future as will tend to build up
q fair passenger traffic on the l.. v.
T.. r. which now maintains such a
lifnited passenger service that our
Merchants motor to and from their
homes. The principal reason. how
lever. that the L. v. r. r. should take
a. interest in e union station is a
ferry proposition. Realizing which.
the State Street Merchants Asso-
citation, for several months. have
been trying to get the l.. ". r. r.
ar3 the B. & o. r. r. to effect a
combination of interests In a local
ferry project. The l.. v. r. r. to