Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-12-17
WILL THE CITY AID OR oBsTRUcT?

SNhS hhOIC "A CNNNNN
boy, depends on the stand taken by the Board of Aldermen
Monday night. Final action is expected on the application of
The Standard Underground Cable Company for a railroad
siding along side their building on High street. This is a
matter that concerns every property owner, every citizen
and particularly every business man.
Every property owner is concerned because the value
of a mans property depends largely on the growth and de-
velopment of the city. Whatever tends to develop the city,
therefore, helps to improve property throughout the city.
Every citizen is concerned because whether he owns
property or not, his chances of a job are enhanced with the
Enlargement of what industries we already have and the
location here of new industries.
Every merchant is especially concerned because the
more men there are employed here and the larger the pay
rolls at the different industries the more customers they will
have and the more money those customers will have to
spend.
The railroad siding will occupy a part of the sidewalk
on the east side of High street southwark as far as Washing
ton street. There are only two property owners on the east
side of High street between buckingham avenue and Wash
ington street which is the section affected. Those property
owners are the Atlantic Terra Gotta Company and the STAN
dard Underground Cable Company. But a siding already ex-
tends past the property of the terra Gotta property on High
street. Where the cable company property joins the terra
Gotta property, however, the siding turns into the cable
company plant and runs along on the east or inner side of the
building that extends for the rest of the distance along High
street to Washington street.
But this siding on the inner side of the building is not
sufficient to handle the increased business that the cable
company desires to do. 1t plans to enlarge its building and
make additions that will add materially to the industry here.
But to facilitate this additional work another railroad siding
on the outer or street side of the building is essential. To
build this siding some of the sidewalk must be used. Hence
The application to the Board of Aldermen.
The main objection to the siding comes from the per-
sofAnning the property on the opposite corner of Washing
ton and High street. But High street is very broad and it has
not yet been shown in what way the proposed siding will
injure anyone on the other side of the street. The siding
will be laid close to the cable works building for its entire
distance and traffic on the street will in no way be ~impeded.
Xlbo4 Ioor on ip1ucfp lilo 4ho anA TTp6npOpOUp6l
Cable Company mean to the city?
In the first place, it is the largest employer or labor
hat the city has. 1t has had working for it in one year an
average per day of 1929 employees. Even during the pres
ent year when work has been slack the average number of
persons employed at the cable works has been 1909 per
day. When so many industries have been shut down alto
gether it is readily seen how beneficial the cable works has
seen to Perth Amboy in keeping men at work and thereby
maintaining payroll that has, in turn, helped the merchants
and local business generally.
How many people realize that last year the payroll of
the Standard Underground Cable Company amounted to
nearly two million dollars. To be exact, for the year 1920
the payroll was 81 ,79l ,932. 40. This money was paid out to
residents of Perth Amboy to be spent in Perth Amboy SO
that everybody here shared in the benefits.
Even for the present year, when work has been so
scarce land payrolls have been greatly curtailed, the cable
works has paid out in this city in the form of wages nearly
a million dollars. To be exact, the amount of wages paid
out thus far this year is 1914 ,349.62, That has gone a long
way toward keeping up business in this city during the pres
ent depression.
Does this mean anything to the people of Perth Amboy?
Does it mean anything to the Board of Aldermen?
But this company wants to do still more for the benefit
Of the city. 1t wants to enlarge, to do a greater business, to
employ more men and TO increase its payroll.
Should the city encourage or discourage such a desire?
Should the city cooperate in every way possible to that end,
or should the city, through its governing body, do every
thing possible to obstruct such a program?
But besides its employment of labor and its large pay
roll, the cable company spends thousands os dollars in this
city in the purchase of supplies from our local merchants
and business men, such as lumber, hardware, stationary,
drugs, printing and other factory essentials. Local contrac-
tors have been engaged to do the conjunction work at the
plant and it is announced that the contemplated improve
ments which will be made if the railroad siding can be built
would be awarded mainly to local contractors.
Such land as the cable company would use for the
proposed railroad siding is useless for any other purpose.
There is ample room for a sidewalk outside the proposed
siding without interfering in the least with street traffic.
What legitimate reason can be advanced, therefore, for re-
fusing the cable company the permission to build this sid
;nn2 The advantages TO be derived by the CITY are over