New-York tribune., 1921-12-29
1l1ylan Turns
{ On Own Party
Lin Port Fight
CONTINUED from page on.,

4 -
! Brooklyn Staten Island tunnel. but wa.
limited practically to this project, with
out including the essential belt line
and marginal railroad connections with
the great trunk line railroad terminals
included in tha Port Authority plan.
Soon after tAe special committee ap-
| pointed by the Board of Estimate,
headed by Chief Engineer Arthur 6.
Tuttle, began to study the tunnel plan
it's members recognized the necessity
! of extending its scope SO as to include
connecting links with the large New
Jersev freight terminals, and so re-
ported.
Corporation Counsel John P. O'Brien
yesterday submitted the draft of the
proposed amendments to the Staten
Island tunnel bill to enable the city to
| extend its port development plan, with
almost unlimited authority. The amend
ments, approved by the board, if passed
would give the city practically un-
limited power to construct a freight
railroad which would link the new
Staten Island piers with all the big
railroad lines. The cost of the citv
tunnel and the proposed added develop
ment is estimated at $225, 100000. The
proposed amendments provide that
The city build the tunnel at it's own
expense, beginning within two years
after the proposed amendments take
effect.
"The city may lease the completed
tunnel for not longer than twenty-five
years to any person, firm or corpora
ton determined by the Board of Esti-
mate.
Should this be done, the city will
fix all charges and tolls for the use
of the tunnel
The lease, if made for more than
ten years, must bring a rental to cover
the interest of the bonds issued pur-
suant to the act
The powers granted in the act are
not to be limited by any existing gen
eral or local law.
The Commissioners of the State
Land Office shall cede to the city all
land above and under water necessary
to the project
"The Board of Estimate shall Issue
corporate stock to meet the expenses
OF construction. They will be paya-
Die at maturity out of a sinking fund
established and maintained out of the
The city shall have full Jurisdiction
over 1,, all the property of the project.
Ine property of the project shall be
acquired by the city through condem-
nation proceedings. Such cases will be
acted upon by three commissioners ap-
pointed by the Appellate Division of
the Supreme Court
"The act shall take effect immed;-
|ately."
Papers Read to Engineers
Papers read before the Engineering
Societies last night were by CHIEF
Engineer Tuttle, OF the Board of Esti
mate, and the members ofehis staff. in
cluding Colonel William J. Wilgus. CON
sulting engineer; Major John i. Sulii-
yan, consulting engineer AID Jesse B.
Snow, tunnel engineer. The city en-
glneers included in their discussion
the extended developments in connec-
tion with the Brooklyn Richmond tun-
mel, as authorized in the amendments
proposed by Corporation Counsel
O'Brien to the Board OF Estimate.
Engineer Tuttle discussed the Port
Authority plan in 8 critical manner.
He declared that such plan was
hardly feasible because of the dual
jurisdiction and conflicting interests
involved between the city and the
state. He suggested that the port de-
velopment might better be carried out
by "the setting up of an independent
state as better means OF securing
the desired end" such state to
comprise all of greater New York ana
lO4 scattered cities and towns to the
north and in New Jersey. He also sug-
gested that il the Bi-State Commission
plan lthe Port Authority was adopted
the city of New York should have
strong direct representation on any
such commission ''in which its affairs
are so. deeply concerned" Mr.. Tuttle
pointed out that the construction of
two tunnels, the one proposed by the
city and the other proposed by the
Fort Authority, was rot economically
PRACTICAL, as there would not be freight
trafilc sufficient to support them both.
After pointing out the necessity of
enlarging the scope a6othe city's origi-
nal plan Mr.. futile discussed the re-
port of the old New York-New jersey
Port and Harbor Development Com
mission, on which the Port Authority
has based it's plan and then took up
the latter plan.
"The pooling, on equal terms, of the
economic interests of single commu-
nifty of nearly 5000, 900 inhabitants With
those Of 104 scattered municipalities
having total population of about e.
oo0,O0O and very much smaller assets.
does not represent" he said, what
would seem to be a sound policy, and
particularly when the issues involved
are of only general character and
do not bear with equal force upon the
respective parties, the one having the
lesser interest taking far less risk
than the other as TO the outcome of
the combination.
Conflicting Interests Feared
IF the principle be accepted as a
correct one, it would seem to follow
that a similar bi-state commission
should take general char-e Of the
water supply. drainage and sewerage.
and rapid transit problems of the met
rropolitan district regardless of state
llnes. While such an arrangement
might be considered as advantageous
IN many respects, the conflict of laws
ana interests by reason of dual iuris-
dlction. which could not be fully
avoided, with the possibility of re-
sulting endless confusion and clashes
would seem to warrant very serious
hesitation over any such commitment,
pur would rather point either to
joining OF state interests only in the
carrying out OF particular and clearly
dehned projects or of the setting up
OF an independent state as a better
means OF securing the desired end.
II the former alternative is selected
it would also seem that the interests
of the City of New York. fnanc;a, and