Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-14
NEWARK HEARS
PORT ADDRESS
]. Spencer Smith Explains
Plan of PORT Development
Now Under Consideration

j. Spencer Smith, vice chairman
of the Port of New York Authority,
and chairman of the New Jersey
Board of Commerce and Navigation,
last night MADE an address on the
subject of port development before
a large audience consisting of the
Newark Public School Principals
Association and the public in the
Robert Treat School auditorium at
Newark. The plans for the develop
ment of the Port of New York and
Newark, which have been the sub
ject of study for the past five years,
were outlined by Mr.. Smith and four
reels of motion pictures were shown.
Another speaker was Dewitt Van
Buskirk.
Mr.. Smith said In part:
when one talks about ports,
thoughts are apt to turn to ships.
When we speak of the port of New
York, we must enlarge vision If
we are to have a true prospectus OF
the problems involved. There are
many factors entering into the port
of New York problem.
I'VE are not only concerned. about
the facilities for handling the ire
mendous export and import business
| passing in and out of the port out
we have to keep in mind the neces-
sity for providing facilities of the
feeding, clothing and housing of
eight millions of people. This means
that the port of New York problem
directly affects you and me. and ev-
Grey other man, woman and child
living within the port district or
within a distance of fifty miles of
New York city hall.
I'm order to ecure some under-
standing of this big problem, one
must appreciate hat Manhattan Is
land is the centre and heart of the
port. Until we s%traighten out the
centre and have 1t functioning as it
should, we can make little Roadway
| person very little, if any good to
develop the muscles of his body if
his heart is weak or not working
normally so it is with the port of
New York problem.
The freight destined for Man
haitian must flow freely without in
terruption and upon q lower basis of
cost If we are to be successful in
solving u problem.
1T may interest you to know that
about one-third of the food and
other items that enter into Jul daily
lives return to us from New York.
The question has been asked by
folks living in Paterson, Newark,
Perth Amboy and other spots. Just
how does the solution of the port
problem affect us?' The answer is
a direct me-. Manhattan is the pri-
mary market for the metropolitan
district. Anything that reduces costs
and improves the facilities of Man
haitian directly rebounds in our ia
vor, no matter where we live within
the potr district. Indirectly, when
the Manhattan tonnage has been
cared for, it will be a simple mat
ter to bring about local improve
ments.
Someone has said we should &c at
the problem piecemeal. Unfortunate
ly. this cannot be done in the usually
accepted of the word. We have
to make a complete job when we try
to rectify the heart. 1t has to be
right if the balance of the body Is to
be sound and develop properly. Com
merce does not care for state lines
any more than do rivers and water
ways. Business. like water, finds its
own level. This va a fact hat had
to be recognized. With the %recogni-
ton of this fact came the consumma-
ton of the treaty or compact be-
tween New York and New Jersey,
not for the purpose of creating a SUI
per-state but in order hat an agency
might be created which could handle
the coordination of the rail and
water arteries serving the CONNER