Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-20
CLARK'S STAND
IS OUTLINED
Requests Publication of Re-
marks Made Before Alder
men in Siding Controversy

Following is a statement made by
Alderman John J. Clark which in
Cludes a speech made by him be-
fore the Board OF Aldermen dur
ing the discussion on the establish
ments of sidings in the Industrial
section of the city. Alderman Clark
statement be published in order
that his stand on the matter may be
thoroughly understood:
ITO the Citizens OF Perth Amboy:
con account of the agitation and
comment relating to the voting away
the property of the city to the STAN
dard Underground Gable Company
and the Perth Amboy Dry Dock
Company aid feeling as though 1t
were expecting too much to have
our local paper publish all the pro-
ceedings of the Board of Aldermen
in toto, / have concluded TO have
put before the public my attitude
on the whole matter so that all who
are interested MAY understand. Fol-
towing are SOME OF the remarks
made by MI at the meeting Of the
Board of Aldermen, May Is, 1922.
II don't want to take up too much
time of this meeting, but l would
IKE ~ DOAIl OuI OHt vi lllG HlloldhtS
made by a previous board. Without
mentioning the name of the manu-
featuring plant in mind. / well re-
member when a request was made
to give to said concern a very valu-
able piece of property fpr the pay
ment, as | remember ii, of some
back taxes which meant the vir-
tual giving away of the property. 1t
was stated at that time that the con-
Germ would give employment TO
thousands of men. The fact is that
same concern has never employed
as many as 500 men on that piece
of property, which is today worth
nearly one million dollars, and by the
way, / read in a report of the Unit
ed States Senate only last week that
this poor same oncer only made
nine hundred per ce-t on its out
put during the war.
II might add that at the time this
piece of property was voted to this
concern l was a member of the CEN
trail labor board of this city and was
ono of a committee of seven VINO
protested to the then Board of AL
dermen not to give away this valu-
able piece of property for nothing.
The reading public can readily see
ll.dl Il HaN0 v NboA6|a AAs
along these lines as the years go by.
AT the meeting of this body under
date of December 30, 1921, 1 de-
livered an address on the matter
of giving concessions TO our manu-
featuring plants and my attitude
has not changed since that time.
Unfortunately the address made
at that meeting was not published in
full, a matter ] a understand for
/ know that it would take UP a great
deal of space. However, / would~;.t
this time request that i be published
in full so that the people will know
that l am not opposed TO our manu-
facturers, but want to point the way
whereby they a get what they
want and in turn The general tax
payer will be somewhat reimbursed
for what they are parting with.
Might / add also at this time that
I do not oppose the laying of tracks
which the Perth Amboy Dry DOCKS
wishes to lay, but / consider it my
duty to call attention TO the peopie
of the city to the fact that the lay
ine of these four tracks will auto
matically take from the city sixty
six feet of water front property val
ued at at least 5000. / don't OPP
pose that, but will insist while in
this body that these ~ncern give
the city at least fifty per cent of the
true value of the properties which
they absorb and then we would De
in position to purchase some OF the
property which is now being adVo-
Gated for park purchases.
l herewith attach my remarks u
the meeting of December 30, 1921.
1T has been limited that in my
stand on this matter 1 am playing
politics. Well, if l wanted to play
politics surely / would take a stand
opposite to that which I take to-
night for you must know that men
who are in politics for political ad-
vancement must look farther than
the ward in which they live or rep
resent.
II am well aware Of the fact that
if / should aspire to higher political
honors I must run at large, and in
that case / would have opposing me
the daily paper of this City which
so heartily supports this application
as well as the strong opposition of
this powerful plant, combined with
the Manufacturers Association, who
woxk quietly. but effectively, for
theN w interests, and who of us
can blame them for looking out for
such interests, and by the same
token it is our duty TO look out for
the city's interest and make the
best bargain possible.
"As it happens, l am not oppos-
ing this matter for political rea-
sons, but / am opposing the laying
of this track on general principal,
and in the interests Of properly
owners in the immediate vicinity,
as well as the Interest Of the general
taxpayer.
Take for instance the property
Immediately north of these plants
hat are situated east Of High street
and north of Buckingham avenue.
Properties that were purchased
years ago by those who wished to
make it their future homes when
the conditions OF reaching their
homes was much more favorable
than it is today. and they lad a per-
feet right TO feel as though the city
fathers would protect their inter-
csts. But we find today property
values decreased in that vicinity on
| account of the many tracks layed
on High street, both in the middle
Of the street, and on the sidewalks,
and now this application for an ad
ditional track which if granted only
adds another blockade to that ter
ritory, and a farther lessening OF the
home real estate values of the
neighborhood that l refer to. Why
don't the manufactures buy the
home properties that l refer to and
then they can make an exclusive
manufacturing district of that par
| tio,,lar farrjforv So that when an