The New York herald., 1922-01-10

New York-New Jersey PORT and Harbor
Development Commission for four years.
from 1917 70 1920. inclusive. and has
been before the Legislatures of the two
States repeatedly during that interval.
The Port Authority has intensively
reviewed the work of the former BIZ
State commission. has conducted further
research work, has conferred with prac-
tically every agency. public or private.
whose activities bear any relation to the
subject. with every trade and civic
organization. and with every municipal
authority, willing to confer. within the
port district, and has carefully consid-
cred every plan proposed, every sugges-
tion made and every criticism offered.
Plan Not Perfect.
"The plan now submitted is the re-
suit. II. is not perfect. No plan Of such
magniture ever will be submitted per-
feet in all its details.
ANY plan will be found upon execu-
ton 10 require modification from time
to time. The plan itself contemplates
that. The statute OF the two States and
the compact between them pursuant
thereto expressly provide for it. The
act approving the plan should. like the
of needful changes from time TO time as
the necessity thereof may be developed
in its actual execution.
"The immediate question for consider
alton. the question whose answer should
be decisive Of the action now to he taken
by the Legislatures Of the two States is
whether the plan as q whole is based on
sound Fundamental principles.
Il am persuaded that 1t Is fundamen-
tally sound, not alone from the charac-
ter and ability of the men who have
been intensely studying it for Ave years,
not alone from my own views formed
after considerable study OF It. but
also because OF the practically unani-
nous approval OF it's general principles
by every civic and trade organization
within the 105 municipalities included
within the port district. and because az
ter ample opportunity for the widest
discussion and the most general consid-
Grafton OF 1t there appears to be general
approval OF the plan and opposition only
from a single quarter. and that opposi-
ton entirely Of destructive character
"The statute made it the duty OF the
Port Authority 70 confer with the gov
erning bodies OF all the municipalities
within the port district, Pursuant theret ,
after submitting copies OF the report OF
the bi-State commission to such bodies
the Port Authority invited each OF them
to conferences and requested the benefit
of their criticisms. suggestions and ad.
vice. One such governing body alone de-
clined in any way to cooperate, and that
was the city administration of the city
of New York. 1t refused even to confer
IN spite of the fact that the one mem
Der of the city administration who un-
derstood the subject, the Commissioner
of Docks, had been a member of the BIZ
State commission and had signed the re-
port recommending compact between
the two States and the creation of q
port district and q Port Authority with
adequate powers for the comprehensive
development of the port, and in spite OF
the further fact that the Democratic
State platform In 1920 unequivocally
declared in favor of q compact between
the two States providing for the creation
OF port district and a Port Authority
with adequate powers to develop the pori
comprehensively.
"All agree that there is immediate
pressing, critical need of the comprehen-
sive Improvement of port and terminal
conditions at the port of New York.
"The present facilities have been de-
veloped without plan. largely as mere
eypedients and in such fashion as to Gre
ate rather than TO relieve congestion
No one disputes that they are inadequate
to the prompt handling of the commerce
Of the port and unduly expensive. The
resulting burden of expense and loss
falls upon the commerce of the country
upon consumer and producer alike. for
New York Is the great distributing, re-
ceiving and manufacturing center. That
burden taxes the means of earning q
living and directly adds to the cost OF
living OF the eight million Inhabitants OF
the port district. Every article con-
sumed or manufactured in the district
every article which comes to or passes
through the district pays tribute. Ship
ping Is leaving the port.
Commerce ia seeking other outlets to
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