The New York herald., 1922-11-27
The Port Authority Plans.
Present Stage Of the Negotiations
With the Railroads.

To THE NEW YORK HERALp. . In refer-
encc to the letter signed III. 3. F."
printed in your paper under the cap
ton "The Port Authority; Reason OF
the Failure of the Trunk Lines to CO.
operate With It." It seems necessary to
make reply in order to avoid misap-
prehension as to the situation with rela-
ton to the Port Authority plan which
exists to-day.
1t is clear that III. B. F." is not fully
informed concerning the plans OF the
Port Authority or the negotiations and
conferences which have been conducted
by that body. These plans contemplate
a progressive unification Of terminal
facilities In the port. making use of ex-
listing facilities 50 far as possible.
"H. Il. F." says that IL is important
to unity the New Jersey terminals. that
the railroads did not oppose the general
idea Of unifcation and classification.
These are the first definite steps that
the Port Authority has asked tho rail-
roads TO take, and II is their delay
and hesitation in agreeing even to this
step which ,Governor-elect Smith COM
planned OF.
The plan involves also railroad water
front and belt lines In all sections OF
the port district for the purpose OF
bringing cars OF all railroads to all sec
tlons CT the port with tunnel AFFORD
ing a direct route linking the east and
west sides OF the harbor.
The, automatic electric railroad SER
vice for Manhattan is but one part of
the whole plan. That project is for tho
service OF Manhattan. and on account
OF the physical conditions on the island,
on account OF the character. volume
and growth OF business. this system
was determined to be the best that had
been propoeed. taking all factors into
consideration.
The railroads. ;hrc ugh their exocu-
tives or through their engineers, nave
not been asked to agree to the installa-
ton at the present time of the auto
matte electric railroad for Manhattan
service. II Is true that this project has
been discussed In great detail with the
chief engineers OF all tho railroads. and
every question that they raised about
IL was answered. They were asked IL
they had any suggestions to make as
20 any other way to solve the Manhat-
tan railroad freight problem and so far
they have suggested nothing.
That leaves the situation on the Man
haitian waterfront getting progressively
worse year after year as the railroad
business increases.
Last spring one OF the railroads, on
the plea of inadequacy of terminal ia
cilties on Manhattan, told the people
that II would not deliver potatoes d.
rectIy TO Manhattan freight stations. as
Il had always done In the past. but
that the supply of potatoes for the east
erly as well as all sections of the port
must be secured from railroad cars on
the Kearny meadows. four miles west
of the Hudson River. Mt the New York
rate, which previously had meant deliv-
cry into the Manhattan market: an
economy to the railroad, no doubt. but
how about the cost for the additional
ive miles Of trucking and the ferriage? 4?
That must be added to the price the
people pay.
The automatic electric railroad In
wolves no untried machinery or devices
or operations. AS planned 1t can handle
the present type Of railroad freight
cars, and It can deliver therefore any