Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-17

the teclllCdl points o law TIL Clt. SuhtISs fdluoDiO thh'
is taken up by petty stuff while the big affairs of the city are
neglected. Instead of acting like a dignified body of serious
men handling the business of a great municipality the alder
men are furnishing the city with a weekly sideshow per
Torrance that would be more entertaining and amusing to
the people than any vaudeville that could be staged were
it not for the effect it all has on the tax rate and the progress
of the city generally.
And the industries, which furnish The life blood for the
ommunity, are the goat. After a business depression of a
year or more when industry of every description has been
flat on its back suffering enormous losses, it is most dis
heartening to have a municipality that depends so absolutely
on industrial prosperity TO. its existence, play the part of an
obstructionist and do everything it can to hinder and handi =
cap these large concerns when they are just struggling to
get on their feet once more. These industries have a righ!
to look for help and cooperation from the city government
which draws so much of its revenue from them.
1t is a very childish game that the aldermen are playing
at the present time. There are some men in the board cap
able of real leadership if they could but rise to the occasion.
And the occasion is there waiting for the right man to take
hold OF it and do something worth while.
If Alderman Waters could stop fighting with his
colleague from the fifth ward and use some of his ability for
the advancement of the city's interest he could be Of great
service to all. He has the standing in the community and
he has the ability. Up until this year he has been a minority
member. With the change in the political complexion OF
the board his opportunity arrived. Thus far, however, he
has pcen a disappointment. Much of the time at every meet
ing of the aldermen is taken up with verbal clashes between
Alderman Waters and Alderman Clark with personalities and
all kinds of petty stuff INDUCED in that only make them ap-
pear ridiculous.
Alderman Waters explains his attitude in regard to the
railroad sidings wherein he favors the siding for the cable
works, but fights the siding for the ~drydocks by saying that
he wants the chemical works to get accommodations along
with the others. This is a perfectly reasonable position
Railroad accommodations for the chemicals are highly de-
sirable and that enormous concern ought, by all means, to
have every facility that the city can give it to add to its
prosperity.
But thus far Alderman Waterss work along that line
has been destructive rather than constructive. He is using
all his power, as far as getting a railroad siding across Wash
inpton street is concerned, to defeat that purpose rather than
accomplish it. Merely fighting the ~drydocks in their effort
TO secure such accommodation as they deem necessary FOR
their prosperity will never secure railroad accommodation
for the chemical works.
Of course. underneath this whole matter is the idea of
a city plan. A city plan carefully worked out would see that
all these industries had the accommodations that they need
with the least detriment TO the public. But lacking a city
plan, could not the city engineer bring i'll a plan for a de-
velopment along the waterfront in the vicinity of Washing
ton and Fayette streets that would help solve this matter?
We cannot see what possible harm a track along Front street
from Washington street south to the chemical plant would
do. Whether the drydocks get their four tracks or not this
proposition might be put through. This siding might be
made TO serve all the industries in that locality including the
drydocks, and would enhance the value of any other prop
erty there for industrial purposes.
Incidentally, if it was deemed advisable to give the
drvdocks the four tracks they ask for, and there is reason
ia believe that the advantage in so doing would greatly off
set the disadvantages, it would really make little difference
to the public where there were four or five tracks. across
Washington street. When such a number is considered one
track more or less means nothing. But as all seem to admit
that at least one track is desirable, why not do something
toward putting it across? That, at least, would be con-
structiye work rather than the present obstructive methods.
But the point is to do something rather than waste more
lime pickering over petty things The fact that Alderman
Clark failed to geta second for his resolution regarding the
action of the city attorney in the cable works siding matter
would indicate this he has fired his bolt. Mr.. Clark admits
that he will continue to fight every movement along this line.
Mr.. Clark is sometimes right and Mr.. Clark is some
hines wrong. All cannot think alike and, being a member
az the Board OF Aldermen, he is entitled to his say and he
will doubtless vote according to his convictions. But if he
Il pot sustained by the rest of the board, why not proceed
with the work at hand?
Perth Amboy can stand a lot of boosting just at this
lime. Naturally. the people look to the Board of Aldermen
% lead. The petty stuff the aldermen are now handing o.
seems to set the pace for the whole city. 1t is getting us
noWhere.