New-York tribune., 1922-06-04
PotatoEnbargO
Fought Hard by
Port Authority
uv,su's Charge That Officials
Are in League With Roads
70 Shift Terminal Credited
a .PoIitical Ignorance
Hearing Up Tomorrow
psri.habIe Commodities Or
dered TO New Jersey to
prevent Complete Loss

-. Par. Authority. instead Of being
u',,.s- N. proposed embargo By the
,..,.ylvanis Railroad on potatoes for
- :, the New York piers. as
's.--.S by Mayor Hylan and other
.-S,r, Of the Board Of Estimate has
49,. scr three weeks exertinS every
So, 70 prevent such action BY the
'N, 80 A statement issued last night
=, -. Port Authority reviewed the
y ", ,,k.n By that body in negotia-
.'... . with the railroad officials. and
..,,,r,,d that q hearing had been
80 before the Interstate Com
80. Commission in Washington to-
-.,rox to pro,es, against the embargo
s,, southern potatoes. which under
-, terms Of the embargo would De
s.r.,,.s =, the railroads new ter
-,.J card. At Kesrny- n. J., instead
-, pier, % and %, North River"
g., nearly three weeks, the state
-, ,ss,d. the Port Authority has
New eepdssvoring to prevent the en-
-. !, conjunction with the produce
~srebsrts. By providing additional
s,srs whereby the potatoes now COM
;5s in in such quantities might De nan
III IT, vsvor Commissioner O'Mslley
II ~. Dsnartment Of Public Markets,
"a o,b.r city ofhcisls charged that
.ss propossd change Of terminals oy
49, bsnnsvlvsnia was the FIRST step IN
-. ,ebsme Of the Port Authority and
,bs railroads 70 reclaim the Jersey
meadows a. freight terminal IN
adherence 70 New York. Ine Mayor
Fts-.cterized the proposed action OF
~. ,silroad a. "trickery. chlcanery
"a main robbery" against the citizens
~ Nec, York. who be declared would
Se ,Ybisc.sd 10 an added expense OF
over $500 900 a year.
The railroad officials yesterday cred
;,.d .peb statements TO political ig-
sorsnce." They contended that the EN-
b,rxo was a necessary measure 10 re-
N,vs present congestion on the New
York piers and thereby save perishable
food from going bad. They pointed
AM ,bat the loss in spoiled food caused
by the congestion on the piers and the
lsek OF facilities for handling 1t, was
very heavy.
{. !. Leiper. general superintendent
n ths New Jersey division Of the Penn
ylvsnia system. issued statement in
which he said that the railroad had
decided 70 place the embargo on pota-
toes a. the points OF origin beginning
June G. Il should be understood. how.
ever. he declared. that potatoes will
no, be shut of from delivery for New
Yors consumption and that the deiiy-
cry OF other perishables will be faciii-
;atsd By the new arrangements. II
was determined TO place the embargo
on potatoes because they we're the
east perishable food. he said.
Indications are, he said. that the
present heavy volume Of arrivals OF
perishables will continue during the
rsri few weeks and the action contem-
plated by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company will avoid not only conges-
ton Of perishable freight az the New
York piers. but also prevent loss of
'oedstufs and higher costs TO the con-
Igmers resulting from such congestion
NJ. Leiper pointed out that the rail-
iesd last year, foreseeing the eonges,
ion ahead, attempted 10 get additional
,.s accommodations from the city
,ut WAS unsuccessful.