Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-03
ARE WE GETTING ANYWHERE?

to the Board of Aldermen Monday night. This letter accom-
panied his veto of the resolution engaging special counsel
to carry to the supreme court the decision of the Public
Utility Commission granting permission to the Lehigh Valley
Railroad Company to lay sidings across the foot OF Wash
ington street. The mayor got right down to the root OF the
whole matter when he declared that he was in favor of as
sisting the industries. This is the proper attitude for all Of
icials of an industrial city to take.
The leader of the opposition to these sidings across
Washington street seems to be Alderman Waters. His at.
titude can hardly be said TO be consistent. Because oil Al
derman Waters's responsible position with the Standard
Underground Cable Company it is natural to suppose that he,
also, is in favor of assisting the industries. In fact, when the
cable WORKS was pehtioning for a railroad siding on High
street Alderman Waters was decidedly in favor OF assisting
the Industries and was one of the leaders in the fight to have.
The desired permission granted. lie argued with consider
able force that this siding was needed 10 help the cable
works expand thereby greatly benefting the city as a whole.
When another industry in the immediate vicinity OF the
cable works asks for similar accommodations in order that
it, too, might expand and thereby benefit the city as a whole,
we find Alderman Waters's attitude changed entirely and lie
is ready to spend the taxpayers money freely in order to
block the project.
This contradictory attitude on the part of Alderman
Waters in which he is all for the industries when the cable
works are concerned and all against the industries when an
other plant close by is to be benefited, is causing no little
comment.
The mayor in his letter points out the way to settle
me ferry agitation as far as Washington street is concerned.
There is no reason why the city should hold that franchise
open forever. Let the holder OF the franchise be notnied
that unless the ferry is established within a reasonable timc
the franchise will be revoked. Persons who have made a
study of the situation insist that there is not room enough III
the width of the street to operate a ferry at Washington
street. The ferry agitation, however, is used as an argu-
ment to prevent any other development at that point. The
matter can easily be settled if the Board OF Aldermen really
want to settle it.
In the meantime an important industry, one that EN-
ploys a large percentage of skilled labor with a correspond
ingly large pay roll that is of decided benefit TO the mer-
chants in the city, is being handicapped In It's development
incidentally, other important industries located south Of
lilo t,aot NM o1n hoip Or 6nnpIyp1 n II he A6VantaQeSI
that adequate railroad facilities afford.
This is a very short sighted policy on the part OF the
aldermen. The industries here are trying hard to get theic
plants in operation on a profitable basis. Many of them have
suffered severe losses during the past year. AS business be-
gins to improve the competition is keen. In the light TO get
what business there is labor is feeling the pinch for when
the cost of production is to be reduced wages naturally come
down, and the plant that can operate the cheapest is the
plant that will get the business.
1t follows, therefore, that the more facilities the factory
has and the greater efficiency there is in operating the bel
ter able the plant is to bid low and secure the business. The
city can do its part, therefore, by doing everything within
reason to make il possible for the industries here to operate
with as little expense as possible, granting them every IA
cIity that will help them reduce the cost of production So
that it will be possible, perhaps, to maintain a higher scale
of wages.
The prosperity of Perth Amboy depends on the pros
xperity of the industries located here and their prosperity, in
turn, depends on their ability to successfully compete with
industries elsewhere Much of this ability to COM
pete with industries elsewhere depends on the kind o.
co-operation that the industries receive from the city in
which they are located.
This is where the Board of Aldermen can do their part
Perth Amboy is an industrial city. Nine-tenths of her peo-
fple are employed in the plants in this vicinity. Plenty of
business means plenty of work. Business can be secured
these days only by keeping operating expenses down to the
bone. The efficient handling of the raw materials and the
finished product has a great deal to do with keeping down
Expenses and this is where adequate railroad siding facil.-
lies come in. Alderman Waters along with the majority OF
The aldermen realized this last year when they voted in ia
vor Of the cable works siding on High street. Why does the
Esituation become so different when the dry docks and the
chemical works ask for similar accommodations?
BY employing special counsel to oppose the efforts OF
<fhe industries to increase their facilities and thereby help
them secure more business to give work to Perth Amboy la
Ebor the aldermen are not only spending the taxpayers money
reoklessly, but they are deliberately doing everything In
hair power to prevent prosperity returning TO local indus
80 thereby delaying the return Of good business for the
- uerohauts.