Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-15
PERTH AMBoY AND THE WATERWAYS

waterways are being discussed there should be a represen-
tative of this city talking Perth Amboy all the time. The
Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association is now in session
at Portland, Maine. All the important cities on the Atlantic
seaboard are represented-all but Perth Amboy. While it
is true that one or two men from this city are present, they
are not there as representing Perth Amboy. SO far as known,
Perth Amboy as a municipality took no notice whatever of
the session.
How different it is in the case of Newark, for instance.
That thoroughly alive municipality is represented not only
by delegates from civic organizations, but the mayor and sew
eral of the city commissioners are also inattendance. New
ark delegates went to the convention determined to have
next years meeting held in that city. They put up a hard
fight, but lost out to Norfolk, Va. But the Newark delegates
have not yet given up and are likely to carry The light to the
floor Of the convention.
The point to be emphasized is that other cities that have
ANYTHING like a harbor are wide awake looking after their
interests. Perth Amboy, apparently, is INDECENT and indif-
ferent. Yet, there is not a city anywhere from Maine to
Florida that has better natural advantages or is more favor
ably situated for port development than Perth Amboy. Here
we find it difficult to do anything because Of the debt limit.
We fuddle along year after year lowering close to the edge
all the time, accomplishing nothing of any great Importance
because we say we can't. But cant never accomplished
anything. The way to escape the debt limit is to bring new
business and industry here so as to increase the ratables
and give the city a greater margin TO work on. Nothlhg
succeeds like success.
\ A real interest in harbor development, requiring spe-
cial legislation, perhaps, to develop the waterfront along
modern lines, but actually making a real port here, would
do more to build up the city and make it grow than anything
that could be thought of. The million dollar project launch
ed a year ago, but which has since been lost sight OF, ap-
parently, was along the right line. Something of that kind
would put Perth Amboy on its feet. The amount is a mere
bagatelle when compared with what other cities are spend
ing on their harbors, but it would start things going and 1t
would mean the beginning of a boom for Perth Amboy That
would cause the city to forge ahead as never before. But
as long as we remain afraid of big projects and putter along
from hand to mouth each year, we are not going to get any
where.
There is the matter of a free port" Somewhere
within the port of New York as now constituted, there IS
ooino IN he q section set aDart as q free zone. Inc Pefln
Amboy Board of Trade and the Raritan Terminal and Water
wavs Association are on record as favoring the location OF
atfree zone on the south shore of Rarltan bay. Inc Even
ing News has, on several OCCASIONS, clted numerous do' W
show that this would be an ideal location.
In this connection it is interesting to note that the pro-
sion for the establishment of free ports" which was IN
Guided in the new tariff bill has been eliminated. upon
hearing of this fact Director Raymond of Newark, sent tele-
grams to the New Jersey representatives in congress urging
that the provision be restored and that Legislation be passed
providing for a free trade zone at Port Newark.
This is what might be called real enterprise. Newark,
situated on the narrow, dirty Passaic river, with only a shall
low, land locked bay for development, is overcoming all
difficulties and making for herself a real seaport. What
Newark would do if she had the advantages that Perth Am
how Possesses can only be imagined, but 1T is safe to say the
enterprising people there would not remain idle and indlf-
ferent. which seems to be the attitude of the people of Perth
Amboy at the present time.
In Europe there are numerous free ports" Being a
.free mort, is what has made Hamburg and Copenhagen the
wonderful ports that they are. Only this week 1t was an
nounced that the free port of Gothenburg will be IN opera
ton early in the fall. GothenDurS is IN OWeueh alu mdhlnS
IL . Stree port means that a new duty-free way station for
shipping TO Scandinavia, the Baltic states and Russia will be
established.
The new docking facilities at Gothenburg, according
To a dispatch published in the New York Tribune, consists
of a large basin 600 by $50 feet, and another basin $50 by
100 feet. A fve-story concrete warehouse with a floor
space of more than 81 900 square feet has been erected and
is dmipped with up-to-date electric cranes and other devices
for facilitating the taking on or discharging of cargo.
The advantages of establishing a free zone" within
The Port of New York on the south shore of Raritan bay are
many. But with Newark, Elizabeth, Jamaica Bay and other
places also after it, those interested in the Raritan bay site
have got to be on the alert.
Perth Amboy, in particular, ought to be exceedingly
active in all matters pertaining to waterways. 1t is the only
wav the city can ever get ahead. Why not, then, make
syisit Perth Amboy Day'-the day when the United States
Marine Band entertains-an occasion for reviving the citys
interest in this all-important development project? 1t is
the big thing for the city to do.