The New York herald., 1922-01-13
SAYS N. Y. HARBOR'S
FOES GROW IN WEST
Outerbridge Warns Real Es-
tate Men Of Danger Of
Losing More Trade.

Freight congestion at times and high
railroad rates have resulted in wide
spread sentiment throughout the middle
West in favor OF the Great Lakes-St.
Lawrence waterway project and a pro-
portionate antagonism to the interests
OF New York harbor according to a
declaration by Eugenius H. Outerbridge.
chairman OF the Port Authority. at
dinner given last evening in Delmonico's
by the Real Estate Board.
The politica. pressure brought to bear
on Congress for the canalization OF the
ST. Lawrence River had been carried to
ouch an extent, Mr. Outerbridge said,
that New York had been threatened that
if Il opposed the project no appropria-
tions would be granted for harbor and
river development IN this state.
Gov. Allen Of Kansas told group of
engineers at a dinner in New York not
long ago." Mr.. Outerbridge said, that
thousands Of bushels of grain had rotted
on the fields of Kansas because of the
inefficiency of New York harbor. and
the Kansas farmers firmly believe that
their losses were due to the hundreds OF
freight cars tied UP In the yards here
In urging some form of relief the port
chairman stated that New York had lost
its great cotton and tobacco export
business and was in danger of
rapidly losing the grain export
trade. when this is gone" he said,
1--WE will lose the ships also, and then
we will be In the position of sending
our products To other ports for export"
Statistics showing n decline OF ap-
proximately 90 per cent in export bust
ness during the last six years were cited
by the speaker as an indication of the
decline of New York as a great trans
atlantic port. He urged the immediate
abortion Of some plan remedying these
conditions by the present Legislature,
not necessarily the comprehensive plan
formulated by the Port Authority, but
some program that will afford meas
ure OF relief TO the congested situation.
He added:
at is up 10 the people of New York
now TO make II known 10 the Legislature
that they demand relief at this session.
The Legislature has the power TO md
ont the facts and what support Is behind
this plan. and let IL decide what Is best
and then act upon it at once. These
mans have been gone over with scores
Of civic committees OF all kinds, and in
dorsenents of Ii have been returned TO
us by the DOZENS"
In response to an inquiry about the
method of financing the harbor develop
ment proposed by the Port AUTHORITY
and particularly the expense OF the
freight tunnel. Julius Henry Cohen
counsel to the body, replied that the
Port Authority, as public corporation
could raise money by Issuing securities
at tax exempt rates. to be amoruzed
out of the revenue of the service.
"Ths great saving In the cost OF trans
portation under the new plan" said Mr.
Cohen. 'would be sufficient TO create
sinking funds to amortlze any bonds
that the Port Authority may issue. The
bonds will be sold to the public on the
security OF the revcnue TO be derived
from the property, and they could be
sold Just as fast as the public appre-
ciates the economic features of the prof.
ect IL Is an immense public utility
controlled by the legislative bodies OF
the two States. and operated not for
profit but for the benefit of the port
district as we'll as the entire nation"
Arthur S. Tuttle, chief engineer OF
the Board of Estimate. declared at
meeting of the Brooklyn Engineers
Club at III Remsen street Brooklyn.
last night that if the Greenville Tunnel
as proposed by the Port Authority were
actually constructed, Il would prove
serious menace TO the Narrows tunnel
project His objection was that there
was insufficient traffic 10 support Two
such tunnels. and suggested that II the
Narrows tunnel were put forward at
once. It would always be threatened
with a competing route that might Grip
pie II financially.