Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-02
the WASHINGTON STREET PROBLEM

Washington street is very much in the limelight these
days. With the grade crossing elimination where the Cen
tral and Lehigh Valley railroads cross and with the proposed
sidngs leading into the plant of the Perth Amboy Dry Dock
Company there is something doing at both ends.
AS far as the waterfront at Washington street is con-
cerned. the opportunity for the city TO do something there
was lost several years ago. 1t is. the same old story, so COM
mon in all municipalities, of ignoring the chances that are
offered until it is too late and then trying to do something
that is impossible or that involves enormous expense.
Washington street would have made an ideal ferry ter
minal. EXCEPT for the problem Of the railroad crossing
which, although being made safer, is not going to be I'M
proved for traffic by the proposed elimination plan. but TO-
dav a ferry at Washington street is impossible. Everybody
who has looked into the matter admits it. There Is not room
in the mere width Of the street to land a ~ferryboat and
property on both sides has passed into private hands and has
been highly developed so that all chances of ever securing
possession of it by the city are gone. Neither is there room
for a municipal dock at the foot Of Washington street, for
there would be no space for the vessel to come up along side.
The lower end Of Washington street being practically
useless to the city, therefore, and The fact that 1t IS sur
rounded by some of our most important industries, ii would
seem to be to the best interest of all concerned to permit the
end of the street to be used to advance the interests of these
industries as much as possible, which, inturn, will benefit
The city.
1t is folly for the city to adopt the dog-in-the-manger
policv. When it is unable to make any use of the street it,
self. it is petty and narrow to refuse to let anyone else make
use of it in a way to be of general advantage.
These large industries, such as the Standard Under
ground Cable Company and the Perth Amboy Dry Dock
Company are big assets to the city. They give employment
10 hundreds of men; they have large pay rolls which mean
money in circulation in this city. They bring business here,
especially the dry docks when ships come to be refitted.
Skilled men are employed at the dry docks and high wages
are paid. If this important concern, Which is now one OF
the largest of its kind on the Atlantic coast, can greatly in
crease its facilities by having railroad tracks laid across
Washington street, and if the end'of the street is useless Tor
any other purpose, it would seem that the best interest OF
the CITY would be served to permit the sidings to be laid.
Why continue to haggle over Washington street. Due
TO the short sighted policy of the city officials in years past,
The opportunity to really do something there in the way OF
municipal development has been lost.
The whole trouble gets back to the lack OF a city plan.
Had Perth Amboy had a city plan several years ago tie
proper development of Washington street would have been
provided for. although the complications at the railroad
crossing would probably prevent the street from becoming
what it ought to be. \ city plan would provide for all the
other problems that are coming up from time to time and IN
stead of laundering about with no,general idea OF what is
hest to do, the officials would be prepared to protect the
city's interest at all time.