Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-10-04
FOR THE CITY TO DECIDE

The Board of Aldermen do well to arrange for a confer
with ]. Spercer Smith, president of the State Board OF Com
MERGE and Navigation, to discuss plans for the development OF the
harbor. Perth Amboy has been Indifferent to this great natural
asset long enough. When We see what other cities not nearly SO
advantageoudy situated are doing in the way OF Waterfront I'M
proyement, and what advantage it has been to them, we can get
som idea of what Perth Amboy is losing by neglectng to make
the most of her opportunities.
Farsighted men have realized that the real port development
for Perth Amboy was along the south shore facing the Rartan
river rather than along Staten Island sound, even though the
deep water at present is to be found along the sound shore. front.
The Evening News was looking into the future when it so strongly
urged the city to buy the Gregory property, a valuable water
front tract that was purchased at a price that, although it was criti-
czed at the time the purchase was made, today seems rldlcu-
lousy low. Several other tracts have been added to the citys
holdings since the Gregory purchase, and all the land is extreme
ly valuable today.
But it is folly to let this valuable waterfront lie idle year
after year when the possibilities of utilizing it for producing
revenue are so great. A year or two ago the aldermen went ON
record as favoring the expenditure of one million dollars on the
development Of the waterfront. This is as far as it went, however.
One million dollars spent. in bulkheadng and filling along the river
adjoining the Central railroad, and building warehouses and
wharves would be the greatest investment the city ever made.
At the time the city voted on the one million dollar expen-
diture the late Benjamin F. Cresson, who was consulting engi-
of the State Board of Commerce and Navigation, and who
was also engineer Tor the Fort or New YORK, Authority, came u
this city and looked over the waterfront along the south shore.
He was deeply impressed with the possibilities of development
there. He did not hesitate to say that in that waterfront Perth
lAmboy has one of the finest sites for a port terminal that could.
be found on the Atlantic coast.
There is no question that if Perth Amboy showed the proper
enterprise in this matter, shippers from the west would be glad to
make use of this port to avoid delays and congestion in and about
New York. The Newark meadows, hemmed in as they are with
shallow water and narrow channels, arc being developed along this
line because Newark is willing to spend not one million, but many
millions building up a port there. Perth Amboy, with half the
expenditure, could offer far better facilities for shipping than
Newark will ever be able to offer.
And now is the opportunity. The federal government has
had its attention directed to this port. Engineers have recon-
mended and congress has approved a deeper channel. The money
is available. Here is something laid at our feet that other cities
have clamored for years to get, and for which they would go the
limit now to get. All that is needed is for Perth Amboy to show
some interest and make some move toward developing her water
front in order that the proposed channel may be of some use. 1t may
be years before such an opportunity will come again. The re-
~sponsbi1ty rests with the present Board of Aldermen.
To let this opportunity pass will set the city back ten years
at least. To take advantage of it now will put Perth Amboy on
the map bring a vast amount of shipping here; induce new in
dustries to locate in this vicinity and add to the growth and
prosperity of the city in every way.
1t is a momentous decision that is about to be made. Will
it be for progress or for stagnation?