Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-12-11

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 11.-Port
planning as a separate science apart
from engineering was outlined here
yesterday by j. Spencer Smith, of
Tenahy. n. j.. president of the New
Jersey STAG Boald of Commerce and
Navigation, speaking before the an
nual meeting of the American Asso-
citation of Port Authorities.
Mr.. Smith, in developing his theme
declared that port planning en-
braced much more than the mere
building Of docks and piers by a civil
engineer. He stated that an efficient
port architect must be able to pro-
duce from a chaotic system of motor
truck, railroad and water transport
~tation, a harmonized whole, wherein
every means of transportation will
serve every other means of COM
m~unication.
New Jersey is being represented
at the meeting of the National Port
~ucirvfries by w. Parker Runyon of
Perth Amboy, E. w. McCrea of Jer-
sey City, and j. Spencer Smith of
Tenafly, who spoke yesterday on port
planning.
Mr.. Smiths address follows:
THAT port planning Is a science
cannot be controverted If one will
but undertake to study all the fac
tors and elements that are embraced
in the word port
Modern transportation facilities
require hal the term port shall
that serves the commerce of a city
that serve he of a ely
or community. The Interpretation
heretofore placed upon the word
port is altogether too narrow to
serve present day needs and require
ments.
Those entrusted with the care
and development of our ports are
Usually public officials who hold sp-
polntments for a brief period and
whose conception of a port usually
Is a waterfront capable of accom-
modating itself to the needs of COM
merce provided piers or bulkheads
are built upon the same. They select
an engineer because to their minds
he is the proper one to lay out the
development and design the struc-
lures.
"Of course an engineer is required
for this specific work but no en-
gineer, no matter how brilliant he
may be, is capable of laying out q
development or creating a design
OF the structures unless he is thor
oughly familiar with the problem in
hand and unless he has made a study
OF the science of port planning. |
would be so cold as to say that he
would not know how to set about
his task, nor would experience teach
him the talents he must call upon in
order not only to do justice to him
sci: but TO properly serve those who
have commissioned him.
1.-THE architect or designer of a
port today must call to his aid MEM
tGrs of the legal and engineering
professions, who have been trained
in the art of transportation in its
broad sense, who know the ms and
outs of railroad operations and are
familiar with marine transportation
operations. together with a knowl-
edge of the proper use of the rapidly
increasing motor truck traffic, so
that this may function as a relief to
the first and an easy connecting link
to the latter. This one important
factor appearing only recently in the
esfield but now an acknowledge car-
rier of prominence in Jul transpor-
tation system through the construc-
ton of our modern road systems,
NAMES ltit PIODlSLi IilOI6 npll
ed and hence requires expert hand
ling for proper terminal layouts. He
must receive assistance from those
who have studied the requirements
Of business, without which no pro-
ject can be successfully initiated or
financed.
"While I have used the expression
the architect of a port, I have not
-. - II ~ .1fozrfA.o = a..
which the word architect is used,
but rather as one who forms and
designs. The science of port plan
ming is a new art and because of its
very newne 1t has not as yet been
established as a profession.
"Engineering is feature of
port planning. The legal side of the
problem is another phase of the
question. The laws and rules GOV
ering the operation of the water
front and the proper adaptation OF
terminal facilities nay not be APP
plicable to any other feature of the
life of the community. These prob
lens call for special knowledge, and
they to a more or less degree must
adjust themselves to what other
communities are doing not only in
our own country but in other lands.
This is one reason why the knowl-
edge of one who has specialized In
the law governing waterfront ter