Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-08-23
DRASTIC MOVE
ON WATERWAY
Industrial Association to
Lead Concerted Action to
Get Deeper Channel
CAMPAIGN Is PLANNED
Want Big Gathering at Hear
ing-0ther Means of Agl-
tation Planned
CAMPAIGN IS PLANNED

The Board of Engineers of Rivers
and Harbors, has set November /,
as the date for a hearing on the
deepening of the channel in Raritan
river from a point near the Great
Beds Light to a point 400 feet above
the New York & Long Branch rail-
road bridge, according to an an
nouncement from the Industrial As
sociation today. The hearing will be
held in the custom house in New
York and efforts will be made at
once to have many representatives
from this section of the state pres
ent. An effort will be made to con-
vince the engineers of the necessity
of going ahead with the work, which
they hold the character and amount
of traffic involved does not appear
to justify at this time.
Although it was generally believ-
ed the chances of having the river
deepened were small after the report
from the engineers was received, at
the present time it is declared that
everything looks favorable for the
deepening of the channel and much
data is being gathered by the Rar-
itan Terminal and Waterways AS
sociation, as well as other CIVIC
bodies, showing the large amount OF
traffic using the river and the great
necessity for the improvement which
has been recommended by the dis
trict engineer.
Not only are the organizations OF
Middlesex county fully awake to the
fact that no stone must be left un-
turned in proving to the engineers
xaoaccitv for tho work. but the
State Board of Commerce and Navi-
CATION has also taken an interest in
the project and will take up the mat
ter at a meeting to be held between
now and September 5, at which
time arguments for the deepening
of the channel will be made to the
engineers on the part of the state.
Several suggestions are being con-
sidered in order to bring the matter
to the attention H the general pub
lie and have every citizen back the
demand that the channel be deep
ened. At the present time the plln
receiving the most consideration
and the one which in all probability
will be adopted is that of circulating
petitions in the care of the alder
men in the various stores in the diff
ferent wards of the city and the
printing of a personal petition In
the Evening News, the same TO pe
signed and mailed to the Evening
News Office by those 1Aho desire to
make themselves heard in the mat
ter.
It is believed that a more thor
ough expression of public opinion
might be obtained in this way than
bv holding public meeting at
which probably 1000 people might
be present and which would have
but little influence on the engineers
while the petitions signed by thou
sands of persons from this city and
other sections of the county would
give those attending the hearing an
expression of the citizens as to what
they desire the government to 90
in the matter.
Communications have been ad-
dressed to all the industries in this
section of the county requesting them
to submit data concerning shipments
to an from their plants which may
prove valuable in presenting the ar
guments before the engineers at the
meeting on November 1. To date,
according to Secretary Oliver X.
Hatfield of the Industrial Association
this information has proven of a
startling character. In fact the ship
ments made to and from this pojft
are constantly increasing and }the
question of increasing them to still
larger proportions lies entirely with
the deepening of the chan1Sel $40 that
larger craft may dock here.