Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-12-11
Port Planning Outlined
I'm Detail BY Mr.. Smith

minal developments must be obtain
ed.
"Then comes the railroad terminal
problem, and its proper co-ordina-
ton with the waterfront facilities
and the needs of the community it
self. Then the need for serving the
transitory business through the port
that does not come in contact with
either of the other. Then the CO.
ordination of all these services. This
is no small task as can we'll be mag
ined, yet it is all very vital to the
welfare and growth of any commu-
nifty.
after the various experts get
through telling what they would
like, providing they were allowed
free scope to their imaginations as
we'll as their ideas, come the hard
headed, cold, practical business in
terests who say hat they are in COM
petition with all the ports and mar
kets of the world. They are very
apt to say that facilities must adjust
themselves to the needs of business,
rather than business adjusting itself
to the demands of the physical oper-
ations Is some n would like to de-
sign them.
Inc SClelilllC put PiahhSA
know how to harmonic all these
elements. throw them into the cruel
bile as II were and bring out of chaos
a unit that will function and serve
the needs of the community not only
for the immediate present but for
the future as well.
HE must possess the power OF
visualizing the growth of the COM
munity for at least a hundred or
more years ahead. His plans Will
be of very little value unless they are
so designed that they will permit OF
unlimited expansion without causing
congestion or added costs because or
the increased volume of business.
at is very plain that no n plan
or no one design would accommo-
date itself to different cities n
various communities, each port pre-
sents a problem of its own. I've
principle of scientific port planning,
however, applies to n and all,
whether it be a city on a naVigable
river or upon an arm of the sea or
upon the Great Lakes or upon the
very ocean itself.
1.-The problem of port planning In
America, when I use the term port
am not thinking of a city on the
coast such as New York or Los
Angeles or San Diego, but 1 have in
mind any community that Is located
upon a navigable stream and mas
railroad service and that has high
ways radiating out from 1t. This Is
not an easy problem, ecaus in
| every instance you have to deal with
present day conditions and 1t Is al
ways difficult to remodel and pulld
up something upon an old
ton, and this is particularly true
where the pattern to a more or less
exten has been already woven.
These are some of the many reasons
why the scientist is needed in deal
ing with this important question.
eff you will take the trouble to
look up the definition of scientist
you will find it is 'one skilled in. or
| devoted to science, and if you look
up the word science, you will find
it means Acknowledged truths and
laws, especially as demonstrated by
induction, experiment, or observa-
tom; systematized knowledge of any
one department of mind or matter
In other words, unless n Is thor
| oughly versed in all the elements
q 4 IatlOA lIio 81 ~
successful port, he cannot properly
lay out or plan the development of a
port. This fact should be instilled
into the minds of public officials who
are temporarily in charge of our
ports. The carrying out of theoreti-
cal ideas, which some port official
may happen to develop while tenn
porarily clothed with power, usually
results in increased taxes for the
community to bear and sometimes
serves as a barrier to the growth Of
the community because it prevents
the construction of the real charac-
ter and class of facilities that are
actually required.
'If 1 may be pardoned a personal
illustration as to how public officials
should go about the development of
a port, 1 would refer to the city of
Wilmington, Delaware. The mayor
and council appointed as harbor