Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-01-12
FEDERAL ACTION
ON SHIP CANAL
ACROSS STATE
Move Made to Have Congress
Provide for Building of I'M
portant Link
AMOS RADCLIFFE ACTS
Congressman From Paterson
Asks for Another Survey
and Estimate of Cost

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12-Another
movement to have congress provide
for the building of the New Jersey
link in the Atlantic intracoastal
waterway, from point on the Della
ware river below Trenton to Raritan
bay, has been initiated by the House
rivers and harbors committee.
The committee adopted yesterday
a resolution offered by Representa-
tive Amos Radcliffe of Paterson,
member of the committee, calling
upon the Chief of Engineers. u, S.
Army, to make another survey of the
proposed New Jersey link and to re-
port the approximate cost OF the
project at this time and the advisa-
bility and practicability OF undertak-
ing it now.
In response to request by the
same c0ramittee the engineers in a
report made before the war endorsed
the project and estimated it would
cost about $20,000,000. 81.
On January %, 1920, delegation
of prominent men from New Jersey
interested in this project had a hear
ing before the committee to urge
that the plan be endorsed by con-
gress. At the conclusion of the near
ing the committee called upon the
engineers to report upon the estlmat-
ed cost and advisability of the un-
dertaking. The engineers reported
that it would then cost about $4O,-
100000, and recommended that on
account of the high prices of this
kind of work brought about by war
conditions, it was advisable to walt
until costs of work became again
normal.
No action has been taken in con-
eress in this connection until yeSter-
day when, at the suggestion OF MT.
Radcliffe, another report was re-
ouested of the engineers as TO tne
cost and advisability OF the proJect.
II the engineers should report II
will cost not over S25,00O,9OO ana
recommend in favor of 1t, the COM
mittee will probably report a Dill
to the House pledging congress 10
the carrying out of the project.
The action of the committee yes
terday was taken after former Rep
resentative John III. Small, vice
president of the Atlantic deeper
Waterways Association had appear
ed before the committee and urgsd
that congress undertake the devel-
opment.
Mayor Donnelly, of Trenton, who
is often referred to as the Original
tor OF this plan, has recently taken
steps to have the New Jersey leg
islature provide for the purchase OF
the entire right of way for the pro-
posed canal.
The government Is now working
on the dredging of a twelve foot
channel in the Chesapeake & Del
aware canal, which completes the
twelve foot inside waterway from
Beaufort Inlet to Trenton. The
con. .pletion of the twelve foot chan
mel across New Jersey to Raritan
Bay would complete the circle of in
lane. watrways from Duluth to Chi
cago to Buffalo over the Lakes.
down the New York Barge canal
and Hudson river to New York,
thence down the coast to New Or
leans and back up the Mississippi.
The plans for the New Jersey
canal call for twelve foot inland
waterway from Raritan Bay at a
point near Raritan, to Bordentown,
below Trenton on the Delaware riv-
er, a distance of about thirty-two
miles
The state of New Jersey several
years ago appropriated $1,O00,000
to purchase the right of way for the
canal across Jersey. but made the
expenditure contingent upon the
adoption of the project by the
United States