Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-04-05
HEARINGS STARTED TODAY
ON PORT AUTHORITY PLAN

day. 1t is possible that further ses-
sions will be necessary relative 20
first phase of the work, and If this
is so the Interstate Commerce
Commission will fix the time for
such subsequent hearings. The Put
Authority may call additional hear
ings of its W il circumstances
warrant.
The call for the hearing TO-DAY
was originally issued for March l.,
but owing to an accident to Com
missioner Aitchison of the interstate
Commerce Commission, the date
had to be advanced.
In connection with the Port AL
thority work, J. Spencer Smith, vice
chairman of that organization and
president of the New Jersey Boatd
of Commerce and Navigation spoAe
last night before the New York
League of Business and Professional
Women. His address follows:
THE hearings which the Inter-
state Commerce Commission and the
Port Authority are to begin. Thurs
day really had their birth seven
years ago.
IN 1916 the Board of Commerce
and Navigation of the State of lew
Jersey instituted proceedings before
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion asking that a separate rate zone
be set up for Northern New Jersey
as against New York. The objec-
tive behind this hearing, however,
was not for the purpose of Securing
a separate zone but was brought in
the hopes that by this means a uni
fication of the transportation facili-
ties within the present Port District
might be accomplished.
Some of us in New jersey, prior
to the bringing the suit, had made
oVertures to the authorities in New
York to the end that we might bring
about a u~nification of the rail facili-
ties through cooperation. Both the
commercial as well as the official
interests of New York were cold to
our offers, with the exception of Mr..
Lewis ii. Pounds who Is now q men,
Der of the Port Authority and who
was then the Borough President of
brooklyn, and Mr.. Marcus H. Marks
who was Borough President of Nam
haitian.
The information brought out at
these hearings awakened the COM
mercial interests of New York to the
advisability and wisdom of co-oper-
ating with New Jersey. New Jersey
too was made aware of the benefits
that would rebound to its interests
through closer unity with New York.
1T is interesting to note that at
that period Mr.. Eugenius II. Outer
bridge was President of the Cham
Der of Commerce of the State of
New York, which took a leading
part in opposing New Jerseys ap-
plication before the Interstate Com
merce Commission. lie is now Chair
man of the Port Authority.
In this connection | want TO take
the opportunity of paying a tribute
TO the State of New York Char ber
of Commerce. Its mbership nm
der the leadership of Mr.. Outer
bridge was quick 10 grasp the meas
ure of good that would come to
both New York and New jersey
through cooperation. If it had not
been for the activity of the New
York State Chamber of Commerce
its officers and particularly its sec
rotary, Mr.. Gwynne, | question
whether we could have brought
about the creation of the Port Au-
thority.
ih'It VIII hidiS lIllilSS WHICH
the two States could not do. In
each of these instances all we had to
do was to tell our difficulties to the
Fofficers of the State Chamber and
they Immediately stepped into the
breach.
Another striking illustration as
to the great service they are render.
ing to the public is the meeting they
arranged the other day between the
Chairman of the River & Harbor
Committee in Congress and represen-
~tatives of the press of New York and
New Jersey. The public seem to feel
that moneys appropriated for the de-
velopment of rivers and channels
favor of political pap and that these
moneys are appropriated because of
political influence of members of
Congress. This is a great fallacy
and II that the Chamber of Com
merce is seeking to explode. On the
contrary there is no money appro-
priated by either the Federal or
State governments which brings a
greater return than does the money
appropriated for the development of
our rivers and harbors. Before a
cent of this money is appropriated
or made available, the projects fot
which it is appropriated undergo a
most searching examination and I'M
less they are spurned by men ex-
ceptionally we'll qualified to pass up
IN their merits, they are not even
recommended to congress for Il lop-
ton. If the projects survive the
test to which the Army Engineers
subject them, they still have to win
the approval of congress before the
money is appropriated.
1T is difficult for the board of
army engineers to. present such facts
to the public. Then too, congress
is not called uron to defend itself
but the Chamber of Commerce see
ing the opportunity for rendering a
real public service by educating The
public to the facts, arranged for the
meeting l have just referred to.
julius Henry Cohen, who was tie
leading counsel for the New York
interests is counsel for the Pot
Authority.
1.-THE late b. T. Cresson, Jr., WHO
had aided in preparing New Jersey 8
case as we'll as being its principal
witness was up to the time of mis-
death the chief engineer of TIE
Port Authority.
"Your humble servant was pres
ident of the Board of Commerce ald
Navigation of New Jersey, which IL
stituted the suit on New Jerseys
behalf, and is now vice chairman of
the Port Authority.
1--WE are all today united in fight
ing for a unification of the rail "a
~cilities of the port. We are fighting
for the idea of a united port dis
trict.
Those who in 1916 were leading
the forces in New York and New