Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-01-21
Would Have Port of New York
Authority Take Over
Proposed Project
NO REFERENDUM VOTE
Both Legislatures Expected to
Favor New Plan-To
Speed Up Work

The proposition of construc-
ting bridge between Perth Am
boy and Tottenville will be
turned over by the states OF New
York and New Jersey to the Port
Of New York Authority, accord
ing to Assemblyman Fred DeVoe,
of New Brunswick Democratic
minority leader in the lower
House, who is in attendance at a
conference in New York City
this afternoon.
The conference was called for
the purpose of discussing the adj
visibility of turning over to the
New York Port Authority the
construction Of the vehicular
tunnel under the Hudson River,
connecting the two states, and
the discussion ON the Amboy-
Tottenville bridge project was
incidental to argument on the
other subject.
Among those attending the con-
ference which was held in the New
York Chamber of Commerce rooms
were: Governor Alfred Smith. OF
New York. and Governor George s.
Silzer, of New Jersey; Senator James
J. Walker and Senator Lusk, ma
jority and minority leaders of the
New York senate; Senators William
H. Bright and Alexander Simpson,
majority and minority leaders of the
New Jersey senate; Assemblymen
Edwin N. McHold and Simon Adler,
speaker and majority leader of the
New York Assem- bly,; Senator Mark
Allen, representing Richmond coun-
ty; Senator Firman M. Reeves, presl-
dent of the New Jersey senate; AS
semblyman Harry G. Eaton, speaker
of the New Jersey assembly and AS
semblyman DeVoe, House minority
leader.
IL the two states decide to place
the entire Perth Amboy-Tottenville
bridge construction matter in the
hands of the Port of New York All
thority it will not be necessary To
have a referendum vote on the part
of the residents of the states to de-
termine whether or not they Iavor
the expenditure of S5.000,0O0 for
the structure. The bonds would not
be state bonds but the Port Authorl-
ty's owns bonds.
It was pointed out during the dis
cussion on this matter today that the
bridge would become reality mucn
sooner than If it was constructed as
an Interstate structure dependent
upon favorable action from botn
legislatures from time to time or
matters connected with the WORK.
According to the opinion OF q
number of those at the conference
the Port Authority already has the
power to take over this work but IN
order to avoid any possible question
OF authority it was unanimously de.
cidedt to have committees appointed
in both legislatures for the purpose
of taking the necessary steps Incl
dental to the project being turned
over to the Port of New York Au'
thority.
Governor Silzer, in his message tt
the legislature, advocated giving the
Port Authority the necessary per-
mission to take charge of the We
hicular tunnel construction WORK
now under way under the Hudson
river. The New Jersey governor also
favored the Port of New York Au'
thority assuming responsibility fol-
the construction of the Perth Am
y-Tottenville bridge.
Although an agreement was reach
ed by the conferees as to the course
to pursue with reference to the
bridge over the Staten Island Sound
the legislators could not come to al
agreement as to the advisability o.
the Port Authority taking over thu
Hudson river tunnel operations ow-
ing to the fact that this work has
reached such an advanced stage.