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REAL ESTATE
AND
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 24, 1914
I A SETTLED PLAN FOR PORT DEVELOPMENT I
I Why Local Freight Terminal Projects Have Failed—A Port Com-
â– mission To Study the Transportation Needs of the Entire Harbor
IF the City of New York is ready to
consider the subject of port develop¬
ment, if an arrangement is possible with
the railroads by which the cost of re¬
organizing the facilities of the port will
not fall upon the taxpayers, then the
actual work should be entered upon only
when a general plan for the entire
port has been devised after a careful
study of conditions. This seems to be
the opinion which the city authorities
are coming to, according to the latest
report.
Various schemes and plans have been
proposed from time to time. The city,
the New York Central Railroad, citizens'
associations and others have originated
them. Not one has won support from
those whose interests are directly af¬
fected thereby. It is essential, of course,
that the plan should meet the needs of
the transportation lines, if the transpor-
lifework. Speaking this week in his per¬
sonal capacity and not for the associa¬
tion, Mr. Molitor said he was firmly of
the opinion that a plan desip^ned to take
care of a small area or unit of the port
may be prepared only after an intelli¬
gent review of the conditions concern¬
ing the entire port. As a result of the
recommendation of the committee, the
Merchants' Association had formally
recommended to the Mayor the appoint¬
ment of a Port of New York Commis¬
sion, composed of three expert engi¬
neers. This commission would be
charged only with the authority to pre¬
pare a comprehensive plan of the en¬
tire port of New York. This plan,
when completed, would be submitted to
the city authorities, and if approved, no
work would be permitted within the
area of the plan unless intended as a
unit toward the whole.
City of New York which would result
in a plan for reducing the unit cost of
the handling of freight,
"Such a man as Colonel Goethals, for
instance, would make an admirable
chairman of such a commission. In a
word, the commission should be such
a commission as those which made pos¬
sible the great terminal and transpor¬
tation plants at Hamburg, Liverpool
and London. I have in mind a prece¬
dent for our suggestion in the case of
Chicago, which is now about to un¬
dertake the solution of its terminal
problem through means similar to those
we suggest."
The plan for the commission has not
only been recommended to the Mayor
I)y the Merchant's Association, but
has been endorsed by the New York
Chamber of Commerce as well. The
Jersey City Chamber of Commerce has
A STUDY FOR A MUNICIPAL FOODSTUFF MARKET AT .50TH STREET AND NORTH RIVER.
tation lines are to follow the new plan
and pay, first or last, for the new facili¬
ties.
It has been the study lately of the
Committee on Harbors, Docks and Ter¬
minals of the Merchants' Association,
and particularly of a sub-committee
thereof, to ascertain the reasons that
have prompted the great transportation
companies and others to disapprove of
every v^an. The committee found that
the plans that proposed to change
conditions in this port were applicable
only to a unit, or a small area, of the
port, and that they failed of accomp¬
lishment because of their impracticabil¬
ity, particularly in the details of ope¬
ration.
The chairman of the sub-committee
is F. A. Molitor, of 35 Nassau street, a
transportation engineer of note, who is
now in private practice. Solving en¬
gineering problems for railroads is his
"This commission would hold hear¬
ings at which all transportation and
shipping interests would have an oppor¬
tunity of expressing their views," said
Mr. Molitor. "The facts deduced would
be used by the commission in the prep¬
aration of its plan and report.
"Besides this the commissioners would
prepare statistics of all freight traffic,
showing commodities, destination and
other details that would enable them to
ol)tain a correct perspective of the large
merchandise movement in and out of
New York, and also make a study of the
conditions afifecting the food supplies
of our great city. Such a commission
of experts would secure information not
heretofore accessible. From all these
facts with their own experience the
members of the commission would be
enabled to draw a picture of the trans¬
portation conditions of the Port and
been asked to co-operate. About two
years would be required for the prepara¬
tion of the plan.
Latest Terminal Plan.
The latest terminal plan that has been
suggested to the Board of Estimate
comes from Lindon Bates, Jr., of 71
Broadway, an engineer. The plan, or
rather project, is for a foodstuflf ter¬
minal to be established by the City of
New York on the VVest Side, at the foot
of 59th street, immediately below the
New York Central yards. A prelim¬
inary study is shown in the annexed
drawing. Only the elements of the
plan have been decided. The land is
now occupied by the Union Stock Yards
and Market Company and would have
to be taken by condemnation proceed¬
ings. No estimate of the cost has been
made.