BRIDGE ACROSS THE HUDSON RIVER AT NEW YORK CITY TO BE CONSTRUCTED BY NORTH RIVER BRIDGE CO.

COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Thursday, June 15, 1922.

The committee met at 10.20 o'clock a. m., Hon. Samuel E. Winslow (chairman) presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection or prejudice, we will proceed to consider Senate bill 2799, commonly referred to as the North River Bridge Co. bill, for the construction of a bridge and approaches at New York City across the Hudson River. Mr. Ackerman from New Jersey has been more active than anybody else in presenting this matter before the committee. The chairman will take the liberty of introducing Mr. Ackerman to state his case and introduce such witnesses as he chooses. The only suggestion that the committee would make to the witnesses is that it would like to have them present as directly as possible the important facts, and fail to elaborate as far as is consistent with a fair presentation of the case. The committee is busy; it has to go on the floor of the House at noon, and would like to get at the meat of this proposition without any particular ramifications, unless in answer to questions proposed by the members.

A copy of S. 2799 follows:

[S. 2799, Sixty-seventh Congress, second session.]

AN ACT To supplement and amend the act entitled "An act to incorporate the North River Bridge Company and to authorize the construction of a bridge and approaches at New York City across the Hudson River, to regulate commerce in and over such bridge between the States of New York and New Jersey, and to establish such bridge a military and post road," approved July 11, 1890.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 2 of the act entitled “An act to incorporate the North River Bridge Company and to authorize the construction of a bridge and approaches at New York City across the Hudson River, to regulate commerce in and over such bridge between the States of New York and New Jersey, and to establish such bridge a military and post road," approved July 11, 1890, be, and the same is hereby, so amended as to extend the time for the completion of the said bridge until fifteen years from the date of the approval hereof; and said time is hereby extended for said period: Provided, That this act shall not be construed as authorizing the building of said bridge in accordance with the plans heretofore approved by the Secretary of War under which construction of said bridge was heretofore commenced, but drawings showing the new location and plans of said structure shall again be submitted to the Secretary of War for his consideration and approval before construction shall be again commenced: And provided further, That actual work hereunder and in accordance with such plans so approved shall be commenced within five years after such approval by the Secretary of War.

STATEMENT OF HON. ERNEST R. ACKERMAN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE FIFTH DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. chairman and gentlemen of the committee, permit me on behalf of the introducer of the Senate bill 2799 and also on behalf of those present to express my appreciation of your stopping long enough amid your arduous labors to give the proponents of this measure such a generous amount of time to present some facts and figures for your further consideration. More than 32 years ago the question you are now considering was before this committee. Only three of the men presenting it at that time are now alive.

1

They are Samuel Rea, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad; Thomas F.
Ryan, and Gustav Lindenthal. Mr. Lindenthal is present, and with others now
actively working with him is prepared to delve into the past history of the
North River Bridge as deeply as you may desire.

Your committee at that time recommended the enactment of a bill authoriz-
ing the construction of this bridge. This authorization was extended from time
to time, and they are now asking a further extension. It is necessary because
of changed conditions and the time consumed in overcoming the difficulties,
real and created, which prevented the work going forward.

The site selected originally was from Twenty-third Street, New York, to
Hoboken. It was approved by the War Department and was the most central
at that time. The site now selected is from Fifty-seventh Street to the heights
of Weehawken. The change was necessary because the channels of trade and
commerce have moved uptown, and if this bridge is to be of the greatest service
it must follow the arteries now in use.

Had this s.te been selected at first, much time, expense, and delay would have
been obviated and perhaps the bridge would be now well under way. Much time
was lost in litigation brought by contending landowners. Their suits were
carried to the United States Supreme Court and all decided in favor of the
bridge company. Then, when work got actually started, injunction proceedings
were brought by owners of adjacent property because of the noise of drilling
machinery and blasting for the foundation. Finally those injunctions were dis-
solved by the court.

These delays were linked with financial setbacks caused by nation-wide busi-
ness depression and the money panics of 1893 and 1907, and before recovery
was fully made the World War of 1914 started in Europe, with its result-
ing financial disturbance in this country. Meanwhile the enabling legislation
had been extended several times and finally ran out, and the promoters of the
bridge having been diminished in number by death the survivors being fully
engaged in looking after and handling their other interests, more or less en-
dangered and threatened by war conditions.

Other gentlemen present will tell of the need of the extension now prayed for
to make possible the erection of this great aid to industry and business in the
greatest metropolitan center in the world. The fact that the North River has
been tunneled since this bridge was first conceived is not considered a deterrent
to its usefulness, but, on the contrary, the great amount of vehicular traffic
tends to show its needs and possibilities.

In closing let me quote what Mr. Rea says in a letter to us of a few weeks
ago:

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* ** The North River bridge is in the general interest. So far as the
Pennsylvania Railroad is concerned, it has heretofore provided its own en-
trance into and through New York City, but the bridge is an absolute public
necessity. first, for the vehicle; second, for rapid transit traffic and for such
steam railway traffic as may desire or can conveniently use it. It is by no
means in the interest of any one railroad company; it is primarily in the inter-
est of the public."

With your permission, Mr. Chairman, I would like to introduce the first
speaker, Mr. George A. Post, who is president of the Hudson River Bridge &
Terminal Association.

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Post.

STATEMENT OF MR. GEORGE A. POST, PRESIDENT OF THE HUD-
SON RIVER BRIDGE AND TERMINAL ASSOCIATION, NEW YORK
CITY.

Mr. POST. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I represent at this hearing a body
of the citizenship of the metropolitan district, which believes that the greatest
necessity for the relief of traffic congestion in that district is the buildng
of a bridge across the Hudson River connecting New York City with the State
of New Jersey.

In a proposal of this kind it is absolutely necessary that there shall be
aroused in favor of it a public sentiment; that public sentiment shall become
articulate; that enthusiasm may be created, and that the subject shall be kept
before the public from day to day. And so the Hudson River Bridge Associa-
tion, which is not connected with the North River Bridge Co., whose charter
is proposed to be extended by this bill, is here, because the people of New York

and New Jersey anxious for a bridge, find that only in this bridge proposal is
there any immediate hope of the consummation of their desire and the minis-
tering to their needs.

We realize that if the extension of this charter shall be granted by Congress,
after favorable report by your committee, there yet spreads ahead of us all
a tremendous amount of labor and of harmonizing of different opinions and
interests. It is for that purpose that this association is formed, which arises
from the body of the people themselves, in touch with their needs, in touch
with their opinions, and on the alert to be sure that the North River Bridge
Co., in the prosecution of its work, if it shall be authorized, shall keep in touch
with the public mind and the public desire. I shall ask the privilege for your
information, and I think for your persuasion as to the integrity of the asso-
ciation, to give the list of the names of those who have already enrolled as
members thereof. It is a very remarkable list of prominent people in the
States of New York and New Jersey. And we have contented ourselves at this
preliminary stage with the enrollment of over 200 of these substantial people
who are deeply interested, who have joined us in this work and in paying the
expenses of this work during the past year. If Congress by favorable action
gives the right and authority to build the bridge there will be started in the
States of New York and New Jersey a movement which will be aflame with
enthusiasm, because there will then be a real hope for the building of this bridge.
The CHAIRMAN. Is it your purpose to file that list for reproduction in the
record of the hearing?

Mr. PosT. Yes; I would like to do so, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. You may do so. Give it to the reporter, and it will be
reproduced in the record:

(The list presented by Mr. Post for the record is here printed in full, as
follows:)

Adams, Edward Dean, director, American Cotton Oil Co., New Jersey General
Security Co., New York & Long Branch Railroad Co., Western Maryland Rail-
road Co.. etc.

Allison, William O., director, Empire Trust Co., Lincoln Trust Co., Palisades
Trust & Guaranty Co., etc.

Amend, W. J., Amend & Amend, attorneys, director, Yorkville Bank, Henry
Heide (Inc.), etc.

Anderson, John, chairman of board, Charles Pfizer & Co.; director, Metro-
politan Life Insurance Co.; trustee, Union Dime Savings Bank, American Surety
Co., etc.

Andrews, Gen. Avery D., chairman of board, Shell Co., Royal Dutch Petroleum
Co.; director, American Exchange Bank, Central National Bank (Philadelphia),

etc.

Aspergren, John, Aspergren & Co., president New York Produce Exchange
Clearing Association, Interstate Tank Car Corporation, Swedish Chamber of
Commerce, etc.

Auger, Charles L., president National Silk Dyeing Co., Paterson, N. J.
Averbeck, M. J., président Berger & Wirth (Inc.), Ten & Twelve Maiden Lane
Co.; director, National Liberty Insurance Co.. etc.

Bamford, Walter, Bamford Bros. (silks), Paterson, N. J.

Barbour, Robert, Barbour Flax Spinning Co., Paterson, N. J.

Barbour. W. Warren, president the Linen Thread Co.; director, Hanover
Bank, Greenwich Bank of New York, United Shoe Machinery Corporation, etc.
Barr, James H., president National Supply Co., etc.

Beck, Theo. L., Beck Bros. (Inc.) (silks), Bloomfield, N. J.

Bell, Henry F., president Citizens Trust Co.. Paterson, N. J.

Benson, Robert D., president Tide Water Oil Co.; director, Peoples Bank &
Trust Co. (Passaic, N. J.), Guaranty Mortgage & Title Co. (Passaic, N. J.), New
Jersey Worsted & Spinning Co., etc.

Bilhuber, Ernst, president E. Bilhuber (Inc.), etc.

Blackiston, Henry C., Furness Withy & Co. (Ltd.); director, American Ex-
change Bank, etc.

Blair, J. Insley. Blair & Co., bankers, etc.

Boomer, L. M., president Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Co., Bellevue-Stratford Co.
(Philadelphia); director, Lincoln Trust Co., Hotel McAlpin, etc.

Bowman, Wm. P., treasurer John A. Roebling's Co.; president Durable Wire
Rope Co., etc.

Breed, William C.. Breed, Abbott & Morgan, attorneys, director, Irving
National Bank, Holbert Realty Corporation, etc.

Brosseau, A. J., president International Motor Co., Mack Motor Co.; director, Marlin-Rockwell Corporation, Braeburn Steel Corporation, etc.

Brown, Col. Franklin Q., Redmond & Co., bankers, chairman National Surety Co.; director, Columbia Trust Co., Dobbs Ferry Bank, American Light & Traction Co., Seaboard Air Line Railway, etc.

Brown, James, Brown Brothers & Co., bankers, director, American Mercantile Bank, Central Union Trust Co., Atlantic Mutual Insurance Co., Northern Assurance Co., etc.

Burrill, Middleton S., director U. S. Rubber Co., Valley Land Co., etc.
Caesar, Henry A., H. A. Caesar & Co., director, Chemical National Bank, etc.
Campbell, Palmer, treasurer Hoboken Land & Improvement Co., etc.

Childs, William, managing director Childs Co.; director, Irving National Bank, American Creosoting Co., etc.

Claflin, John, retired.

Clarke, Lewis L., president American Exchange Bank; director, Pacific Bank. Bowery Savings Bank, Commercial Cable Co., Hudson & Manhattan Railroad Co., U. S. Mortgage & Trust Co., etc.

Connolly, Hon. James C., Elizabeth, N. J.

Cooke, Delos W., director, Cunard Steamship Co., American Surety Co., Mercantile Trust Co., etc.

N. J.

Cowperthwait, Frederick S., treasurer Weidman Silk Dyeing Co., Paterson, Curtis, F. Kingsbury, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost & Colt, attorneys, director, Ann Arbor Railroad Co., Regal Shoe Co., American Tube & Stamping Co., etc.

Cuyler, Thomas Dewitt, chairman Association of Railway Executives; director Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, Bankers' Trust Co., Guaranty Trust Co., Girard Trust Co., Pennsylvania Railroad Co., Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, etc.

Dennis, Samuel S., president Howard Savings Institution, Newark, N. J., etc. Dryden, Forrest F., president Prudential Insurance Co.; director National Bank of Commerce, Public Service Corporation of New Jersey, Fidelity Union Trust Co., etc.

Du Pont, Gen. Coleman, United States Senator, director Empire Trust Co.. Equitable Insurance Building, Thompson-Starrett Co., etc.

Ecker, Frederick H., vice president Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.; director Chase National Bank, Union Dime Savings Bank, St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad, etc.

Ellis, W. Nixon, president Valvoline Oil Co., Refiners Gas Co., West Virginia Pipe Line Co., etc.

Erstein, Benedict, vice president L. Erstein & Bro. (Inc.), etc.

Faber, Eberhard, vice president Eberhard Faber Pencil Co.; director Northern Insurance Co., Sterling Salt Co., United States Trade-Mark Association, etc. Ferguson, John W., president Ferguson Construction; director Paterson National Bank, etc.

Fiske, Haley, president Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.; director Metropolitan Bank, National Surety Co., Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railroad Co. Fitzpatrick, F. F., president Railway Steel Spring Co.; director Emigrant Savings Bank, Larchmont National Bank, Mercantile Trust Co., American Brake Shoe & Foundry Co., United States Life Insurance Co., etc.

Fisher, H. J., president Popular Science Publishing Co.; director McCall Co., Armstrong Seatag Corporation, etc.

Forster, John A., president North River Insurance Co.; director Peoples Trust Co. (Hackensack), Hutchins Securities Co., Fidelity International Trust Co., U. S. Lloyds (Inc.), etc.

Forstmann, Julius, Forstmann & Hoffman Co.

Frelinghuysen, G. G., chairman the Rail Joint Co.; president P. Ballantine & Sons; director the Celluloid Co., Howard Savings Institution, Morristown Trust Co., etc.

Frelinghuysen, Theodore.

Gaede, Robert, president Gaede Silk Dyeing Co., Paterson, N. J.

Fulle, Charles A., president Truslow & Fulle (Inc.), White Metal Manufacturing Co., Milton Cork Co.; director First National Bank of Jersey City, First National Bank of Montclair, etc.

Garrigues, W. A., president Levering & Garrigues Co., Levgar Structural Co.,

etc.

Gore, John K., vice president Prudential Insurance Co., etc.

Grace, Eugene G., president Bethlehem Steel Corporation, etc. Gubelman, Oscar L., Knauth, Nachod & Kuhne, bankers; director AllisChalmers Co., Commercial Trust of New Jersey, First National Bank, West Orange, etc.

Guenther, Paul, Emery & Beers Co.; director New Jersey Insurance Co., Onyx Building Corporation, etc.

Guggenheim, Daniel, Guggenheim Bros.; director American Smelting & Refining Co., Chile Copper Co., Guaranty Trust Co., etc.

Hamersley, L. Gordon.

Hand, William, John Hand & Sons (Inc.), silk manufacturers, Paterson, N. J.

Harding, J. Horace, Charles D. Barney & Co., bankers; director American Railway Express Co., Aanaconda Copper Co., Southern Pacific Railroad, Wabash Railroad, etc.

Heckscher, August, chairman Heckscher Foundation for Children; director New Jersey Zinc Co., Crucible Steel Co., Eastern Steel Co., Empire Trust Co., Appraisals Corporation, etc.

Hewitt, Herbert H., president Magnus Co. (Inc.), Hewitt Rubber Co.; director Marine Trust Co. (Buffalo), Reading Car Wheel Co., etc.

Hobart, Garrett A.

Hodson, Col. Clarence, president Beneficial Loan Society; director Credit Finance Co., etc.

Hoffstot, Frank N., president Pressed Steel Car Co., American Steel Co., Western Steel Car & Foundry Co., National Bank of America (Pittsburgh), New York Trust Co., Clinton Iron & Steel Co., etc.

Hooker, Elon H., president Hooker Electrochemical Co., Research Corporation, etc.

Jacquelin, H. T. B., Jacquelin & DeCoppet, brokers.

Jadwin, Stanley P., O. H. Jadwin & Sons; director American Trust Co., Coal & Iron National Bank, Dime Savings Bank, etc.

Janowitz, Julius, American Hard Rubber Co.

Jennings, Walter, director Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, New York Trust Co., Bank of the Manhattan Co., etc.

Kountze, De Lancey, Koutnze Bros., bankers.

Lewis, Clarence McK., vice president Blair & Co., bankers; director Advance Rumely Co., Guantanamo Sugar Co., Loose-Wiles Co., etc.

Lewisohn, Adoph, president Adolph Lewisohn & Sons (Inc.), bankers, Tennessee Copper & Chemical Co., Miami Copper Co.; director Importers & Traders National Bank, etc.

Lindabury, Richard V., general counsel United States Steel Corporation, Prudential Life Insurance Co.

Louderbough, H. C.

Love, John H., Graupner, Love & Lambrecht; treasurer Merchants Association of New York; director Garfield Worsted Mills, Irving National Bank, Indiana Portland Cement Co., etc.

Lufkin, E. C., chairman of board the Texas Co.; director Chase Securities Corporation, Merchantile Trust Co., etc.

Mason, George Grant, vice president Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co.; director Erie Railroad Co., Southern Utilities Co., etc.

McCarter, Hon. Thomas N., president Public Service Corporation of New Jersey.

McClave, Maj. S. Wood.

McConnell, D. H., D. H. McConnell & Co.; director Suffen National Exchange Bank, Ramapo Land Co., etc.

Maloney, Thomas J., president The Lorillard Co.

Metcalf, Manton B., Metcalf Bros. & Co.; director Textile Alliance Export Corporation, etc.

Meyer, Hon. Hy. von Lengerke.

Mills, Hon. Ogden L., director New York Tribune, Lackawanna Steel Co., Crex Carpet Co., Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, etc.; Member of Congress.

Morgan, George W., Breed, Morgan & Abbott, attorneys; director F. W. Dodge Co., Architectural Record Co., Industrial Fibre Corporation, etc.

Moore, Paul, Taylor, Bates & Co., bankers; director Bankers' Trust Co., American Can Co., National Biscuit Co., Industrial Bank, etc.