T has often been stated that to make a good showing on some Civil Service examinations, one should have just graduated from college, and also should have had ten years' practical work since graduation.

To properly design our Manhattan Extension, one should know everything that has been done in the past in order to have the benefit of all the experience of the multitude who have gone before, and at the same time be able to forget all the cast iron rules of the past.

This sounds like an absurdity, but it really is not. For architects, engineers, and others know that in designing new structures for an old city like New York, there are certain cast iron rules written or unwritten, which will govern their design, and most of these axiomatic regulations should not exist in our new city.

When a man took up a new homestead in the forest or on the prairie, he probably lived in a tent until he could put up a one-story structure, probably a log hut, which had a floor just high enough above ground to be dry. Later on he dug a cellar below to keep his vegetables from freezing or to afford a safe retreat from the cyclones. Land being absolutely limitless and the size of his house was determined chiefly by the amount of money he had or felt justified in spending for the comforts of his family.

These pioneers were not confronted with any of the problems which we will have.

In building up old Manhattan, the value of the land has always been considered so relatively high that lots were

laid out from the beginning with from twenty to twenty-five feet front or even less, with the result that even now it is an exceedingly difficult matter to acquire a whole block or decent sized plot for a modern sky-scraper.

This city was laid out with uneven shaped blocks, small lots and inadequate streets long before the days of horse cars. Building after building has been erected on the same site, taking in adjoining lots when possible, badly handicapped from the start from the lack of any comprehensive plan in the beginning. As buildings became higher, and furnaces and boilers took the place of the old wooden stoves and base burners, it was necessary to carry the cellar floor below the water level until we now have a number of buildings with three or four stories below the street level.

Even such modern improvements as electric light have found their early installations entirely out of date. For instance, when I asked a great Edison Engineer what he would do if he had an area equivalent to our Manhattan Extension, with no streets, sewers, nor wires on it, his eyes sparkled as he at once replied, "Would not that be great! I would equip it all for '60 cycles' instead of '25 cycles.'" I simply mention this one detail to show that each and every detail of our new city should be a very marked improvement over anything which has been done before.

For this reason I am never losing an opportunity of speaking, writing or lecturing on this subject in order to get, if possible, every man, woman and child in America thinking along these lines, so that when we actually start work with

the usual rush that accompanies all our undertakings in this country, we will not overlook an infinite number of possible improvements.

I hope that every university, high school, commercial school and many others, will start right now to get their students thinking along these lines, so that they will have education and judgment enough to know what has been done and contemplated and yet not be tied up by cast iron rules and red tape which govern our present design and

construction.

In addition to the many possible improvements mentioned in the January, February and March numbers of this magazine, we hope to have the railroads unload directly on to motor trucks, which will give the railroads what is so much desired, "store door" delivery. Which means that freight can be delivered as quickly as first class mail at a saving of two or three dollars a ton.

Every building on this property should be fireproof, and contain its own fire department fully capable of handling any fire from the contents of the building, or of the adjoining building, so that it will never be necessary to run fire engines through the streets..

The roof gardens might have swimming pools where children from three years and up could learn to swim.

It might be possible to arrange a system of reflectors, so that whenever the sun shines on Manhattan, its rays will be reflected on the four sides of each building from street level to roof, to the great benefit to the eye-sight and health of the community.

We know that sunlight will kill any germ in fifteen minutes, and I would like to know how many minutes more the reflected rays would take to accomplish the same purpose.

As we will have four street levels, the bottom one will be for sewers, pipes and wires only, laid on the surface of the street and not buried in the ground. The second for heavy trucking, and Belt Line Railroads, etc., the third for rapid transit purposes and the fourth for light traffic, automobiles, buses, etc. The tennants or occupants of the buildings will not be disturbed by the incessant racket of the rapid transit lines or the clanging of bells and rush of fire engines, ambulances and so on.

As each street will be arranged so that it can be thoroughly flushed every night, we should have a city which will be cleaner, less noisy and handle a far greater population with much less congestion than before.

In previous articles I have explained that hydro-electric light, heat and power from the Niagara, St. Lawrence and other rivers will make it unnecessary ever to burn coal or gas or cart away ashes to say nothing of the elimination of smoke in this city.

These few items have been mentioned here to call attention to the boards of education, universities and schools to the fact that whether any or all of these innovations are adopted or not, we have unheard of opportunities for original design and construction on lines more advanced than any one now dreams of.

South American Fruit Trade

The experiment of shipping fresh fruit from South America during the northern winter has proved a complete success, and preparations for a reciprocal trade on a large scale can be undertaken, it is announced by Frank C. Munson, head of the Munson Line. Mr. Munson pointed out that next summer it will be feasible for fruit growers in the United States to ship their products to South America, at a time when winter prevails in the countries below the equator.

"These shipments may be made with perfect safety," Mr. Munson said, "for the freight handling devices are the most modern so far devised and the ship refrigeration plants are the latest type. The new fruit service will be in operation as soon as the fruits are ready to ship and the growers are ready to take advantage of the new market. In connection with this new trade development, it may be noted that South Africa is already a shipper of fresh fruits to our markets in the winter season. I now expect to see this business diverted to South American growers."

Jamaica Bay Development

(Continued from page 7)

Bay development as to enable him fully to realize its great opportunities and in his present official position as a member of both the Sinking Fund Commission and the Board of Estimate he can create those opportunities and exercise such an influence as will surely convince his associates of the need of prompt action.

Dock Commissioner Delaney's reputation for prompt action and great efficiency in the several public positions he has occupied is a sure guarantee that he will quickly carry to completion any plan of procedure decided upon by the city's official boards.

Hence the citizens and taxpayers of the Greater City have every reason to believe that the causes for delay have vanished and the development of Jamaica Bay into a serviceable addition to the harbor of New York will be promptly hastened.

Port Authority's Belt Lines Approved
By Robert H. Fuller, Manager, Publicity Bureau,
Merchants' Association

The Merchants' Association, after considering carefully the Plan of Harbor Development proposed by the Port of New York Authority, has approved the general features of the plan.

The plan of the Port Authority was referred to the Association's Committee on Harbor, Docks and Terminals, of which Mr. H. B. Walker, a member of the Board of Directors, is Chairman. The report of the Committee, as presented to the Directors, was adopted as follows:

"Your Committee on Harbor, Docks and Terminals has given careful consideration as far as time has permitted to the Port Authority's Preliminary Report of a Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Port of New York.

"The Committee is of the opinion that the system of belt lines and marginal railroads planned by the Port Authority is in general desirable (possibly with certain exceptions) inasmuch as it will permit ready interchange of traffic both by rail and water, and will provide traffic facilities to parts of the port which now lack such facilities.

"It will further probably exert an important influence in lessening the present congestion in Manhattan, by decentralizing much of the traffic now localized there, through the provision of equal or better facilities in other parts of the port.

"We are of the opinion that final action upon that part of the plan which refers to the projected underground automatic electric system for Manhattan should be deferred pending further consideration of proposed plans for inland terminals at possibly less capital expense, which promise very substantial reductions in the present terminal and trucking costs, as such reductions are of great importance to merchants and the public.

"Resolved, By the Merchants' Association of New York that it approves in general of the system of belt and marginal railroad lines proposed in the Port Authority's Preliminary Report of a Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Port of New York, and that such belt lines should be constructed as need for them is demonstrated;

"Resolved, That final action upon the proposed underground automatic electric system in the Borough of Manhattan should be deferred pending further study of plans which promise greater economies and immediate relief."

The Port of New York Authority seeks to obtain from the legislatures of the States of New York and New Jersey authority to expend several hundred millions of dollars in order to systematize and coordinate the freight business of the Port of New York.

Reducing Havana Run to Three Days

The New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Co. (Ward Line), has made an announcement that is of importance to travelers and shippers of merchandise to Havana, Cuba. The company proposes to maintain a schedule of 72 hours running time between New York and the Cuban port.

On April 1 the Ward Line steamer Orizaba sailed from Pier 13 East River at 11.10 a. m. and reached Havana at noon on Tuesday, April 4. The exact running time of this steamer from Sandy Hook to Havana was 71 hours. This broke all previous records held by other steamers. Prior to this feat of the Orizaba the Ward Line steamer Saratoga made Havana from New York in 76 hours.

Passenger steamers operating between New York and Cuba, including those of the Ward Line, have been making Havana in four days. The saving of a day is expected by Ward Line officials to be a big factor in the extension of commerce between North Atlantic ports and the island republic.

Land is cheap on Staten Island for industrial or residential purposes.

The Morris Canal

Port of New York Notes Newark thinks it would be "just the place" for a Free Port, or Free Zone.

The Vehicular Tube Commissions have decided to use only American materials in its construction.

Plans are being perfected for the abandonment of the Morris and Essex Canal in New Jersey.

The harbor mail boat service saves a lot of time and money and greatly expedites the delivery of mails.

Staten Island wants no slip-up in the construction by the city of the passenger and freight tunnel under the Narrows.

While ocean freight rates have fallen 75 per cent in two years they still are 120 per cent higher than in pre-war days

Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Less government in business makes better business in government.

To maintain their sea supremacy Britons are discussing the establishment of a line of steamships that will make the run from Lands' End, England, to Sandy Hook in three days.

Two of the great towering stone piers that sustain High Bridge across the Harlem River will be removed by the city at an expense of $900,000, in order to free navigation from danger.

American vessels equipped with radio apparatus at the end of 1921 totaled 2.978, while the number of radio stations of all kinds, except amateur, increased from 10,355 to 12,258.

Of course Montreal, and Quebec, too, are opopsed to the St. Lawrence "seaway" to the Great Lakes, and they may defeat it, too, despite the enthusiasm for it all over the Great Lakes and Middle West.

Newark has been selected as the best site in the Port of New York for the establishment of a national air line ter

minal, to be used by air ships in international trade. Newark sure is getting there!

Walter Russell, president of the Manhattan Extension, Inc., says that the channels on each side of the six miles' addition to the southern end of Manhattan Island will carry the impurities to sea and save the port from a possible epidemic from pestilence.

Bunker coal prices at Hampton Roads for February were again $4.75. This is the third consecutive month that bunker quotations have stood at that figure, although previous to December when the level of $4.75 was first reached, bunker prices had been steadily declining.

The volume of bunker business has been fairly stable during recent months, although its importance has been overshadowed by the growing volume of coastwise coal movement to New England. But bunker tonnage has not dropped as much as the decline in export trade might indicate.

A. H. Greeley, of Cleveland, Ohio, head of the American Chain of 100 Warehouses, is about to renew his offer to spend at Jamaica Bay $100,000,000 in ten years if given a 50-year lease of 1,000 acres of meadow land, and 30 feet of water at his piers. He proposes a development like that of the Bush Terminal Company, but more extensive.

The American Marine Association, formerly the Marine Equipment Association of America, has secured Grand Central Palace for the next annual marine exposition during the week of November 6. The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers has shown again its readiness to co-operate by changing the date of its annual convention from the week of November 13 to the week of November 6. The American Marine Association, in addition to sponsoring the annual marine show in New York, has declared that it will function during the year as a marine chamber of commerce.

INLAND MARINE INSURANCE

W. L. Webster & Co., Inc.

General Insurance Brokers and Adjusters 1 Liberty Street, New York City

Telephones John 1787-8-9