New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-01-28
ERIE IN .NEW-JERSEY.

As the main stem of the Erie hallway runs
| through New-Jersey, an Erie lobby at Tren-
ton and an Erie faction in the Legislature are
matters of course. and tho manpulatiOns OF
James Fisk, jr., in our sister State do not
differ materially in character from those which
he exploits at Albany. In the courts OF law
across the river he is otherwise situated. Law
in New-Jersey Ia only purchasable in the raw
material. After it has been manufactured by
Legislature it is out of the market. The heaviest
manipulation of legislation in New-Jersey has
always been the Camden and Amboy, and after
q conscientious review of the whole question
we are not sure but it is the best buyer, for it
brides not only the members but the State it
self, always giving O Quid pro quo to the COM
monwealth for any fresh advan tages conceded.
Fisk, jr, falls short of this high excellence in
bribery. He buys only the members, giving
nothing to the State, and so offers tempta-
ton to the succeeding Legislature to bring In
acts of repeal, and thus be bought over again.
Through this painful and not at all gainful
task, Mr.. Fisk, jr, is just now passing.
BY one of tho most adroitly managed lob
bies ever known, Erie secured year ago some
substantial advantages. The first was an act
relieving the property of the road east OF the
westerly verge of Bergen flights from all local
taxation, the payment Of one-half Of one per
cent annually directly to the State, on valua-
ton fixed by the President Of the road on his
sworn statement, being put in lieu of all other
taxes of whatever nature. This act exempted
the tunnel, the Long Dock property, and all
the large shops and landed estate of the Erie
near Pavonia, from local taxation. The bill
went through easily, for it has been the policy
Of New-Jersey to make corporations support
the State, and it was not the policy Of Cam
den and Amboy to protest, for it might by 80
doing disturb its own contracts of like nature.
Jersey City lost an annual income of 100000,
but received small sympathy from any quarter,
and this "big strike" if it stood alone, would
probably protect itself at small expense.
Another hit made, and of the same general
characteristics, was a charter for branch
road from any point in Hudson County to
Port Jervis, In which this same condition OF
one-half of one per cent taxation was affixed,
the President of the road to assess its value
o somewhat valuable perquiste. Erie also Sc
cured provision, positively in one and con-
structiyely in another Of the two acts men,
toned, that "no municipal power or arrange
"ment whatever shall be set up to defeat the
{" true intent and meaning of this act" thus
repeating all stipulatlons heretofore made with
localities.
The final legislative success OF the Erie lobby
was in the matter of the Paterson freight
charges 1t purports to be an amendment to
an Act of 1889, under which the heavy manu-
featuring firms of that city had a moderate
pro rata freight charge on their products.
They had brought numerous suits against the
- r. IoI Ii. h4.y md.
ments, and suddenly found that the law under
which their suits were prosecuted had gone
from under them, was in effect repealed, and
they were compelled to stand the costs More
over, tho manufacturers made another unpleas
ant discovery. The act of 1889 gave them a
penalty of one hundred dollars in each case of
Overcharge, and some individuals brought ten
or twenty suits each. The Amendment Of 1870
enacts that q recovery for ono Overcharge shall
operate az q perpetual license to the Erie to
OverchargO the person 30 recovering for his
whole life, after the recovery of one penalty.
When Erie has once satisfied tho law it can
never be put in peril again, though it may
commit the same Offense thousand times
over. Tho old rule of law, that q second vio-
latiOn is worse than the first, is reversed in
this instance.
The chances are that all this legslation-we
will use no adjectives in connection with it
will be repealed during the present session of
tho New-Jersey Legislature, or only be re-
tanned upon the statute-bOOk at an immense
cost of greenbacks. The interests arrayed
against the road are numerous and powerful.
Jersey City will strike heavily for the restora-
ton of its municipal taxation. The Delaware,
Lackawanna, and Western Railroad still has
frog in its throat" and will fight for its an
cient free use of the tunnel, while all the
people on the line of the Morris and Essex
Road, annoyed by vexatious and unnecessary
delays at tho tunnel, take sides against the
Erie. Paterson is almost unit, and is ready
for vengeance ~ well as restitution and still
another formidable opposition comes from the
shore-Owners on the Passaic who have been cut
of, without compensation, from their river
fronts by the Paterson and Newark branch of tho
Erie. TO pacify all these stubborn enemies.
or to conquer them, will be an expensive I'M
dertaking. Erie is on the defensive and is
sure to have warm time of It, and perhaps
may discover that greed and cunning some
times OVER reach themselves.
PA proposal is now'before one of the NUM-
cipal departments to establish in tho Central
Park museum of relics illustrotiny the his