New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-29
Jersey CITY's WATER FRONT


CLAIMS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COM
PANY.
The excitement in Jersey City over the at
,nut now being made induce the Legislature 10 over
,5e the Governors veto of Senate hill NO lo'' III ree"iu
q, the cty's water 'front.' has extended 70 oner paris %
NeNJsrsey also affected ny the bill The senate haNnS
,yav nasscd the bill the veto, ii Is expected ha'
~ assembly will take action upon IL without much te-
,.v The citizens Of Jersey City appointed large "ele
,or 10 co TO Trenton TO represent the rghis oi 'c
cay and endcaVOr 10 prevent The PASSAGE Oh the o' '
,hs veto in the Hcgse II originally passed the Asseuos
IA vote OF 80 80, e. that the citizens nave al"'
,v an almost homeless task before them hut relying
On be opposition that been shown through the Sae
"a The mn they hope defeat H. As he eonies pe'"'en
are cf,eus and the railroad companies over VhS 'nu
ether matters Il attracting very wide attention. I'M"
,z rcrorter visited representative men on both "Hes
-. ., 90, ,ber views on the matter. IN order that
~ nrbl,c nav moro fully understand the questions a'
.ssne
THE HISTORY or TEE WATER FRONT LANDS
a. n rhur.ton Of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
many who has charge Of the real estate interests OF tn'
on,ony IA Jersey City found ~ his office III CORY
land st. and willingly gave his views Of the matter IN
dispute. -.
To make the matter clear" ne said, VIII go oacs'o
the tsesinning IN s0i what rs nov me principal psr'
Of Jer.ey CITY vas known as Paues Hoeck. number
81 leading lawyers and others, among whom were Ricn-
ard yariek Jacob Radcliffe, Anthony Dey. Governor
pIaorfcld Governor Pennington. Governor Oeden and
ceVerncr Wlians foreseene the future importance of
the place. formed themselves into an Incorporated
compsny known as The Associates OF the Jersey
Company They purchased Paules Hoeek OF cor
nel,us Van Worst. and employed Joseph f. Mangin'
a weI-knowu civil engineer OF New-Nork TO survey
81 ana Inv II out into streets and city lots
relns shire y lawyers and knowing The importance OF
IN. water front they ths 20 Themselves Ihey
IIudson-st along the shore front ana
made hn running east and west end AZ HUDSON
Al designing the privileges If the waterfront
for the conpanys For this purpose the following
Glance was nut IN their charter granted by the Legs
Ia,uro IN 1901:
That the said associates shall have the PRIVILEGE OF
erectinc " buding any docks, Wharves ana Ifrs OBJ
osfc 10 and adjoining the said premises IN The HUDSON
River and the bays thereof as IN as they may ute
for the Improvement OF the said premises or
The and to appropriate the same 10
their own Use.
.I'nder this provision the company went on and I'M
moved the water front They sold lots and in course OF
time Jersey CITY was Incorporated in 1897 The Asso
slaiss a. the company lie Familiarity known, built the
bukhead walls erected the piers. and were at the sole
expense Of making the avenues leading ~ the piers ana
ferry east Of HudsOnst. and they have al
WAYS maintained them ST their own expense.
The municipal authorities have never had possession
Of these avenues Of Hudsonst and The purchasers
Of loa I'm Paules Hoeck Jersey City, knew AT the
time Of making purchases that these avenues Of s
proach 20 the water thus reserved The owners,
having received what they supposed to he good Title
from the state 10 this property and expended large sums
Of money In reclining ana improving the same now
maintain that " desires 10 extend the streets 10
No water. a. should compensate the Pennsylvania Rail
road a. the legal by lease OF the rights OF The
Associates"
"Iu New. York A. in London, The city owns her RI
paan lands ancient grants OF She sovereign and
can sell them. But In NewJersey the state
retained fights There wide etpaRsc ofmarsh.
mud AMI shallow water between the teTmni OF the
streets a. dedicated by The Associate. and naveabe
water Ills was what l. known riparian land; It be-
longed g. the state aud properly into possessono OF
.The Assoates by their charter. There is Riparian
Board established by the state. which has charge OF r.
marian lands Through Il the State sold 70 these eop0
rs.ions large grants of riparian lands, and
the money went the school Fund The corporations
expended several millions In retaining eud improving
this land Now that II has come 20 he very valuable
Jersey City comes forward and wants 20 extend her
streets through this private property without any com
pensation. senate bill No. 49,, which 20 much
excitement has been created II 1t becomes law. will
hav. the Of making the city pay the corporations
for the she wants for her streets she can by the
nigh ~ eminent doman n. have the property condemned
and appraised then purchasa II, which IS proper
enough"
How nnch viii the property now owned or leased by
the Pennsylvania Railroad which is wanted for Streets
be worth 2" asked the reporter
About two or three million dollars" said Mr.. Thurs
ton.
THE CITYs OUTLET TO TIE RIVER
Has the city any outlet TO the river nowT
"It has pier at foot ~ Morgars. where II col
Iects Lafage Then have made public pier at tie
foot Of Morrs-st. which anyone use by paying rs
wharfage collecting the rates as are CHARGED by
The CRY AT the Morgan-st pier The Riparian Commits
sion IN It's reports OF 1871 and 1872 called attention to
the fact that Jersey City without public docks
and recommended that part of the large basin lana
out by tie Commission in 1864 be sold TO the city for
public The LegslatuIe then passed an ACT onsr
ing g sell the city for 1000 certain lands under tide
proye and make nlvgabe at least OnerJ Of the lands
Thus granted The Aldermen aceePea me gI1nt o9'
II considered ineXpeden for the city 10 90 10 tue eS
parties would do It."
When did the city can In question the little of
"In 1915 beleyei II was that the city attempted to
widen uudsonst but the Court of Error and Appeals
In 1850 decided that the city could not tai the proper
OF rbe Associates without paving Tor H. ana ne ute 9I
Charter and by Of the Legislature and this land u-
der water was never dedicated "a public uses We al
recent decision In the case Of lie Hoboken Land nl-
provemen Company casts cloud ever Tie ute 70 al
perfect the te and thus PIT an end TO much htisa-
ton aud the school funds Of the Sta,e"
this and all other railroad property exempt
frora taxation IN Jersey City e.
Of Assessments in Hudson County asserted time
Az thai $50 1875 worth Of railroad property. or 90
paid no ,sxss-that locally. this d,lueye estimate
They valaed the .ater front 81 nai a. me
Tie Iueut s absurd. The constant rise in taxation
of p0b aIable property The original 81 land In
jersey CITY aud HOb9ken. excluding reclaimed lands,
sos acres. OF little over per cent Of The whole
The 800 additional acres occupied ny ne Ia,ir"3Ss
have N part been created upon Gnd mats Dy the
expenditure Of millions Of money The United ialIoads
paid s5l5. GG6 for the mud fats known as Harsmus
Cove sud then paid the state 100000 of ia riparian
rglts This In the nature OF tax a. u was not really
%ns eart of N, Collaboration Ths shows that the
claim that Hudson County wrongfily deprived OF ta1
i've pr cent Of the realty. aside from made lands, is
owned and occupied by the railroads The CanNassers
nf .1l SnO lie vail