New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-29
AN ONEROUS RIPARIAN LAW.
BURDENS PLACED BY GOVERNOR ALBEIT
ON NBw-JERSEY SHORTCOMINGS.
CAUSE OF SUDDEN ACTIVITY IN SECURING
LICENSES TO IMPROVE wATERFRoNTs-
IN TFFoRT TO BE MADE TO GET

CAUSE OF A SUDDEN ACTIVITY IN SECURING
LICENSES TO IMPROVE wATERTRoNTs-
An EFFORT TO BE MADE TO GET
THE ACT REPEALED.
Trenton, n. j., June 90 speciaD.-One Of the most
onerous and unpopular acts passed by the recent
New-Jersey Legislature the law affecting the
riparian rights Of this state This act is known to
have been of the pet schemes Of Governor Albeit
and 10 bring about ITS passage was more eager
and active than McDermott. Clerk in Chancery. Nc
Dermott Is credited with being In charge Of the
weighty burden Of the Governors confidence and the
supposon is sustained by the willingness with which
he sacrifices personal entity and independence TO oat
the Governors political speculatiOns. The course
pursued TO the new Riparian law was at least
once dishonest the extent OF Misrepresentation at
critical moment, and gave the bill new life when it
was practically dead. The effect Of the act can. as
yet only be measured conIecturaIy. but that IS be-
cause every effort OF legal procedure will be made to
stay its progress until the next session Of the Legat
ure, when determined and combined movement VIII
be made for its repeal in its entirety or. failnG
that Its partial amendment so as to restore that
portion Of the old Law, which, II Is held was SUFFICIENT
for all practical and progressive purposes In the com
meral and business interests Of the water fronts OF
the state
The fact that the newspapers IN some sections OF
NewJersey have Of late contained many notices OF ap-
pIcaton to the Boards Of Freeholders OF several
counties for licenses to build docks wharves on tide
wat6r led correspondent TO make inquiry rs 70 the
cause Of this sudden activity in an Industry which hsd
not been notably prominent for number of years. To
get Trustworthy information an ex-senator and
Democrat prominently engaged In business, both for
himself and one Of the largest corporations In the
State which brings him in constant contact with the
riparian interests sought. His attention was
called TO the application for licenses and he was asked
what they indicated. In reply he said:
of these applications are as numerous IN other
rfparan counties they are in Union ana MdnieseA
Il would seem that enough dock and wharf work Is
nro,ected 70 severely tax the ping and timberpro-
ducinp capacity Of the country. These applications
voud indicate that there is O remarkable boom IN
New-Jersey shore fronts. I have necessarily made
some general inquiries to what Is now going on az
teoting this class Of property. From what can learn
Il does not appear that these water fronts are more
highly valued or more sought after by investors or
business men than formerly, but the commoaon mas
another origin The powerful hand Of the legislative
eutocrat Governor Abbott, has touched the subject
heavily and the slowly aroused shoreowners are now
engaged In an almost hopeless endeavor to escape an
enactment by the last Legislature which they consdef
alike unjust and impohuc
"To be more explicit, the right to build docks
and vrbaryes under license from Board Of Free
holders granted without special charge, Is about to
expire and If this privilege is not obtained before
Julv / and the work Hereunder completed before next
January the shoreowners will be powerless 10 make
any improvement without the grant Of the Riparian
Commission for which he Will have to pay all that that
astute body with on ambitious Governor ever ready 10
advise It, cam If there be any political preferences
worth considering extort. New-Jersey for long
time made grants for Improvements within the navf-
gable domain adjacent 10 her shores with rs much
facility and reasonable regard for Internal prosperity
as any other State but IN 1850 the district lying on
the Hudson River and New-York Bay was put under
the control OF Board Of Commissioners with the Gov
ernor at It's head make grants Of the States title 70
land under water and for reasonable compensation
In 1871 the authority of the Commission was extended
over the entire State TO establish lines for improve
ments and to make grants but the Wharf act OF leol
giving County boards Of freeholders the power TO grant
dock licenses remained unrepealed IN the district Just
mentioned In spite Of this freedom, but little COM
merce or manufacturing has lately come TO New
Jersey except in that district Nearly all our shore
fronts REQUIRE a. large amount OF expensive work 10
et them for business purposes and Just as New-York
and Long Island were becoming crowded tho Hudson
River shore of NewJersey opened up by new lines
Of railroad to the Interior and new ferries to Now
York When this locality had been partially occupied
movement set in the direction Of XIII von Kul and
staten Island Sound, and between 1873 and 1884
number Of riparian grants were taken up In these
last named waters, and docks built and land reclaimed
for manufacturing purposes. The enterprise Of New
York does not permit NewJersey 10 profit By anything
except what she cannot by possibility control ana
so the Staten Island bridge projected about this time
ss4 was pushed to completion after earnest but I'M
awaiting oppOsition by New-Jersey shoreowners.
new field Of oheap waterfront lands near New-York
being thus furnished, with the advantages OF railroad
commune alton to the interior, It would hardly seem
that the present Is appropriate time for the New
jersey Legislature, conducted by a politically am
bitous Governor 10 increase the burdens of the New
Jersey shoreowners, whose hope TO see the Passac
River Newark Bay and Staten Island Sound lined
with factories had deferred for twenty years are
the first move made in that direction But the
ruling power of New-Jersey, supplemented by dcta
torial Governor must have thought otherwise, t0r
last year the announcement was made tlat no moN
riparian grants would be conceded at old rates.
In his last message Governor Albeit said The
(Riparan) Commission with the Governor. ID almost
every case advanced the prices to applicants for new
grants and leases and he added-a suggestion which
seems TO have subsequently become demand-thnt
the Wharf Act no longer exists in NewYork Bay, the
Hudson River and Kill Kul and there is no reason
why IT, should continue in existence In any other part
Of the State The people in the riparian counties |
who would be affected by this change in Leg station did
not agree with the Governor but It is needless 10 say
that the bills prepared By the Commission with the
aid Of the Governor became law Notwithstanding |
determined opposition. 1t would not be too much 70
ay that the most oncrous OF these bills was sneaked
through the Legislature after the bill had been prac
caly killed, for certain 1t IS that several members
II that body have declared that the facts were mis-
20 thcm and that one Of the Governors
.ght-hand men prominent In the misrepresenta
don. The repeater OF The Wharf Act does not. how
aver 20 into effect until July J. and this accounts for
he activity In the making Of applications to the county
boards. ,--. .....o.- g.,
recently asked Of the largest operators IN
New-Jersey real estate what he thought Of this recent
legislation His reply was: 1T IS about as poor an
apology for craftsmanship or political policy as !
ever knew. For twenty years the state has been
Wiling 10 grant the right to dock and reclaim water
front apart from the Hudson River and New YORK
lay district for mere blsatelie and yet Only
small quantity has been taken up ard improved.
This ts because II costs 20 much u ~ these laLds for
business Instead Of imposing a heavy tax 10 secure
the title TO the Improvement the state should nave
offered a bounty. Or % least exemption, 90 any
person building dock and establishing BUSHES
al would give employment - labor and enhance