The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-08

municipalities to the exclusion Of Others.
If such q policy is to prevail 1t IS evi-
dent that the time is not disgant when
the bulk of the population Ia Northern
New Jersey will. for this absolute. ne
cessity of life, be at the mercy Of those
owning or controlling its supply. This
should not be. The time is. at hand when
l the State should exercise It's prerogative
! and secure for the common benefit what
| was intended for the use Of all or
porations should be respected and fair
| Compensation awarded for all property
taken for public purposes. But, subject
to that provision. the State should NOT
| fullest extent
In addition to the data above referred
| to, am advised that the State Geological
Department has In press. and expects to
| have ready for distribution at the pres
ent session of your honorable bodies,
\ volume containing a full description
of the several water sheds of the State,
| their general characters of geological
| formation, nature of soil and forest con.
water water available for town and city sup
1 ply. The volume also contains full dis
cussions Of the important questions OF
rainfall evaporation from from ae the surlace surface
| water, etc
| 1 recommend legislation on this SUBJ
| ject upon the lines of Senate bill No.
| AZ, introduced in the last Legislature.
| If the objections made to that bill We're
| well founded they can be renied:ed, or
| i not. other measures can be aproposed.
| iation to meet the exigencies of the
case.
PALISADES.
The setting aside of tracts of land for
public parks, as places for public recrea-
| ton, rest and enjoyment, has come to be
| regarded as a necessity rather than a
| mere convenience. They eonduce to the
| public health, promote the general happi-
| ness and encourage good citizenship. AS
| public investments they are remunerative
| and profitable Experience has proved
| that the increased valuations in the yicin-
| ity of well-regulated public park, will
al investment. This subject has already
| received considerable attention in this
| State. The last Legislature passed sew
eral acts recognizing the value of pub
| inal creation or extension where already
existing. Among the acts passed was one
authorizing the appointment, by a JUS.
dee Of the Supreme Court. in counties Of
| over 100000 inhabitants, of five persons
| to be County Park Commissioners. to
consider the advisability of laying out
mple m opeh SPACES for the use Of the pub
| make report in writing of a eonnpre-
hensive plan for laying out, acquiring
der the last mentioned act, a commits
| sion has been appointed in the county of
Essex, which has already given much
l
this subject, and which will soon submit
| It's suggestions, Recommendations and
sonclusions in a detailed report
Closely related to this subject Is the
son River. The Palisades are located
1 mostly In the State of New Jersey. They
extend northerly to the State line and
shen continue for three or four. miles in
| he State of New York. As feature of
| natural scenery they are altogether
laique They present the. appearance
rom $50 to 500 feet high, against which
he waters of the Hudson seem to beat
| There is, however, between the base of
| he Palisades and the waters of the river
strip of land, varying In width from a
'ew. feet to $50 to 200 feet. This strip of
and is at the present time little used. All
Of rock and debris fallen from above dur
| ng centuries past. The surface of the
Palisades is plain or plateau, extending
en- en-. or IT. twelve miles along the river and
! sers of mile, when the descent to the
| oWlands on the west begins. The land of
MS plateau ,,of Or plain Is very valuable
| some of 1t is occupied by handsome and
costly residences. Other portions re-
main in state Of nature. The strip
| of land at the base is not nearly SO valu-
1 able, although the acquisition Of the en-
IRE strip would cost large aggregate
IS IT SENTIMENTAL
The preservation of the Palisades in
lnbroken uniformity and grandeur is
very much to be, desired. This desire
80, is kindred to that feeling which
prompted the preservation of Niagara,
he Adirondacks, Yellowstone Park, Mt.
vernon, Washington's Headquarters at
MorristoWn, and other places of natural
1r historical interest. 1t is true, the
| beauties of the Palisades are enioyed in
equal or greater degree by the citizens
If New York, and that they are equally
Interested with US in their preservation.
50 far IS the Palisades are located in
NeW York, that State may be intrusted
| With their preservation. So far as thew
IRE located in New Jersey, 1t should be
matter of State pride to protect and
ave them. know of no way in which
he State of New York could intervene
o aid IN their preservation in this State
lor do think its aid should be invoked.
New Jersey is not reduced to that ex-
tremity. It would exhibit a mean and
selfish spirit on our part to refuse to
preserve what is admittedly an object
of national interest simply because it
vas @ located in a particular section of
he State. or SO situated that the citi-
;ens of neishboring States could enioy
| IS beauties in common with our own
,itizens. One test of a nations refine
,nent ana clvtlizatfon, is its appreciation
| md nature.
This natural wonder the Palisades. is
aoW threatened with irreparable injury,
which is equivalent to entire destruction
70 entirely level the immense pile of
rock would require generations, but the
destruction Of its continuity and uni
cormity of appearance can be accom-
| plished in very brief period That.
as stated, is equivalent to destruction.
At various points, ouarries have been
| opened and stone crushers erected. and
! thes work of extracting stone for street
paving, macadan,; filling and other pur-
| poses begun upon a large scale. AT
,ome points the work is at present con
fined to the debris at the base at 9th
ers inroads have been made upon the
Palisades proper. The removal of the
lebris probably does no harm
Being the propertysof private owners.
-estrained by no Sentimental feelings, .
they have the undoubted legal righf 'fo
| build up or destroy at pleasure Keen
4 sng within the rule $50 use yoiir own
as not to injure another" The en- force
ment of that principle might be inyok-
ed by one private party against another
but would offer no adequate remedy
| for the threatened pubuc inil,rv y is
| evident that the destruction of the Pail
l sades can only be nfeserv ed tv b,
| tervention of the State. do not think
| it would be wise, even were 1t legal 10
| attempt to restrain any Individual bv
legislation from using his own prop
erty in any legal way he sees fit The
| only mode in which the desired object
4 nan be accomplished is the exercise al
| the right of eminent domain. taIxine
| the PROPERTY for public uses and pur,
| poses and making just Compensation to
| the owners. AS to the manner in which
| the right of eminent domain shall he
exercised. different plans have been pro-