The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-03-12
The CANAL BILL
Senator Hudspeth Will In
troduce Material Amend
ments This Week.
JERSEY CITY'S STRAITS
Congressman McDermott
Says Water of Morris
Company Must Be
Released.
JERSEY CITY'S STRAITS

"
the principal interest in the bill is in Sc
curing good water supply, and that
among the residents of Jersey City there
| Is little opposition to the passage of the
| bill which bears his name
The object to be considered in this Sec
| ton, said Mr.. Hudspeth, 'is not what
the Lehigh Valley Company or the Morris
| Canal and Banking Company will ge.
through the passage of this bill as mucn
as whether it will benefit Jersey City in
regard to our water supply The people
here are impressed with the idea that the
contractor who has agreed to furnish the
| supply, and who is under bonds to do So
may not be able to carry out his contract,
and that impression is founded on infor-
nation and on the facts. Ourf former
supply, obtained from the Passaic River
at Beileville, has been abandoned, and it
would not be possible to return to it.
Our contract with the East Jersey Water
Company will expire this year, and unless
contractor Patrick Flynn shall be able 10
fulfill his contract to the letter, our con-
dltion Will be simply appalling to contem-
plate.
Our position is not a trivial matter at
all. Congressman McDermott, our corpo-
ration counsel, who is a man of wide
afairs, and who is thoroughly familiar
with water supply and with contracts in
| relation thereto, says that it is impera-
tive that the waters now impounded by
the canal company shall be reached and
released for potable purposes. At his re-
quest consented to introduce the bill
am not committed to it in it's present
shape, but believe that if it is properly
amended we will be able to reach and
obtain the waters in question.
The canal company has always claim
ed that it is entitled not only to draw
from Lake Hopatcong, Green Pond and
Greenwood Lake for water to fill their
canal, but also to draw on the Rockaway
River for the same purpose. The COM
pany has done SO in the past, is now do
ing SO and insists on its right to continue
| to do so. The Jersey City Water Com
pany draws its supply from the Rocka-
way River. There is a conflict right
away between the water company and the
canal company asto the right to the over
plus. What does Contractor Flynn get by
condemnation? How far is his right to
the claim of the canal company? What
| Will the canal company do? If the canal
company expects to draw his supply, how
! can Flynn float the bonds necessary to
carry out the purpose of the contract? ?
No financier would undertake to float the
bonds. Until those questions are settled
| there can be little done.
! Then you feel that the passageof this
bill would settle the difficulty?'' suggested
| the reporter.
| That's it," answered the Senator "The
passage of the bill would clear up the
matter and settle all questions
! What is the feeling in Jersey City in
regard to the plan to abandon the
| canal?''
| 'Coeal feeling is practically unanimous
! that the canal is an eyesore nuisance ),
said Mr. Hudspeth, "and that it should
have been abandoned long ago. 1t is of
no use, and not one penny of benefit to
any one here. 1t is menace to health,
dertiment to property, and, in fact a
| public nuisance, and has been SO for
years. 1t would be the best thing that
ever happended to Jersey City if the canal
We're abandoned and the trench filled up.
1t would benefit public health, add to
property valuations and increase the tax
ratables.,
How about the reversionary rights of
the original owners in the event of the
| abandonment of the canal for canal pur-
| poses?"
Where the land was taken by con-
| demnation for canal purposes the owners
to whom the land would revert are pro
tected'' said Mr.. Hudspeth 4.There is a
] clause in the bill that provides for that.
In the Instances where the land was
/ decided to the company for canal purposes
| the title would, if the canal were aban-
doned for navigation purposes, go back
| to the original grantors, their heirs and
assigns, under the charter and grant
Now, as to the claims of Jersey City
| in the premises. We insist that we shall
obtain. if possible, the right to use the
bed of the canal for a trunk sewer. We
| want the right to cross the canal with
our sewer and to extend our streets
across the canal, without having to pay
the company for that right. We also
want to secure an outlet for trunk sew
er where the canal empties into the
| North River
1T has been stated that the company
! intends, if the canal shall be abandoned,
to construct a ferryhouse as a terminal.
IN Jersey City, at the place known as the
| Little Cap, Z said the reporter, What
90 you tnink or that propoSition?
| That does not seem probable an
| swered the Hudson Senator. The Lee
/ high Valley Railroad Company is an IN
dependent road, with but little suburban
/ traffic, its business being mainly in the
carrying Of freight. The company could
! not establish a ferry terminal and mako
| It pay. short of a million dollars. Il would
have to obtain, dockage not only in Jer-
and the advantages to be obtained would
not justify the outlay. 1t does not seem
| to be a practicable plan. The company
| claims 123 feet of water front, valuable,
as is all the water front of Jersey City, 4
What about the riparian rights in
| volved at Jersey City?"
There is a question as to the company
| getting the right to lands under water I
said Mr.. Hudspeth. THE Association of
Jersey Company had right to build
| docks and piers for the transaction of its
business, but that was a license, rather
| than grant. The titles to riparian lands
| should remain vested in the State.
| II am opposed to the railroad company
getting the water front or interest in RI
! parian lands, without paying for 1t. We
| would like to acquire those lands and the
| water front for Jersey City, but that does
! not seem possible. The riparian rights
l belong to the State and whosoever gets
/ them should pay the full value therefor,
1 which value would be fixed by the Ri
parian Commissioners
am satisfied from observation that
| the main parts Of the canal in Jersey
/ city are not practical for railroad pur-
| poses. Some parts are and others are not
connected Nltl ~ present system of the