The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-12-18
CANAL WAR ON
Campaign Against the
! Lehigh Valley Railroad
Begun By the New Jer, ey
Civic Federation
ACTION or CUSTER PROPOSED
CoRTLANDT PARKER, SR., SUG-
GEsTS THE INTRODUCTION OF
"A BILL LEADING To SuCE
SUIT-HIS VIEWS.

/ SUIT-HIS VIEWS.
1t is plain the Morris Canal will form
an exciting subject of discussion at the
coming session Of the Legislature. The
campaign was opened by the New Jersey
Civic Federation, at Newark, Saturday
night. which prepared the following reso-
lutions inimical to the scheme of the Le-
high Valley Railroad Company and its
allies to secure the andonment of the
Morris Canal, which will be submitted
for discussion to all citizens organiza-
tions.
Whereas, From the charter of the
Morris Canal and Banking Company it
appears that the corporation has BY its
own acts forfeited the rights and privi-
leges granted to it by that charter;
therefore be it
Resolved, That we favor such action
be the Attorney General or by the Leg
islature, or both. if need be, as will in
view of the specific conditi9n in the
charter protect the interests of the State.
in the determining and settlement Oh
this question.
Resolved, That the State should COM
pei the Morris Canal and Banking Com
pany to adopt one of two alternatives:
Either thar it should carry out the
conditions of the charter and operate
the canal to the end of its corporate
life, or, if it finds the operation burden
come, it should anticipate the time at
which the property should revert to the
State in the same way as it would be
obliged to do in 1874
Resolved, That if the uses Of the
! canal as waterway be abandoned, the
4 following principles be observed: First
That the reyersion of New Jersey be not
sold. Second-That no rights be sold.
The purpose of the acquisition Of such
rights having failed, they should revert
to the original owners, and the present
high-water levels of the lakes should
| be maintained. Third-That if the canal
bed be used for railroad purposes, the
permission for such use should be treated
4 as a new franchise to be limited in dura-
ton and to be adequately taxed. Fourth
That the rights Of the State in the
tidewater properties be conserved for the
benefit of the State
Cortlandt Parker, Sr., urged in q vig-
orous speech the drafting Of bill in
which the rights of the State in The
waterway should be protected.
s9This bill," said Mr. Parker, SHOULD
provide that the Governor shah call at
once on the Attorney General to institute
proceedings against the Morris Canal
and Banking Company and the Lehigh
Valley Railroad Company with the OBJ
ject of forcing an abandonment of~the
waterway, securing the property to the
State and protecting it as highway
to those districts it would benefit
"The Lehigh Valley Railroad Com
pany, lessee Of the canal, has de-
lberately and for purely selfish pur-
poses, allowed the waterway to be-
come in sorry state of d;srepair. The
whole reason for the leasing of the
canal by this corporation. was to make
more profit by not using it. Who are
these people? Are they residents of
New Jersey? No. They are a Penn
sylvania corporation with no right in our
own State to do anything like this. What
is the situation of foreign corporation
in this State? It is simply subject to
the will of New Jersey. We have the
power of exclusion and an act of the
Legislature can at once destroy the pow-
ers Of this Pennsylvania corporation.
For a while after it was opened the
canal struggled against Odds Finally
it began to make money. Then the
foreign corporation came along and took
lease. What do We find this corpora
ton doing? transporting goods from
the Delaware to- the Hudson? No.
They are simply waiting to humbpg
another Legislature. 1t is not simply
that the rights of the people are with
held, but the very canal itself Is q
nuisance. And we sit supinely and see
ourselves robbed of cur rights. We are
q deprived of them through the Legis.a-
ture. which should be the last to al
any such thing.
The law as it now stands is sufficient
for this thing. The State gave the
right under which the Lehigh Valley
Railroad Company has control of this
waterway. and tho State can yacate that
right. This IS the simple remedy
Fo1da fsnuno Snx.o Thrna%