The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-08-14
rHE R1pAa1AS COMMISSION.


It may be as charged thu the pur.
i pose of investigating the work Of the
4 Riparian Commissioners is simply tc
make political capital. but it certainly
was needed. From eight to ten thou.
sand dollars a year is paid by the State
for the care Of its riparian interests,
and the investigation so far shows that
the duties are performed in most
perfunctory manner.
At the request of the committee
State Treasurer Frank o. Briggs had
prepared list of all arrearages of ripa-
rian licenses. Fifty.one such arrear-
ages have been placed in the hands OF
the Acknowledgement for collection.
The aggregate amount due on them Is
1885, 1914 Among those in arrears is
George L. Record, ct ais, for 1919. In
December, 1894, when Mr.. Record
ceased to be the counsel OF the board
his arrearages were SO, 60S.50.
i At the hearing on Wednesday, John
10. Payne, secretary Of the Riparian
Board, was the only witness. The ex-
animation was mostly in regard to
George L, Records connection with
| the board from 1890 to 1905. Mr.. Payne
thought Mr.. Record was made counsel
because of services he had rendered to
the Democratic party, to which he
then belonged. He got $500 year
salary, and his duties consisted in look
ing over and often preparing abstracts
OF title in case of grants or leases. He
was also a regular attendant at the
meetings, ready and willing TO give adj
vice or prepare opinions. He did not
prepare many opinions, however. The
witness thought about two year was
the average. Mr.. Record most Of his
term occupied offices with the board
and many Of his personal expenses in.
connection with his private law prac-
tice we're paid in whole or in part by
the board, The witness said. In addi-
tion to his regular salary, Mr., Record
received fees, ranging from $40 to s35,
for the examination or preparation Of
abstracts Of titles and other papers
There was no law for this, Mr.. Payne
said, nor was it authorized by the
board by any resolutions. In fact, he
did not believe the members of the
board wese aware OF the fact. Accord
ing to the witness, when a grant or
lease had been made by the board Mr..
Record would instruct the secretary to
send two bills to the grantee. One
was to the order of the State Treas
urer for the amount of the grant on
the first rental in the lease and the
other was to George Z. Record for his
services in connection with the titles,
etc. When the checks arrived, one
was forwarded to the State Treasurer
and the other was given to Record.
Payne said that he had made a compu-
tation, and that from 1895 to the ter
mination of his office, about seven
years, Record had received about ST.
600. While the bills were sent ont by
the secretary of the board on the Off
cial letter head and were copied in the
letter book, none of the board was ever
aware of it, Payne swore, and several
the members confirmed him privately.
Senator Minturn, Of Hudson county,
is fully convinced that New Jerseys
method Of disposing of riparian rights
is unconstitutional and at variance
with the Federal Constitution. In
his inquiries during the investigation
Mr.. Minturn has been persistently
leading up to this Issue. If his theory
is correct, even In part, such ruling
by the courts would probably have a
very disturbing effect, as the riparian
leases and grants disposed of by the
State are now worth to their owners
many millions of dollars.
At a subsequent hearing Mr.. Pane
testified that when Mr. Record and
the commission separated the former
SequeEted the furniture OF the Office
claiming that he had paid for it, but
refused to show his check book Mr..
Payne had secured Records check
book and presented photographs of
the stubs TO substantiate his state
mentS.