Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-03-09
RIPARIAN RIGHTS
BILLS WITHDRAWN
S majors Crosse and Minturn Agreed
on the Subject Side Lights on
Question.

TRENTON. Mar. 9.-The passage
Oy the mai Wednesday Of the Hill
lery joint resolution providing for
The appointment of a commission of
TWO senators and three assemblymen
10 Investigate the subject of a com
promise on the three riparian meas
ures pending before the legislature.
The compromise was brought about
at the hearing on the bills Wednes-
day before the senate judiciary com
mittee.
The other TWO bills are No. 10. by
Mr.. Crosse, preventing perpetual
grants Of riparian lands and limiting
their lease to a term of 20 years, with
power to renew the term at its expi-
ration for another 20 years. At the
second leasing the land is to be re-
valued. No. %, by Mr.. Minturn, pre-
venting perpetual grants and limit
ing their lease to terms Of 20 years.
This bill provided also that no lease
should be made of any lands fronting
any public street or highway where
the effect of such lease would oper-
ate to obstruct the public access to
the waters which border the lands
leased.
Frederick Seymour. of Orange, rep
r~esenting the Bulls Ferry Chemical
company; McDougall Hawkes., former
dock commissioner of New York city,
and William Cloke, of this city, a
member of the state riparian board,
we're the main speakers.
Mr.. Cloke explained that at present
riparian lands may be leased perpet-
ually and the leases may be converted
into grants. The income from the
riparian lands is dedicated by law TO
the school fund,
Mr.. Seymour opposed the limiting
feature of both bills. He claimed that
no one would lease lands for 20 years
and expecte to put permanent i'm
provements thereon, because they
could not get back the investment in
that time. He attacked the revaluing
feature of the Crosse measure. This
would mean, he said, that if the lands
were leased, filled in and otherwise
improved, subject 10 a 20-year limit,
then when the term had expired the
lands would be revalued and the leas-
or would be compelled to pay for the
very improvements he had himself
made. This, Mr.. Seymour thought,
would be the rankest Injustice.
Former Commissioner Hawkes. eX-
planned the riparian methods in
vogue in New York city. Riparian
grants made there, he said, were for
merely a nominal sum-, the policy of
the city being to get the lands i'm
proved, thus adding TO the taxable
property. New York makes no ri
parian leases.
Mr.. Cloke thought this policy
could not prevail in New Jersey, even
if it were desired, because the con
stitution makes the school fund a
sacred trust, and by law the riparian
income is devoted to the school fund,
therefore the present riparian policy
Of the state is practically a constitu-
.ional provision. Senator Minturn
bought the law dedicating the money
20 the school fund might be repealed,
but Mr.. Cloke questioned the right
ever to do that. He showed hat the
constitution says that it shall not be
competent for the legislature to Dor
row, appropriate or use the fund,
or any part thereof, for any purpose,
under any pretense whatever.
The result of the hearing was that
Senator's Crosse and Minturn agreed
to withdraw their bills on condition
that the investigating resolution be
passed. This was agreed to. The
Crosse bill had already been reported
favorably, but was recalled, and the
Joint resolution passed Wednesday
afternoon. 1t is expected the house
will pass it next week.