The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-10-30
Suit Brought by Railroad Was Visionary and Never Would Have Been Tried

Necessity 0f Once MoTe hal'
 lying to Rescue of Seaside
 Park is Plainly Proved.
 Rev. Morgan G. Millar. who recently discussed the Harbor Grab. in a ser mon. and was promptly denounced for SO doing by all the Harbor Grab news papers. has received letter from liar bor Master Charles H. Morris. con veying further infornatiors about the nstnner in which the railroad victory was won. Rev. MT. Millar has au- thorized the publication of this letter. The documents referred to by MT Norris copies of which were sent to Rev. MT. MiHar. are reproduced in whole or in part. elsewhere in the Farmer, to-day. The letter follows;
 Rev. Morgan G. Millar, Bridgeport, Conn
 Dear Sir
 I have not the pleasure of per, sonal acquaintance with you, but you will nevertheless, pardon me, hope, if | express to you my thanks Tor your utterances on the Harbor line matter. You are the first minister, so far as | - bearing of this question. At least you are the first to danounceSthe bargain that was made as against good morals and of evil example.
 Doubtless. sir. you were not alto eether unprepared for the storm of abuse which greeted you. Yet you were more in the riEilt, possibly, than VIE Knew, for assume you have fol- lowed the fight to protect the Harbo1 oniy in 8 general way, as so many cit- izenS have.
 Until recently one of the newspapers which so bitterly assailed you was earnestly opposed to the gift of Il acres cf HaIDcr to the New Haven Rallr0al Company Another newspa- per which oensured you had been con- stantly pro-raiiroad with the respect to th, IIarbor, but with respect to the Car Barn Surrender. had been against it. and only chaDged- when Mayor Lee withdrew his oprs sltlon to the, Sur render and signed into being the death traps which are to be estapisned al These two matters. if you remem- Der. were part of the same bargain. In c,rlsidera ton that we, gave up the Harbor the Railroad company agreed to establish the death traps.
 That you may know more fully how greatly you were justified in the posi- ten you took, may I refer briefly tG certain facts connected with this con trcversy SO bitterly waged for more titar4 two years.
 Harbor line, prior to 1906. None hae expressed a desire to change it, al. though watermen believed that Il should be nearer the shore. But 1T Nov 1906, this line was set much fur ther out from the shore at the solt request of the railroad company, ant in spite of the opposition of the City the Harbor Master, and those connect ed with shipping.
 Marcus Reynolds was then mayor So strongly did he feel that the liar bor was threatened and that the Cit. would be injured by the change, tha . he caused the so called City line tt E be la1d.v This he did under the advic' of James A. Marr, an able lawyer, Wh. was then city attorney.
 Shortly afterward the railroad com pany sued the City, claiming damages upon the allegation that they had beel deprived of certain riparian rights.
 never regarded this suit as havinl a chance of success l do not thinl the railroad company had any ides they could win it. I believe this fo two reasons.
 First the suit languished in cour from the day it was brought to tn day the grab was consummated and m effort to bring it to trial was made.
 Second During this time the laWye for the railroad company prepared ant secured the passage of certain legisla ton called in popular language, tn Little Joker. This was in the form of an amendment to the charter o Bridgeport.
 It commands the city, if it should thereafter lay harbor lines, to pay fo riparian rights.
 In other words the City, through it own mayor. and it's representatives il the General Assembly, favored a lav 4 fIo 1NifU where he fore it was not required to pay, ant where the custom of the land made i unjust to render payment.
 That this so called little joker leg islation was not ignorantly passed yo1 will perceive by the copy Of the let ter, herein enclosed. which addresses to the senators and representatives ani which caused to be printed tha ali might know of it.
 T also enclose the opinion of Forme City Attorney James A. Marr relatir to the subject thinking you may de sire to read 1t.
 also enclose a clipping in which i stated the attitude of Representativ Fayette 5C. Clark, before the legisla five committee on Cities and Borough where it appeared fully that the Littl Joker had been prepared by counse for the New Haven Railroad company
 I do not believe however that tn Little Joker amendment is constitu tional.
 So much for the law suit which yor sir have rightly said to be more, o less visionary"
 Now as to the second ground upo which you have been denounced be cause of your scourageous stand flo right and justice. refer to the clair E that you have dared to differ fror the. so called Committee of FifteeT But SO did all but one of the leadip newspapers of Bridgeport.
 Five members of this committee or iginated in the Manufacturers Asso ciation A prime mover in the mat ter was the head of this associatio who was also the head of a certai private corporation, to which. in 190' the legislature had granted the righ to build seawan and fill in som 45 acres of harbor.
 This grant was not discovered unt the General Assembly was in sessio in 1907.
 if was then found that Seaside Par would be greatly injured by the ex ereise of: the grant. Bridgepert's dead ing citizens went to Hartford in mum bers. They besieged' the Assembl and secured the repeal of the greate part of the gift.
 (Continued on page four.)