The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-12
water to certain parts of the state

only.
If a water supply commission which
would own and control through con-
demnation all the plants of the cities
and private companies now operated
were created and clothed With full
power the territory embraced within
the district could through such com
mission solve the water problem The
value of the plant would many times
exceed its cost, and reasonable water
rental to cities taking it based on the
cost Of operating, interest charges and
a reasonable percentage to meet an
pay the bonded debt as it matured
would soon wipe out the debt and
probably in fifty years would practical
lily give either free water or by the
I charges for water greatly relieve the
other burdens of taxation.
I'M Incidental to this the commission
should purchase and control the forest
land in upper Passaic, covering about
10000 acres
it is a matter worthy of careful con
sideration whether our state alone car
\ do all that is necessary to protect the
water rights in the hills of the north
lern part of our state. The boundary
line between our state and New York
runs through these hills. The streams
| from which our supply is to come rise
/ in New York, and if that state does not
4 join with us in action to conserve
these waters and prevent their pollu-
ton the results may be serious. If the
two states could act by a joint commits
sion and take over the 10000 acres or
more of watershed within New York
the results would be protected supply
Of great value.
\ Consoiidation and Abolition of Offices
recommend the abolition Of the in
spectors of the state prison. | recon-
mend that the board be abolished and
It's duties transferred, If any transfer
is necessary, to the warden and su.
pervisor respectively, as may be proper
strongly recommend that the bu
reau of statistics of labor and indus
tries be merged into the department OF
labor.
that there is no reasonable excuse for
he continuance of five members of
The state water supply commission.
This should be department under a
single head.
\ also think that there are too many
oyster commissions in the state and
that there should be a bureau with a
single head having charge of all the
oyster industry in New Jersey. The
legislature should do everything in its
power to foster the oyster industry,
and nothing viii be of more benefit
than the creation of responsible de-
partment and the putting in operation
Of a system of leasing the oyster lands
of the state.
Inland Waterways.
| earnestly recommend that provi
sion be made for further continuance
of the work of the department on in
land waterways by the proper appro-
priation and that canal be dug be-
tween Bay Head and the Manasquan
river When this canal is completed
the headwaters of Barnegat bay will
be salt and about 1900 acres of oyster
lands will come into use. At present
the water at Bay Head is not suffi-
GENTLY salt for oyster propagation.
Steps should be taken by the legisla-
ture to request the congress of the
United States to open Manasquan In
let and dixie and protect it so that
ships of quite heavy draft may find a
harbor in the ManasQuan river and
smaller craft use the inlet to approach
the canal and Barnegat bay, and thus
on down to Cold Spring Harbor at Cape
May.
Public Roads.
If possible, the state should take
over, with the consent of municipali-
ties, Of course, all of these roads which
may be considered through highways
from the chief points in the state and
maintain them. 1t has seemed to me,
If the counties and localities con
sent, that it would be wise for the
state to have transferred to a proper
body to be designated for that purpose
the maintenance of all the highways
connecting the various county seats of
the state with one another. This would
make a continuous roadway under
maintenance by the state Of about 745
miles.
A strong movement has been started
| by residents along the New Jersey
coast for an ocean boulevard from the
Highlands in Monmouth county ia
Cape May, in Cape May county, the
| idea being to eventually have high
way by the sea from the one point to
the other. What this road would mean
| to New Jersey one who has not given
it serious thought cannot comprehend
| 1t would be 1877 miles in length. The
state possesses no greater asset for the
benefit of it's people than its seacoast
and everything shouldibe done to build
| it up.
recommend that commission be
created consisting Of the governor. the
| president Of the senate, the speaker Of
the house and the state road commits
sionsr, who shall have authority t.
take over all highways herein referred