Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-12-22


ment Of the canal, If the city saw
At, another great municipal i'm
provement could be made, namely,
the removal of the market and the
development of a wide thoroughfare
embracing both the present North
Canal street and South Canal street,
and the present location of the mar
ket, running easterly from Broad
street to connect with Passaic ave-
nue. or other new highways in the
eastern section of the city.
/ appreciate the difficulties atten-
dant upon the abandonment of the
Morris canal. 1t is a serious problem
but not an impossible one if ap-
preached In a proper frame of mind.
This matter has been agitated for
nearly ten years. One difficulty in
the way of its abandonment has al
ways been that a large portion of
the public came to believe that the
attempt to abandon the canal was
a gigantic steal, which would re-
dound to the Legitimate benefit OF
one or more corporations. Such Is
not the fact. The canal, for all
practical purposes, is a back num-
ber-an out-of-date method of
transportation in this State, grid
ironed. as it is, with railroads-and
can never again play any serious
part in the transportation facilities
of the State. In addition to this, in
thickly settled communities like
Newark, 1t is an open YER
menace to life and health. The Lee
high Valley Railroad Company,
which is the lessee under legislative
authority of the Morris Canal and
Banking Company, Is naturally
anxious to have the canal aban-
doned. as its continued operation
causes an annual financial loss to
that corporation of approximately
%terest, direct or remote, in the
abandonment of the canal, except
the possibility Of utilizing it, when
abandoned, for the purpose set forth
in this letter.
Extend High Speed Line.
On the S1st day of March, 1909,
after one or more attempts to pass
legislation to abandon. the canal
had failed, the Legislature of the
State adopted a concurrent resolu-
ton authorizing the Governor to
appoint a commission to investii-
gate and report to the following
Legislature upon this subject. BY
virtue of this authority Governor
Murphy appointed the then three
living ex-governors of the State,
namely, Governor Werts, Governor
Griggs and Governor Voorhees,.
This distinguished commission,
after an exhaustive examination,
united in a report to the next
Legislature, recommending the
abandonment of the canal, and
drafted an act for the purpose.
which sought to protect the in
terests of all parties. Opposition
developed to the bill as contained
in the report Of the ex-goyernors.
and about a year was consumed in
recasting the legislation to meet
the objections thus raised. The
Board of Trade of Newark ap-
pointed a committee to look into
the matter from the standpoint of
the city of Newark.
After a most thorough inyestiga-
ton this committee reported, on
the oath day of November. 1903, in
favor of the abandonment of the
canal, upon certain conditions.
Later on the board requested
Chandler w. Riker and John r.
Hardin to. represent 1t in Incorporate
ing in the proposed legislation
whatever was deemed necessary by
i. the board, for the protection of the
city! In 1905 the bill, thus redrafted
ITO meet not only the wishes of the
citysiof Newark, but to protect all
interests that had appeared. was
passed by the House of Assembly
IN the closing days of the Legisla-
ture, but was not taken up in the
Senate. The bill protected the ulti-
mate interests of the State in the
ownership of the Morris canal, the
rightaof the State, IL any, to the So
called Morris canal basin. In Jersey
City; the rights of bondholders.
creditors and stockholders of the
Morris Canal and Banking Com
pany, and the interests of rever-
sionary owners; 1t permitted of no
water steal whatever, and 1t thor
oughly protected the interests of
the municipalities along the route,
but made it possible, upon compile
ton of the abandonment. for h
roadbed of the canal to be used for
transportation purposes, except that
within the congested section OF
Newark no steam method of pro-
pulsion was to be adopted. Under
the terms of the bill the property
of the canal company was to be
sold and the proceeds used to pay
all the claims referred to above.
Whatever deficit there was, If any,
the Lehigh Valley Railroad Com
pany would have TO make up.
This piece of legislation, or an
act similar thereto, would have TO
be passed to bring about the result
of which 1 have spoken. The au-
thorities of the city and of the State
should look this matter squarely In
the face and unite in bringing about
what is so manifestly to the ad-
vantage Of the people of all of this
section of the State. In my opinion
this is the only way in which this
desired result can be brought
about. AS both the government OF
the city of Newark and the incom-
ing State government are bi-par-
tisan, neither party would be able
to gain any credit or fancied dis
credit in the matter, to the detrf-
ment or benefit of the other.
A Market Street Subway.
Third-If the abandonment of the
Morris canal is impracticahle
within a reasonable time, the alter
native Is a subway on Market
...4 I,uharn nnndifinns are UQHsA