Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-04-02

Frederick Frelinghuysen and many
|, others were represented at the hearing
; to urge that the bill be beaten. They
pointed out the fact that it was drafted
with a single object, and that to de-
stroy absolutely in this State the rights
of the property owner and to give the
trolley companies right of way where
ever its officials might decide tracks
were needed for connections.
AS a scheme for fooling the people,
the Public Service lobby has allowed a
few amendments to be written into the
measure In the Senate, SO long as the
one provision that is really valued Is
not disturbed, that allowing tracks to
be laid without consultation of a single
Iproperty-owner. The worthless amend
ments having been Incorporated and the
lineup on the bill having assured its
passage in the Senate, Mr.. Osborne
showed hot haste Il have it
passed. Senator Silzer, or Middlesex,
who had tried hard to have something
written into the bill to draw it's sting.
objected, and it was laid over until
next Monday.
One fortunate result of the changes
made in the bill in the Senate is that 1t
must go back to the House in which
it originated for the consideration OF
the amendments. That will enable the
men who are really working for the
States best interests to try once more1
to recall to their duty the shameless
Assemblymen who were influenced In
some way in the course of a week to
change their pronounced opposition to
the bill to warm friendliness.
The change of front in the House is
a scandal that should not longer go I'M
aired. The Senate vote on the proposed
amendment shows what is or the Pub
lie Service program for hat branch of
the Legislature.
1t is up to the people to rise and de-
mand OF their representatives that
there be an investigation of what has
been going on In the corridors and out
side the State House for the last three
weeks TO gave the vicious Lee bill.
The Attempted Water stenI.
Next to the Lee bill the public eye Is
upon the Water-snake. Governor Fort
declared that nc would have nothing
more to say about water legislation
until some bill reached him from the
Leg Sldluit. INeldtiNe W Tx SldlciitiI
that he had weakened in his stand
against the attempted water steal the
Governor said:
when say a thing ! mean it." and
referred to his message sent to the
Senate last Monday night.
III the message in question. speaking
of the Hudson County Water Com
pany, the Governor said:
7-I- A..- --.Az. 40, - ~ -
has been f~agrantly offensive to the
people OF the State, n it has been so
persistently insistent to obtain water,
whether they get it r~ightfully or wrong
fully, fairly or surreptitiously, that it is
not entitled to any consideration at
the hands of the Legislature"
1t is not for one moment believed that
the Governor will accept a bill that
changes a period, or crosses a 1T" or
dots an "i' in the McCran bill. That
measure in clear, clean English that
strikes from the shoulder and unequiv-
ocally prohibits the diversion OF any
we'll or subsurface waters from this
State for use in another State. Time
after time for a year. Governor Fort
has expressed his desire for just such a
law. This week he stated that he want
ed that bill.
The following paragraph in his mes
age of Monday night arrested the at
t~ention OF President Joseph S. Freling-
huysen and other Senators who are
working to protect the Hudson County
Water Company in it's attempt to get
water from tlAs State into Greater New
York for private gain:
The whole scheme has been planned
off the island and within the city Of
New York for private gain. and until
the Governor or Legislature of the
State of New York officially inform this
State that it is necessary or needful to
aid tnat State and it's citizens no action
which modihes our State policy should
be taken"
On the strength of hat paragraph
former Supreme Court Justice Bennett
Van Syckel, who had been advising the
Governor, was hired by Turner A.
Beall as a means OF influencing the
State Executive and a bill quickly
drawn which provided in high-sounding
language for legalizing a diversion of
the States water supply and exploita-
ton in New York OF New Jerseys
natural W that should be con-
served. BY putting 1t up to the Gov
ernor to grant water to another State
the water lobby believed that their dis
graceful scheme for a water steal could
be carried out.
The friends of the Governor do not
believe that he wouid sign the Van
Syckel substitute for the McCran bill.
1t would weaken the States policy in
the first place, and in the second place
the Governor would, it is claimed for
him, be averse to having such vast
power placed in his hands. or Of placing
it in the hands OF his successors.
Meanwhile there are ugly rumors
afioat as to the work Of the water
snake at Trenton. A law such as the
water men want to get through means
a round million to the Hudson County
Water Company to begin with, and tho
INSCRIPTIONS methods of that concern
at North Arlington show what may be
expected at Trenton.
Former Governor Griggs. former JUS
tice Van Syckel. former Senator Colby
and former Acknowledgement McCarter
will be very much on the job again