Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-06-27
CAPTAIN CLARK's GOOD WORK.

MSI. ne SApSCtS " return W NCN
Jersey later, however, and continue
his fight for free transportation on
the canals. The captain does not
hesitate to say that he is greatly dis
appointed with the support he has
received by the people who are to be
the most benefited by the opening
of the New Jersey canal.
Captain Clerk came into this state
last winter and, single-handed, put
up such a fight against the Pennsyl-
yauia railroad IN regard to the throt-
thing of the Delaware and Raritan
| canal that the railroad called out its
most powerful lobbyists to defeat
his efforts. The captain drew up a
bill fixing a maximum toll of ten
cents a ton on all merchandise pass
ing through the canal, This bill he
got introduced in the assembly had
several successful hearings and final
ly saw the measure passed, in spite
of the fact hat Assemblyman w. E.
Ramsay and some others who rep
resented people most vitality interest
ed, "ducked" when the vote was ia
ken.
The bill then went to the senate
and struck a snag in the person who
had heretofore apparently taken the
greatest interest in the canal, sena-
tor George S. siIzer. The senator op-
posed the bill on the ground of its
constitutionality, showing an IN
friendly attitude toward the measure
all the way through.
The agitation thus started by
Captain Clark, however, was the
means of bringing out the report of
the canal investigating committee
which, through the efforts Of Sena-
tor silzer, had been appointed two
years previous. There is every rea-
son to believe that this report would
not have been made at the last ses-
sion Of the legislature had not the
agitation started by Captain Clark
created a demand for it. The re-
port was then used as an excuse for
sldetracking the ten cent toll bill.
But although the bill was defeat
ed it has borne fruit. The Pennsyl-
vania railroad, thoroughly alarmed
| at the outlook, took steps at once to
revise its toll sheet on the Delaware
and Raritan canal. For years the
toll has been prohibttlve so that boat
men could not use the waterway.
Since the last session of the legisla-
ture the tolls on the canal have been
reduced several times until now they
are the lowest they have been in
years. For this, the thanks IRE due
Captain Clark.
The captain was the man who
| started the agitation for a barge ca
nal, free of toll, across the state of
New York. He was ridiculed at
first, but he has lived to see New
York state spend $101, O00,0C for
the building of the waterway. He
now has similar plans for The Della
ware and Raritan canal. He argues
that the building of the ship canal
from South Amboy to Bordentown
need lot prevent the Delaware and
Raritan being made into an up-to-
date waterway as well. Consider
| ing what has been done elsewhere,
Captain CIark's idea is perfectly
| feasible.
1t is surprising that New Bruins
wick and some of the other places
on the Delaware and Raritan do not
become more enthusiastic over Cap
| tain Clark's idea. We wonder some
| times If New Brunswick realizes
that once the ship canal across the
state is built, the Delaware and Rar-
itan is likely to be abandoned. This
would leave New Brunswick practic-
ally an inland city. The county seat
has everything to gain in having the
Delaware and Raritan canal i'm
proved.
Captain Clark's visit to New Jer-
sey has been profitable to US all. 1t
Ia 10 be regretted that he has not
been more enthusiastically support
ed. The waterways are coming more
and more into use as a means of
competition In transportation, and,