Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-17
RAILROAD GRAD
BEH|NDEIE[DER's
MERCER BILLS
STARS Exposure Halls. New
York Central Getting Six
teen.Mile Road.
ALSO THE FRANCHISE
OF TURNPIKE CONCERN
Another Effort May Be Made to
Lobby Measures Through
Assembly.
IRON a stan Correspondent.

The powerful railroad lobby, it is
said, is planning to move a reconsider
alton of the measure in the closing
hours Of the session, and, III the con-
fusion of that period, TO stealthily pro-
cure its passage.
The hidden purpose bael; of the
Fielder bills, as disclosed by the
STARS investigation, would vest the
New York Central and Hudson River
railroad, a foreign corporation, with
the right to acquire by the mere filing
OF a certificate with the secretary Of
state, the ownership of a railroad route
from Hoboken to the State line, ap-
p~roxinlately sixteen miles, land and a
turnpike that may be a link in the
Henry Hudson boulevard. The reason
for attempting to grab by a general
rather than a private or special bill is
shown because a grant of the kind
sought by special act is barred by the
Constitution.
As asserted in the STAR, following the
introduction of these bills-known as
Senate SO and 100, on February 15 last
these measures which the Hudson SEN
ator bla1dly admitted he knew nothing
about further than the information
given him by counsel for the New York
Central, it now appears had an Interior
and hidden motive back Of their SUBJ
mission. On their face they provide
merely as. explained by Senator Fielder,
for the merger of the West Shore Rail-
road and its subsidiary lines with the
New York corporation which already
holds the West Shore Railroad under a
475-year lease executed by ]. p. Nor
gan, C1auncey NJ. Depew and Ashabel
Green, then owners of the road in 1887.
To simplify Bookkeeping.
AS explained to the Senate'committee
On. railroads and canals, which favora-
bly, reported the bills on the recommen-
dation of Senator, Fielder. their only
purpose was. as explained to him, the
Hudson Senator said blythe New York
Central counsel, to permit tho latter
corporation TO improve its system of
bookkeeping and get rid of the unneces-
sary board of directors it had been
obliged to maintain for the West Shore
company, although owning the latter,
virtually. through its ST5-year lease.
| Ats ntion was directed by. The Star to
the fact that if nothing more was de-
sired trrt much might be accomplished
BY a special act of the Legislature, set
ting forth the real purpose, of the pro-
posed merger, as had been done in the
case of recent adoption of numerous
small lines held under long term lease
by the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania
Railroad systems. instead of by supple
ments to the general railroad act as
provided in the Fielder bills.
Inquiry by Assembiyn1au Thomas F.
Martin, OF Hudson, who led a success
full fight against the attempted New
York Central steal lin the House, and
by Counsellor William c., Asper, ~. of
West Hoboken, disclosed facts which
induce them to assert hat the real
purpose of the Fielder ! bill was
to acquire, under a general law and
without compensation to the State, the
right Of way for a railroad approx
rnately sixteen miles long ON the west
shore Of the Hudson River, from Ho-
boken TO the State line, and of a turn
pike franchise which has virtually
escheated to the State, neither Of which
under the constitution might be ac-
CURED by a special act.
Paragraph II. Section vii, Article iv.,
of the State constitution says in part:
THE Legislature shall not pass private,
local OF. special laws . . sconferring
corporate powers " 8 granting 70
any corporation. association or individ-
ual the right to lay down railroad
tracks,
Might Acquire other Lines.
n of the subsidiary lines of the
West Shore system which the New
York Central might acquire IL the
Fielder bills were enacted was the New
York and Fort Lee Railroad, New Jer-
sey Shore Line Railroad and the Hobo
ken and Hudson River Turnpike Com
pany, all three of which are now vir-
tuAlly the property, Of the State
The New York and Fort Lee Railroad,
which wal formerly the New York and
Bulls Ferry horse railroad. had a route
OF almost sixteen miles, of which less
than a mile n a half Is built, extend
ing from Weehawkens to the StatA line.
The New Jersey Shore line, owned by
the New York Central, covers the same
route, but has not a mile Of track laid.
The Hoboken and Hudson River turn
pike, with It's franchise, is owned by
the New York and Fort Lee corpora
ton. The turnpike is part OF the ap-
proach the State may need for the com
pletton of the Henry Hudson boulevard
end of the Palisade Interstate Park for
the completion Of which the Legislature
last yea appropriated $500, 900, contin-
gent on a combined cash and property
gift of $500, 600 from the Edward II
Hartman estate, and private subscrip.
tions and a like amount from the New
York Legislature, all of which has beer
subscribed. =
becomes State Property.
The charter of the New York & For
Lee corporation was issued In 1885,
with a proviso that the state might
IN April, 1911, purchase the property a,
Its appraised value in 1861, or unless ~
, was completed in five years from the
latter date it should revert to the
State. Theoretically the property AMI
franchises which the Fielder bin woult
give the New York Central gratis 4.
now the property Of the State.
Included in the route OF the railroad
which runs parallel TO the base OF the
Palisades, is more than five miles OF
riparian land, the property of the Stat.
school fund, which the Legislature, II
order to preserve the scenic beauty Of
the cliff, now dedicated for park pur
poses, has, so far as It's power extended
aiienated from school fund uses.
) Counsellor Asper. who has made at
exhaustive search into the motives bacl
OF the metRer. In an infar 1850 With 4