Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-20
LEH!GH VALLEY
WOULD PRESENT
CANAL TO STATE
Railroad Says Morris Waterway
Cost 1t $1O,57S,67O More
Than 1t Brought In.
DECLARE WATERWAY
USELESS FOR NAVIGATION
Asks Legislature TO Pass Bill
Permitting Abandonment
of Ditch.

There viii be presented TO the Legis-
lature this week a memorial. Issued yes
terday by the Lehigh Valley railroad,
lessee OF the Morris canal. proposing
to convey to the State of New Jersey.
free of cost, all the water rights In
connection with the canal and to
abandon the use of the canal for navi-
cation. For several years the canal
is declared to have been practically
useless for navigation.
President Thomas N. McCarter, of
the Public Service Corporation. was
today asked if he had anything to say
concerning the proposed abandonment
of the Morris canal. and he issued the
following statement:
Il have read the statement OF the
Lehlgh Valley railroad as carefully as
the short time would permit. Ii seems
to me to open up the possibility of the
abandonment of the canal on terms
that are equitable and Just to all, and
I hope 1t will be accomplished"
Under the plan proposed by the rail-
road, and ~embodying which the Legis-
lature will be asked to pass a bill, the
State receives the dams and all the
land owned by the company at Lake
Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake, as
we'll as the flowing and diversion
rights granted In the company's char
ter. With the lengthy memorial the
company also issued a shorter state
ment, In part as follows;
Since the introduction OF steel rails
and the completion Of railroads across
the State of New Jersey the Morris
canal has been a useless expense. It
has become an economic waste which
ought not o be allowed to continue.
The canal oany was chartered
before railroads existed. 1t failed in
lS41 and was reorganized In 1874. In
the sixties, owing to the superior and
more economical service of railroads,
it's condition became hopeless. The
Lehigh Valley, not having a line in
New Jersey at that time, leased the
canal in 1871, its object being to pro-
vide competition with, and thereby en-
force equitable treatment from the
Central Railroad of New Jersey, which
vas It's only eastern connection.
Five Days by Canal, 3 Hours by Train.
But it soon became evident that the
canal was Inadequate. either for the
volume of business or for the purpose
of controlling competition, and the
Lehigh Valley was forced to construct
It's own road across the State, from
~phlllipsburg to Perth Amboy; later the
line WAS extended from South Plain
field to Jersey City. The largest YES
sci that can be operated on the canal
holds seventy tons of coal and takes
Ave days to make the trip across New
Jersey. A steam locomotive hauls 1000
tons Of coal over the same distance in
five hours. The boat Is in W sections,
which must be separated ut twenty
two inclined planes and pass through
more than thirty locks to get over the
mountains between the Delaware River
and the Hudson River. All the coal
passing over this route has to be rams
shipped from cars at the Delaware
River end and must again be lifted out
of boats and put into cars and wagons
at tidewater.
1.-THE tolls scarcely pay the wages OF
boatmen. II the forty years since 1871
the railroad company IN operating the
property and assuming the cana com
pany's obligations has paid out $40,
57S,6 $40 more than Il has AXE in from
the earnings OF the canal. Originally
intended as a public highway for the
use of whoever might care to operate
vessels thereon, the waterway has not
been used for sixteen years by any
person or corporation other than the
lessee.
1AbsOIete and Unprohtabie.r
"Six a ago the New Jersey Legis-
lature created a commission composed
of ex-Governors Werts. Griggs and
Voorhees, to examine into all ques-
lions relating to the canal and to rec
ommend what action, II any, should
be take by the State in regard there
TO. After a long investigation the
commission suggested legislation au-
thorizing abandonment of navigation"