Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-03-29
COMMISSION WILL
INVESTIGATE CANAL
Board of Twelve to Study
Waterway and Report to
Next Legislature.
fFrorn a stan Correspondent

TRENTON. March 29.-After the
Morris Canal abandonment bill had
been decisively beaten in the House
late yesterday a resolution vas passed
providing for the appointment of a
commission Of twelve members to in
vestigate tho canal situation and to
report to the next Legislature it's fnd-
ings. There was also passed a bill
drawn in accordance with the conclu-
sions reached.
The resolution, which was offered by
Assemblyman Godfrey, Atlantic. pro-
vides hat the Governor, the speaker
of the House and the president of the
Senate shall each appoint four of the
probers. one from each Congress dis
trict; that So 600 shall be appropriated
for its expenses; that It shall appraise
the canal property and submit a de-
tailed aocount OF what the State should
receive and what the Lehigh Valley
Railroad should get by abandonment,
and also to report as to the feasibility
of operating part or whole of the canal.
Assemblyman Griffin, Hudson. offered
a resolution before Mr.. Godfrey had
put his in setting forth that it was the
sense of the House that the attorney
general should file a writ of quo war
ranto against the Morris Canal and
Banking Company and the Lehigh VAL
ley Railroad to Dust the corporations
for misuser and non-user. 1t being the
sense of the Legislature that the prop
erty should revert to the people of the
State because of violation of charter.
Mr.. Griffin tried to get immediate ac-
ton on his resolution, but Speaker Nc
Gran referred it to the Judiciary com-
mittee. The same committee had been
given the custody of the Godfrey reso-
luton, which it reported. The Griffin
resolution was smothered in the COM
mittee. It was not reported.
The canal abandonment bill vas a
special order of business in the House
yesterday AFTERNOON. First the Stickel
bill, providing that the city of Newark
might buy the section of the canal
within its borders, the same privilege
being given to other municipalities
through which the canal runs, was
voted down by forty-four to fourteen.
Then the bill as reported by the rail-
roads and canals committee, which did
not permit Newark to buy part of the
canal bed, was disposed of for this
session by a motion of Assemblyman
Richards to postpone consideration of
it indefinitely. This motion was car
ried by a standing vote. So many
arose when the affirmative was called
for that the speaker did not deem 1t
necessary to ask for the negative
showing,
The supporters of canal abandonment
gained a small victory in the morning
when the adverse report of the COM
Uittee was not upheld and the m~easur
was made a special order of business
for yesterday afternoon. When the
measure came up Assemblyman Stickel
offered a substitute bill. giving Newark
preferential rights and briefly urged
the passage of his bill.
Opposition to Bill Develops.
Assemblyman Carhart, of Warren,
was the first to whack the measure.
He said that one-third of the canal
was within Warren County and that
no provision had been made for taking
care Of the numerous bridges over the