Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-03-20

Mr.. Stickel says that he would get
the signatures to such a petition to-
day. The committee may hen wait
t~wenty-four hours before reporting the
bill, SO that it does not have to come
out of committee before Thursday.
even on forced action.
That will leave but little opportunity
for consideration by the House this
week..
John McGregor Littell, of East Or
ange, senior vice-president of the New
Jersey State Civic Federation and Of
the New Jersey State Association Of
Riparian Owners, asserted yesterday
that If, by any chance, the bill should
become ali act he would tie up h pro-
ceedings in Chancery for years to come.
He said;
Canal, as a canal, Is worth from $35, 100000
to $4,000, 900. Abandoned, the canal is
worthless. And the Lehigh Valley wants
to have it Abandoned
Personally, l don't think the Legisla-
ture will defer TO the Lehigh Valleys
wishes. But if 1t does 1 will take the case
to the Court of Chancery and obtain an
injunction that will delay the settlement
indefinitely.
"Then you, too, think that the Lehigh
Valley gets something? 2" he was asked.
Not only does the railroad mpan get
somethlng'-rights and property at the low
est estimated value at $1,000, 0W-but the
State loses millions In addition TO tnat
sum.
.The Morris Canal, as a waterway, is
very valuable, despite all that the Lehigh
Valley has done to ruin 1t.
THE enormity of the steal Is as appall-
ing as it is barefaced. And misrepresenta-
lions equally barefaced have been made In
defense of the proposed bill.
I'm brief sulnmary the situation is this:
1.-THE Lehigh Valley Railroad Company
is lessee of the Morris Canal. The State
by the proposed abandonment the State
donates to the company gratis property and
rights to the yalsn ae od ae eco TS to IT. the 4 i a5So
condones the wrongful acts of the Lehigh
Valley and releases 1t from all prosecution,
What the State will receive In return
First of all, the canal itself, which the
State already owns in It's entirety, except
the most valuable portions, of course,
namely, the basins in Jersey City, the
canal itself from the Hudson River to Fid-
dler,s Elbow and the other terminal in
I'm the second place $500. goo in cash. The
railroad company will get this back and
probably $250,000 more from its half of the
proceeds of the canal from Fiddler's Ell
bow to Paterson.
but what happens to the States inter-
est in the canal proper?
Take the water rights. Just as soon
as navigation Is abandoned the water
rights, given for the express and sole pur-
pose of navigation, viii, under the charter,
revert to the original owners. In other
words, the States right to the water will
terminate absolutely.
very same reason it, too, will revert to its
original owners. The canal cannot be used
for an electric railroad, as 1t has been ar
gued, because the bed is mostly owned by
individuals who gave 1t for canal urposes
and canal purposes only. Hence, 1t Will
be necessary to recondemn the bed II It Is
IN ho nGad for QnU nfhaF nlFDOCa which
would be quite as expensive as to con-
denim a virgin strip.
THE State, furthermore, owes nothing to
the Lehigh Valley, which has abused its
trust, violated its charter and killed the
canal by charging an utterly exorbitant
New Jersey owns the canal and can
have 1t, every foot, without paying a cent,
merely by ousting the lessee in quo war
For comparatively small cost the canal,
which Is worth as a waterway, as has been
shown by experts, $50, 900, can be fitted
for operation. Carrying freight at cost, it
can be an immense benefit to farmers in
northern New Jersey and throughout the
State to manufacturers and others. In adj
dition | am personally confident that cleo
trio power could be generated by water
power. in sufficient quantities to pay for
the npkeep. The current could be used on
the planes Of the canal and sold to towns
and villages. The establishment of q fast
packet system would follow and the banks
could be made a unique park, extending
continuously from the Hudson to the Della
ware.
Nov consider the terms of the so-called
bargain that is outlined in the abandon
ment bill:
9TH State gives the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road property and rights worth $25, 600, 600.
The Lehigh Valley gives the State abso.
lutely nothing that the State does not now
own outright.
when IL is considered that the income
of those very canal basins and other por-
lions donated TO the Lehigh Valley-and
which the railroad is so very anxious to
obtain-was dedicated TO the school chill
dren of New Jersey, the outrageous nature
of the steal is made evident
1T ought not TO be and 1t will not be
SENATE PASSES BILL TO