The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1912-02-20
SAVE MORRIS CANAL
SAVE HOPAICONG
Mr.. Woodruff Gives His Views
on Canal Abandonment.

SOnlCuulA1S ludC Tie Only way III
which Lake Hopatcong can be saved
is by saving the Morris canal from
abandonment, the Hon. Francis E.
Woodruff writes us as follows:
To the Editor of the "Chronicle:o
-Manifestly. only the retention
of the Morris canal, with its impor-
tant water needs, can preserve Lake
HopatcOng as health and pleasure
resort, and save it from being turned
into a drinking water reservoir; for
the profit of water companies; but to
the ruin of its surrounding properties
because, all use of the lake for boat
ing, fishing, bathing, skating, ice cut
ting, etc, purposes, together with the
present method of disposal of sewage,
would be prohibited. The proposed
"concession" that perhaps twenty
years may elapse before the pro
hibition will be enforced is a mockery
because expectancy of the impending
fate would at ouce demoralize real
estate values. The half-promise that,
by the use of intereepting sewers,
even after enforcement, the residents
might still be permitted to live there
is only worse mockery; for who
would be willing to live beside a
lake they were prohibited from using.
With. instead, the Morris canal re-
tanned, and owned by the state. its
water needs would take precedence OF
those of the water companies and
Lake Hopatcong would be forever
safe from their predatory attempts.
Towards this good there is required
n tai
tion of the causes of the present
deterioration Of the canal property,
and of its future economic possibili-
ties. It's enemies are saying that
there have already been investigations
enough, and when three such men as
the members of the recent Canal com
mission have approved abandonment
it must be right. If these enemies
have read the Instructions Of the con-
current resolution they at least ought
to know that their statement is not
correct, for its wording clearly de-
notes that the commission was told,
IN effect, that the question OF abana-
onment was none of its business and,
that, taking that question as decided,
it was limited to making the best
possible arrangement for it with the
railroad company. So the commits
sion's> action was neither approval
nor disapproval of abandonment.
Further, all previous reports on the
conditions OF the canal since the 1871
lease have been made under the hos
tile influence of those who would de-
stroy it. That these reports are, to
put it mildly, inadequate is evident
from (see the Ford Kurtz report)
their omission to mention, among
Fother things, the ease with which
the deficiency that periodically draws
down the waters of Lake Hopatcong
could be remedied by small addi-
tion to the reseryoired spaces: or,
and far more serious, the startling
advantage in the feasible, economical,
electrification of the canal from its
own flow Obviously thorough and
impartial investigation is imperative
ly needed.
Finally, when, in addition to the
resolution authorizing the investiga-
ton commission, there is presented
to the legislature a bill calling for
state ownership should the report of
the former justify it, as it would,
there ought to be, SO transparentfy
in the right Is our cause, enough
good citizens in and out of the legis-
lature to keep the bills from being
'smothered in committee" and TO
pass them, for the governors sigma
ture. Then both the canal and the
lake will have been rescued from the
clutches of their destroyers.
FRANCIS e. WOODRUFF
8 James street.